Christmas Truce

Wanting to believe, from the muddy trenches of World War One to Ukraine and Gaza, that peace is possible

On Christmas day 1914, spontaneous truces were agreed between Allied and German troops, by Angus McBride

Some stories persist and some drift off into the void. Some stories are just hard to believe. One story that seems to last is the Christmas Truce from World War One. It’s about the mostly British, French and German soldiers who, on December 24th, 1914, laid down their weapons, emerged from their trenches and crossed the battlefield between them to celebrate, exchange food, sing songs and play games.

It was a remarkable moment of humanity and compassion in the midst of a brutal war. The Truce (German: Weihnachtsfrieden; French: Trêve de Noël; Dutch: Kerstbestand) has been told and retold in drama, literature, and popular culture. It all seems apocryphal. I want to believe that peace and reconciliation is possible in war, especially at this time of year, in the midst of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Where does the truth lie in the Christmas Truce narrative? We can look at the text and images made from the event. Soldiers wrote about it in their correspondence. Photographs were taken and published in newspapers. Both contribute to an essential truth.

Here’s the story in brief:
In just the first few months of the World War One, Allied and German troops were dug in, in 500 miles of muddy trenches, in Belgium and France. As Christmas loomed, the soldiers on both sides were anticipating the holiday, hoping tensions would ease. At several locations, on Christmas Eve, soldiers of the Second Reich began singing ‘Stille Nacht’. Just before dawn a few German soldiers emerged out into No Man's Land and invited the British to join them. In the spirit of Christmas both sides agreed to have an unofficial ceasefire and celebrate together. The armies saluted each other, shook hands, and exchanged cigars. They traded presents and drank beer. What is most heartwarming was that they played football (soccer) together. They also took time to bury their dead. The peace was short-lived. When the Commander of the British Expeditionary Force heard about the fraternization, he issued immediate orders that they return to their battle positions and the fighting resumed.

Scenes of the Christmas Truce have been depicted in artworks and illustrations. My question is: Can an artist provide an honest recounting of an event like this without romanticizing it? Here are a few images I found.

Lieutenant Bruce Bairnsfather would make drawings, often humorous, of life in the trenches. He took part in the Christmas Truce and made cartoons about it that were published in his 1916 memoirs Bullets and Billets, some featuring his famous Old Bill character.

This illustration called British and German Soldiers Arm-in-Arm Exchanging Headgear: A Christmas Truce between Opposing Trenches, was featured in the Illustrated London News on January 9, 1915.

The Christmas Day Armistice on parts of the Western Front in 1914 © Pat Nicolle

Christmas Truce © Richard Taylor

Christmas Truce © 2023 National Churchill Museum, Fulton, Missouri

AI image by Midjourney using prompts: Christmas Truce, 1914, British soldiers, German soldiers and trench warfare

By 1916, poison gas was being used on European battlefields. By Christmas in 1918, over 16 million people had been killed in World War I. The Truce is representative of a 'grand illusion,' the belief that the rules and protocols of war could blunt the horrifying realities of conflict.

War is evil in any form. Countries, factions, leaders, and soldiers get entrenched in their positions. The realities of war must be believed. But we also want to believe that peace and reconciliation is possible.

The reportage that remains of the Christmas Truce of 1914 is an object lesson in the interpretation of historical sources; and distinguishing between eyewitness accounts, various depictions and wishful thinking. Whether the story is completely true or not, we want to believe that the spirit of the Christmas can bring us peace.

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More to Know:

• More details about the Christmas Truce and whether they even played football.

• Newspaper coverage from the Christmas Truce 1914 by Kyle Sheldrake, 4.20.17

• Legends, myths and realities - The Christmas Truce, 1914, from the Long, Long Trail

• More about the Grand Illusion.

• Back in November, 2022, Chris Best, Co-founder & CEO of Substack, wrote eloquently about the Christmas Truce, war and peace; and the important reasons why he created this very platform.