World War I Christmas Truce

“The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” — Douglas MacArthur

I absolutely LOVE stories of historical events that show humanity at its best.  One such story is that of the World War I Christmas truce.  If you’ve never heard of this incident, it is fascinating!  It began when British troops sitting in the trenches heard the Germans singing Christmas carols.  Next thing you know, the British and German troops met in no man’s land and exchanged gifts, took pictures, and even played soccer together!  Eventually, due to pressure by commanding officers, the fighting resumed between the two sides.  To check out the whole story, read about it here.  There are even pictures of the “enemies” mingling during the truce (see the picture above)!  How cool!  The History Channel also has a short video clip here that has a voiceover of one of the veteran’s who was involved!

If you like stories like this, you can also read the book Chicken Soup for the Veteran’s Soul.  It is full of neat anecdotes from various wars that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  I sometimes read a story from this book to my students when we had a few minutes to spare at the end of class.  Random Acts of Kindness:  True Stories of America’s Civil War is one that has a ton of heartwarming, true accounts from the Civil War.  (I actually mentioned this in my last podcast.)  Do you know of any other books like these?  I’d love to hear about them.  Leave a comment and let me know.

 

Photo:  British and German troops meeting in no man’s land during the unofficial truce – Imperial War Museums