World War 1 was less than five months old as Christmas of 1914 approached. In a war which many didn’t think would last very long, it was becoming more apparent to the combatants it was all wishful thinking. Weather conditions were not kind to the soldiers who were fighting in trenches. Despite all of the hardship, something remarkable happened. On Christmas Eve Day, soldiers on both sides emerged from their trenches and greeted each other as hostilities ceased, at least for a while. There was a ray of light in the midst of “darkness”.
Background
There has been much written and discussed regarding various wars throughout the ages but World War 1 seems to be an enigma, at least for me. I had heard about an Archduke being assassinated and bitter battles in trenches and mustard gas, and there was even an American song named “Over There”. H.G. Wells called it “The war to end all wars.” I did know that the United States entered the war very late and that the Allies prevailed. Also, that Germany was punished heavily by the world in the years following the war.
Although the story of World War 1 is very interesting, I won’t get into the history of the war itself — that’s not the theme of this piece — but I will present a brief outline of the events that occurred in the few months preceding the incredible “Christmas Truce”.
The two sides to this war in 1914 consisted of the Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary) against the Allies (France, Russia, and Britain, along with Serbia and Belgium). Many other nations joined each side as the war progressed and it became a true world war as well as the most widespread and deadly one up until that time.
As the war ended in 1918, over 9 million soldiers lost their lives and over 21 million were wounded. Many soldiers were permanently disabled by chemical agents that were used, such as mustard gas. Over 10 million civilians were also killed. To make matters worse, a worldwide flu epidemic spread quickly because of the war, and that killed millions more around the world in 1918.
The War Begins – August 1914
Tensions across Europe were rising in 1914. Europe was about to go through a major “reset” with nation-state empires coming apart and centuries of colonialism coming to an end.
On June 28th, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who was a prince from Austria-Hungary, was assassinated in Sarajevo by a young Bosnian Serb who wanted an end to Austria-Hungary’s rule in Bosnia.
In July, Austria-Hungary demanded retribution from Serbia, but they refused. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and Russia sent troops to defend Serbia. On August 1st, Germany declared war on Russia and then on France two days later. On August 4th, Germany invaded Belgium and Britain answered the invasion by declaring war on Germany and the war was in full gear soon after that.
A mode of fighting called “trench warfare” was popular during World War 1. Deep trenches were dug as a means of defense. By December of 1914, both sides had constructed miles of trenches that extended from the North Sea through Belgium and into France.
The tedious job of digging the trenches was done by soldiers. Many trenches were at least 3 feet deep and 2 feet wide. Sometimes the soldiers just dug the trenches straight into the ground. One way to keep a trench secret was to make a tunnel and then remove the roof when the tunnel was finished. Tunneling was the safest method, but also the most difficult.
The trenches were dug in a zigzag pattern, and there were many levels of trenches along the lines with paths dug so soldiers could travel between the levels. They would spend some time in the front-line trenches, some time in the support trenches, and some time resting.
Living conditions in the trenches were extremely harsh and unsanitary. The trenches were full of bugs, lice, and rats. The rats were a particular problem because they ate much of the soldiers’ food supplies. The trenches were prone to becoming very wet with standing water, especially during times of heavy rainfall.
This image shows British soldiers in a trench during the early days of World War I Credit-YouTube
Under extreme conditions, you could be prone to trench foot (your feet get wet and remain that way for an extended period). Trench foot created large blisters and circulation issues. Many soldiers had to have their feet amputated during World War 1. The number of amputees totaled around 75,000 British soldiers and 2,000 Americans (after they joined the war). In addition, soldiers often lost fingers or toes to frostbite and some died from exposure to below-freezing temperatures.
December 1914 – A Christmas Miracle?
Weather conditions were extremely harsh for soldiers that were fighting from the trenches across parts of France and Belgium in December of 1914. Although temperatures weren’t extremely cold, a series of storm systems produced frequent bouts of rain in the region and the trenches were constantly wet and flooded. The number of trench foot cases was very high and many soldiers lost their limbs or they became ill.
It seemed that many of the soldiers had reached a breaking point, and they were wondering why the fighting and killing were going on in the first place. In the days leading up to Christmas Eve, there were a number of “mini” truces occurring with short periods of a cease-fire, but on Christmas Eve Day it almost seemed like a miracle had happened.
First of all, there was an abrupt change in the weather, especially across northeastern France and Belgium. According to accounts in the journals of many soldiers, a bitter north-to-northeast wind began to blow and temperatures fell well below freezing. The water in the trenches began to freeze. Snow began to fall and it whitened up the countryside. There seemed to be a “Christmas Spirit” in the air.
On the morning of December 24th, German soldiers began to sing Christmas carols, and soon after British soldiers did the same. Around noon. German, French, and British soldiers emerged from their trenches and exchanged greetings with each other. Soldiers on both sides ventured into “No Man’s Land” (the area between the trenches that was often surrounded by barbed wire) to exchange food and even some gifts.
An article in Time Magazine published this description from the perspective of a British soldier, Graham Williams, from his journal.
“First the Germans would sing one of their carols and then we would sing one of ours until when we started up ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ the Germans immediately joined in singing the same hymn to the Latin words Adeste Fideles. And I thought, well, this is really a most extraordinary thing – two nations both singing the same carol in the middle of a war” (Bajekal).
The goodwill extended through Christmas Day. German soldiers came out of their trenches and said: “Merry Christmas”. They held signs that indicated that they wouldn’t shoot.
This photo shows British and German troops engaging in a game of football (soccer) during the “Christmas Truce” in 1914. Photo Credit-kuww1.com.
The British troops came out for a friendly engagement. There were joint burial ceremonies and prisoner swaps. Many German soldiers had attended school in England and spoke English. Several inquired about football (soccer) scores and the like. Some soldiers from both sides even took part in soccer matches.
The truce was widespread but it didn’t extend to all areas. In some areas, though, the truce extended until the next day and in some cases out to New Years’ Day.
It’s still unclear what triggered the truce and goodwill between soldiers. Certainly, the combatants were war-weary and Christmas provided them with fond memories of their families who were far away. In addition, I came to two conclusions: 1) Weather played a role in this event 2) John Lennon was right — “War is over if you want it.”
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate the day!
