Location of the Christmas Truce of 1914 | History Traveler Episode 383

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

⭐️ If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out. Also be sure to check out The Gettysburg Museum of History and their store at www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com. Thanks!

[@andrewstevenson118]

Good work, sir. Just subscribed. Two of my relatives were killed in WW1, and so the period has a great interest for me. Again, well done.

[@franceshendry5656]

This story never gets old, I always choke up when I hear it. And to think after this happened, these men went back to killing each other with gusto.

[@tundranomad]

Quite sad.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

@@franceshendry5656 - Pretty wild.

[@2NDCBT]

They didn't fight each other with 'gusto' after the truce. Most of the soldiers on both sides purposely fired over each other's heads. Most, if not all of the men were replaced on the lines after this truce, and many were threatened with dereliction of duty and being traditors especially on the German side.

[@petepanozzo6854]

Only a Serial Killer could kill another human being with “gusto”.

[@DSToNe19and83]

@@petepanozzo6854welcome to humanity..

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

This reminds me of something a German veteran of WW1 told his son who was going off to fight in WW2: "Just remember, that guy on the other side of the line is just another working stiff just like you." I have to wonder if he was part of the Christmas Truce in WW1. Maybe. Thanks for posting!

[@GrandmaRose9000]

My grandfather (an Englishman) was a medic during WWI. I remember him telling me this story. He was not there but knew of it. He became a pacifist and a vegetarian I believe as a result of the war. In WWII he served in the home guard. This is a wonderful story and this video is so very well done. Very emotional. Thank you.

[@frenchfan3368]

I would highly recommend you see the 2005 film "Joyeux Noël" ("Merry Christmas") that centers around the Great War's Christmas Truce of 1914. The film is English, French and German and covers the truce from the French, German and Scottish viewpoints. Good job J. D. as always and continued safe travels!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

@@frenchfan3368 🙏🏼

[@normaowens7340]

Ooh, thank you! I didn't know about it but I will look it up

[@kyledorsty906]

And today we're all brothers Tonight we're all friends A moment of peace in a war that never ends Today we're all brothers We drink and unite Now Christmas has arrived and the snow turns the ground white

[@achristine80]

One my favorite stories in Human History. There are several great loving stories, but this one hits different. We are brothers and sisters no matter our circumstances

[@mikeg6042]

War is such an ugly thing. While I was in Vietnam I had a childhood friend stationed nearby. During the Christmas and New Year holidays they always spoke of a Cease Fire Truce to stop all the horror. On December 31st 1970 my very close friend, while on a patrol in the central highlands, tripped a 500 pound booby trapped bomb killing one man and wounding 7. He lost his leg and even now 54 years later still picks slivers of shrapnel out of his other leg and arms. I’ll never forget going to see him in the surgical facility where the medivac took him before being air lifted out of Vietnam. I remember there was a Viet Cong soldier laying in the bunk next to him that had been severely burnt. I recall being told he was hit by napalm. He was moaning in pain and when they rolled him to change his dressing I saw his back. The flesh was gone. Mercifully the Viet Cong soldier died that evening.

[@TheIrishvolunteer]

I hope you're doing okay, that sounds very tough. Thanks for sharing your story though, I'm definitely going to appreciate Christmas with my family this year.

[@sallycripe2697]

The Sabaton depiction of this is excellent!

[@la_old_salt2241]

Thanks JD. The more I learn from you, Chris, Rob and others, the more it just breaks my heart.

[@Eupher72120]

Excellent presentation, JD, as always. So glad you are sharing some repartee with some of your fellow historians.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

@@Eupher72120 - Thanks. Great channels that I think everyone should subscribe to.

[@richsnyder8015]

One of my favorite historical stories. It’s hard to imagine anything like this happening today. Thank you JD for this wonderful tribute to those WWI veterans and the dignified treatment of the story of The Christmas Truce. God Bless

[@eddavis1832]

I just returned from a wonderful month of touring England where I came across the memorial dedicated to the 1914 “Joyeux Noel” commemorating the Christmas truce in Liverpool. It’s located next to the bombed out shell of St. Luke’s Church. Now I see there’s an exact duplicate in Messin, as well. Thanks for sharing…CHEERS! 🍻

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

@@eddavis1832 oh wow! Didn’t know about that one.

[@Dellboy56]

My hometown and I didn’t know. Thank you.

[@JuleyC]

JD have you seen the video for Sabaton's song about this event? It along with the song will just hit you right in the feels. When I hear Messines I think more of the tunneling and the blowing of the ridge. It is hard to think both these event took place as parts of the same battle years apart For Commonwealth graves the date listed can sometimes be the date that the body was found and buried rather than the date of death..

[@kevinmartin4137]

I am an old war horse, Persian Gulf, That is an excellent song and video. brings me to tears

[@stevenm3823]

Paul McCartney's song and video Pipes of Peace is a great recognition of the event.

[@AN-nt3uv]

When we had our summer vacation in 2019 in Belgium in Flanders area in de Panne, we have also visited the famous battlefields around Ypres. Best regards from Germany

[@thereds1959]

I’ve just got back home from a trip to see and pay our respects to the fallen soldiers of the commonwealth and the Belgian, French,Dutch and the German graves in and around Ypres Belgium 🇧🇪 and then we went onto where the battle of Waterloo had taken place in 1815. I would definitely recommend anyone to visit and pay your respects to the fallen.

[@conallmclaughlin4545]

Your videos are brilliant! I've been listening to a WW2 podcast, the guy in that always says, the most important thing a historian can do is walk the ground. He says you can't tell the story unless you personally have walked in their steps. This is what makes this channel so good, you walk their steps and tell their story's. Brilliant work

[@G1D1B2]

It makes me wonder if any of the men survived the war and attempted to find any of their counterparts whom they may have met the miraculous day.

[@la_old_salt2241]

That would be wonderful to discover.

[@mikemontgomery2654]

Honestly, and I could be wrong but, I really don’t think so. After the war, most of those vets just wanted to forget their horrible experiences and, the rest of the nations’ people that didn’t fight, wanted to forget as well. The thing that struck me about WW1 vets is, unlike WW2 vets, I don’t think that idea truly crossed their minds. Seems to me that the vast majority wanted to honour their fallen comrades and leave it there.

[@G1D1B2]

@@mikemontgomery2654 That makes sense. My mother's father fought in WW1 and he would never talk about it no matter how much I asked him. Of course I was only seven years old when he passed. We had his iron helmet and gas mask so I was always wondering about his time in war. Years later when I began to discover just how horrible that war was I began to understand why he didn't talk about it. It would have been nice to get his story and recollections on film or at least on audio tape.

[@mikemontgomery2654]

@@G1D1B2 yeah, exactly. Even the WW2 vets had a hard time talking about their time in the war. People largely weren’t interested in their experiences until many years later. Sure, we’d see war films being made after the fact but, most of those were made for entertainment purposes, as opposed to a documentary style. Even the Canadian WW1 vets that I met in my early life, never really talked about the war as much as they talked about the importance of honouring their comrades. Looking back on it, I feel like they were trying to shield people from the vulgarities they experienced, while still trying to drive home the importance of remembrance and not repeating the turmoil again.

[@edcarr3526]

@@G1D1B2Is part of the healing process putting away traumatic memories,having an injury and painful surgery with every day & insomnia some nights due to hurting pains; it’s bad to keep repeating details to inquiring surgeons,lawyers,friends,relatives bc life goes on and best thing is to avoid gossip depressive questions.

[@jamesross1799]

I agree about the cemeteries they never cease to move me.

[@marklittle8805]

JD, you are really doing a fine job of telling the story of how awful the Great War was and how people managed to cope in it all. Great of you to take the time and go outside your great wheelhouse of American history as well.

[@cliff8669]

As a lover of history ... thank you for making this. For all those who enjoy watching movies based on historical fact ... I recommend "Wipers Times." This occurred around Ypres in West Flanders, Belgium.

[@tonygannon1438]

Very nice. The 2014 Sainsburys UK Christmas ad, does a decent job on this.

[@danferrell674]

Love your cinematography skills paired with the music. Gives the videos such a warm touch.

[@terryadams1951]

Great work, JD, as par for the course! I knew about this event, of course, but did not know that the men, on both sides, would not go back to war with each other after their time of camaraderie.

[@joeritchie4554]

Thank you for showing us where this happened. It is an unbelievable story.

[@mommamooney]

The Christmas truce is one of the most amazing stories of war

[@suewarner1781]

I really appreciate the history you have on your channel. Thank You!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@ospreycove]

Thanks for highlighting this moment in history.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

@@ospreycove 👍🏻

[@32dras]

Love that you again doing series about Great War, like you said in previous episode, WW1 is where WW2 started so people can learn more, it started 110 years ago, no living veterans any more, feel like it started slipping out of people's memories. And please don't tell me you've been in Ypres and missed Last post evening ceremony on Menin Gate? Think most people in US don't know about it, your channel would be a great place more people to learn about it.

[@dennissprague2572]

Always good when peace breaks out.

[@frankwyllemet]

wow i'm a resedent from mesen, so cool you were here. There are several bunkers and momuments around mesen you can see. One i think you should see that is impressive is "Pool of peace" juste outside mesen, its a huge crater from the mine explosions. And indeed there are still a huge amound of shrapnel, lead balls on the fields, but also a lot of unexploded bombs laying around.

[@MrFrans1983]

The band Sabaton did an amazing song about this, and the music video might as well be part of a movie. It's called "Christmas Truce".

[@TheIrishvolunteer]

Another touching, heart-felt video! Your content is a joy to view!

[@lynnmorgan6144]

Great video, as always, JD. I concur with you about how especially sad it it when losses occur on Christmas Eve, or Easter, etc. My mother's cousin, Howard Williams, was killed along with 97 shipmates aboard the USS Leary, a Navy destroyer sunk by a German U-boat in the North Atlantic on Christmas Eve 1943. He was only 22 years old, just a farm boy from Kentucky. I think of him often, and of his parents who were notified late at night by two of Howard's uncles.

[@tundranomad]

Wouldnt it be wonderful if warriors from all sides just decided they werent going to do that anymore and quit. Make the politicians duke it out.

[@jeanlawson9133]

And seriously it is possible....but not probable...

[@ezpzlemonsqueezy90]

​@@jeanlawson9133Militaries spend a lot of time and effort making sure people follow orders.

[@acestar9122]

Sabaton covered this extremely well in their song and music video Christmas truce as well

[@terryeustice5399]

A wonderful video expressing humanity in the Christmas of 1914. Thanks JD 💯👊👍💕

[@1psychofan]

This is one of history’s best stories! What a special moment! I’ve watched this video several times.. excellent

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@1psychofan]

@@TheHistoryUnderground I definitely enjoyed it. I have a book containing a collection of letters and first hand accounts of the truce, so very special

[@katiemyers4174]

@@1psychofan I would be interested in reading this book. What is the title?

[@1psychofan]

@@katiemyers4174 The Christmas Truce, compiled by Mark Hill. Cover has a British and German shaking hands.

[@katiemyers4174]

@@1psychofan Thank you! :)

[@13JAMLAND]

The Christmas truce is a beautiful story. I love the memorial there ⚽️

[@Gitarzan66]

The channel I was telling you about last week Steven Upton "From the air" series has a drone video from this location. A lot of times you can still see the trench lines from the air.

[@dalewyatt1321]

Beautifully told, sir.

[@phillipstarr4183]

The copper ring is called a “rotating band.” It grabs the rifling and imparts the spin.

[@Pepperboy555]

Glad to see you back making videos! Always enjoy watching your videos!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks! I haven’t stopped but there does seem to be an issue with KZbin suppressing my content. Been getting comments like this a lot.

[@ecaprogramgroupplc3572]

Thank you for your work. Hanns Johst famously said: "Wenn ich Kultur höre … entsichere ich meinen Browning!" "When I hear 'Culture'... I release the safety catch on my Browning!" The world needs real teachers, or no one will know who they are anymore, at an alarming speed. If anyone reads this and thinks "this could never happen again"? There are 2 german movies to watch (original and remake): "Die Welle"

[@joemabry9643]

Again, thank you sir. Love.

[@TransgenderTalkTime]

I have always been fascinated with this tale. I have wondered how the football wasn’t considered contraband during the battle though. Any explanation??

[@judygrandstrand9784]

Beautifully done

[@petercliff4023]

There's an exact replica of the soldiers shaking hands in Liverpool and I've seen both of them and they are stunning.

[@realwealthproperties5671]

Great video as always! I always learn something from them. I love your content so please keep it coming. 👍🏻

[@Mark-g5n6x]

Can only add that yes it's a great story and lovely video presentation

[@Wreckdiver59]

I've heard the story, but didn't know there was a monument placed there 100 years later. I'm glad you brought in a Brit so it wasn't so awkward hearing a soccer ball called a football 😅

[@stevepritchett6563]

Nothing is awkward there. What you call football, we call rugby. What you call soccer we call football.... Simple 😂

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

@@Wreckdiver59 😂

[@RichardKroboth]

I believe the Christmas truce is the basis for the Royal Guardmen’s song Snoopy’s Christmas. One of my favorite Christmas songs.

[@douglascat774]

Outstanding job! Thank you

[@dawnlefevre9172]

One of the greatest stories! ❤️❤️

[@BryonLetterman]

The fact that they didn't want to fight each other afterwards shows that we're all human beings and once you get to know each other, you don't want to kill each other for bullshit reasons

[@katiemyers4174]

Oh WOW! Thanks for bringing us here! Joyeux Noel is a good movie to watch about this event and is one of my fave history films. I'm surprised there's no Christmas trees on the German trench line. One fact I remember so well.

[@W.A.T.P...55]

Thank you JD.. long time subscriber .. I'm in hospital and going thru some old and new lol thank you my friend...from the UK

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

@@W.A.T.P...55 Thank you. Get well soon!

[@W.A.T.P...55]

@@TheHistoryUnderground Thank you for replying to my message all the very best JD

[@deskgamesix]

Outstanding.

[@trish5556]

I love this story. I have re-told it many times at church Christmas events to show that Christmas can soften hearts. I believe I saw a video of a reenactment of it once.

[@antonrudenham3259]

Paul McCartneys 'Pipes of Peace' video recreates this very well.

[@2NDCBT]

There is a 2005 movie called Joyeux Noel about what had happened on that day of the truce. A lot of Officers and Noncoms got in a lot of trouble in the days following. Very good movie.

[@peterbrown1208]

Neatly done. Makes you think what fools we can be.

[@TribeTaz]

Very good story. Thanks for sharing it with us

[@waterskipilot145]

Great vid as always. I haven't watched in awhile because the algorithm keeps suppressing you. So, i have to purposely search for you. I've been subbed since you had about 30k. It's great to see how much the channel has grown. But, more importantly, you and your style hasn't really changed, which is the reason i subbed in the first place. Keep it up.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Appreciate that!

[@billyjoe6933]

Let the politicians fight each other stop fighting politicians wars

[@kyledorsty906]

Young men die for old men’s wars

[@dankorolyk5917]

Great and informative episode

[@kevinc5501]

Thanks for another great video.

[@jamesmackinlay2500]

Great video. God bless them all. We just don't learn from the past.

[@eedwards4603]

It's so amazing that the trench warfare of over 100 years past continues to mark the landscape of the French and Belgian countryside to this day. It's a shame the humanity of the soldiers couldn't have ended the war of those in charge.

[@lappin6482]

Thanks JD 🤝

[@DSToNe19and83]

“I think that was personal” Haha 🍻

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

😅

[@TheMysteryHistoryExplorer]

Hello again from Ireland, You made another great episode, The Christmas truce of 1914 is one of the most interesting of all war time stories. But I have heard of a Christmas truce story from the American Civil war involving Confederate Officer John Singleton Mosby The Gray Ghost. When you are back in the USA could you find out anything about that Christmas truce story.

[@camdodge9891]

Hello JD good job great video thank you

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks!

[@camdodge9891]

@@TheHistoryUnderground you are very welcome JD

[@edcarr3526]

Football,Fußball,Fútbol,Futebol is called worldwide not only in Europe except U.S. same thing with geographical names: La Mancha Channel ( English Channel) Strait of Magellan ( Pirate Drake Passage) etc.Great Video thanks 👍🏻

[@deanmc178]

a day of all days , i come home from night work on the 6th june 2024 and suffered a heart attack , and my name is dean , so D DAY has a new meaning for me from the 6th june 1944 ..rip to all the lost souls ,

[@Zelphina-2]

Sabaton wrote a song about the Christmas truce. I honestly never heard of the Christmas truce until I heard the song glad that ur doing a vid on it now I can learn more thank you

[@ald1144]

I can't remember the song, but Paul McCartney made it the scene of a music video sometime in the 80s.

[@Zelphina-2]

@@ald1144 oh sweet I never knew that now I'm gonna look it up

[@jkshanahan007]

@@ald1144 Pipes of Peace

[@conallmclaughlin4545]

​@@ald1144the sabbaton one is way better to be fair

[@PaulDouglasDouglas97]

Really enjoyed the video mate James Holland and al Murray where doing episode option market garden

[@MissGimpsAlot]

11:53 Reminds me of the ole episode of Mash, where Hawkeye turns the clock forward so the records are that the patient died on the 26th. Not Christmas.....

[@DCS_World_Japan]

Despite the Geneva Convention and UN, it really seems like "gentlemanly warefare" rapidly declined after WW1, and was certainly gone by the end of WW2.

[@dougkruse1301]

Please keep making these videos.

[@charliemansonUK]

I dont know if youve seen it but Sainsbury in the UK did a Christmas advert based on this in 2014. Really worth a watch ❤ ⚽️

[@RANDY-m3g]

I would love to have been with these guys on this trip. That would be very interesting

[@HistoryWarCinema]

Are you sure, we are a handful haha.

[@montgomeryridgeback1825]

Great video for a great story. I suggest checking out All Is Calm broadway musical.

[@rtk3543]

Image if they had a war and nobody came. Thanks JD very moving.

[@ashprice5752]

I would actually really like to see you do some of these videos with al murray

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

That would be a fun time.

[@ashprice5752]

@@TheHistoryUnderground 20 minutes of film 1000 hours or jokes lol

[@Jeffybonbon]

in 2014 we stayed for the night in our motor home on this location ? that nigh it started to snow through the Night the snow fell and covered the ground early the next morning i got up and left the motprhome the sight was just so moving a morning that will live with me forever I could imagin the soldiers meeting in 2014

[@richardbills4100]

SoPaul McCartneys 80s video The Pipes of Peace was indeed based in Fact. The song and video just made my top 10

[@AidanWLees]

As a former Cheshire we believe it happened

[@JR-sq2of]

I wish you would have shown the grave markers on or after Xmas. Kinda important. Can you go back and film it? Great video 👍

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

@@JR-sq2of - I’m pretty sure that I showed every grave marker in the cemetery (at least that I could find) of the men who died on the 24th & 25th.

[@petepanozzo6854]

A Stellar group of Historians! 🤩

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

🙂

[@shaunwells7211]

The very best breakfast chef! Without a good breakfast youtubers cannot function. without functioning youtubers nobody gets content. TLDR - breakfast chef most important guy on the ground. Hand delivered bacon sandwiches to the early risers. lest we forget.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

😂👍🏻 Fact check: true.

[@alisonrandall3039]

My great grandad was part of this Christmas truce.

[@TheTotallyRealXiJinping]

1:41 Ah so the most important member!!

[@cobraxspeed]

The Command found out about sporadic Truce along the Line and were concerned with mass Desertion and not treating the Enemy as just another Person. The Currency of War to this day is young lives.

[@donaldkepple4927]

Listen to sabaton the Christmas truce it's haunting beautiful

[@JPression]

had no idea that this even happened

[@stflaw]

"And in the news today, the war was canceled for lack of interest."

[@LakhwinderSinghTeona]

Just wow ! You always give me goosebumps with your videos and words. Thanks

[@stephen5548]

The powers in charge on both sides claimed the war would be over by Christmas. This instilled all nations young men to hurry up and enlist before you missed out on the action. By Christmas time, every one knew that the war was far from over and way more than they bargained for.