The Christmas Truce | What really happened in the trenches in 1914?

[@panosru]

"How did this momentary peace came about?" Simple, people make peace, politicians make wars.

[@jakijakub5915]

Thank u

[@garrisonnichols807]

This is the Greatest comment I've ever seen on KZbin. God Bless and Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays 👍

[@user-pi2gr9rg5i]

Let the leaders fight it out and anyone Make it a competition for sports that includes death. The leader that wins takes the parts of the country and able for them to challenge every 3 years. Basically every 3 year is just a tournament where leaders and team will fight in a arena

[@maggotslayer]

My hat off to you sir.

[@heikkijhautanen4576]

Amen!!!!

[@donsmeltzer4083]

The Christmas Truce was no myth. My grandfather was a lieutenant with the East Lancashire regiment and he was there. I have a letter he wrote home where he describes how he and his men shared Christmas with a group of German soldiers.

[@raidenshogun6425]

Eh- my great great grandfather is there too

[@neilhernandez2587]

Wow!! That’s awesome

[@fergusscott3386]

@@raidenshogun6425 and how old are you ?😆

[@scary3110]

@@fergusscott3386 Great grandfather means the father of his/her grandfather so it's correct.

[@danielkhouzame3732]

I would very much like to read such a letter one day.

[@johnr7769]

The Christmas Truce did take place in the trenches. My great-uncle served in the South Staffordshire Regiment. Just before he died in 1976, he gave a match box holder made by a German soldier from a brass shell casing. On the front of the holder, he had embossed the German Army badge similar to the badge found on their army belt buckle. He also embossed the title 'Gott mit uns' The German soldier gave the holder as a Christmas present and my Great-Uncle gave a quarter of shag tobacco. It was my Great-Uncle's most precious possession. I am holding the holder as I write this comment with tears in my eyes.

[@SoniaJbrt]

I have tears in my eyes. On my Mother's side I'm half German, from South Africa. My most precious memories of Weinachten as a child was the matchbox my Opa and Oma made. On top was a picture of the Nativity Scene. Inside were small items like a Birthday candle, small packet of salt, beautiful small pebble, and so on. And a rolled up piece of paper with Scripture verses written on it what every item represents. We are the salt of the earth, and so on. My German family is very sentimental. It is possible that my Opa heard the story of the matchbox present on the Christmas truce in 1914, and that gave him the idea of giving something meaningful to his grandchildren for Christmas. Who knows? Thank you for sharing this, it touched my heart 🎄♥️

[@bombonalvarez3802]

Thank you for sharing!

[@monolithgeometry3221]

And now we have tears in ours

[@johnr7769]

@@monolithgeometry3221 Thank you for your kind comment which has made me re-visit this wonderful video.

[@truereaper4572]

Those "Gott Mit Uns" matchbox holders were actually somewhat mass produced, I have one on my shelf. Still a very neat piece of history.

[@thearmyflyer4905]

In WW2 there is a story of soldiers being isolated during the battle of the bulge and befriending a woman and her son. They were welcomed in and later German soldiers came who were also lost. She welcomed them as long as they accepted her guests. Under her roof German and Americans shared Christmas Eve dinner. After the Germans showed the Americans the way back to their lines and they parted in friendship. It was a small film I saw in church as a kid and an episode of Unsolved Mysteries. The little boy immigrated to the US years later and eventually found one of the American soldiers from that night. Humanity still does exist in war

[@julz3tt3]

I watched that too. It was quite remarkable

[@Phantom6.6.6]

@@julz3tt3 do you remember the name of that movie

[@Phantom6.6.6]

Never mind silent night 2002

[@rubentullenaar2934]

@@Phantom6.6.6 it’s “Silent Night” 2002 with Linda Hamilton.

[@Clazzette]

It was also written as "Truce in the Forest" by Fritz Vincken.

[@stephenbiggins9114]

My dad was in ww2 in France in the summer of 1944. He was wounded then captured by German solders. He said they were nicer then his own officers. They were just drafted stooges like him. They didn't want to be there anymore than he did.

[@ejthedj8016]

Thank you for a good deed to bring this up...a German!

[@USRM1810]

@Brotherhood Knight yup

[@Hikaeme-od3zq]

@Brotherhood Knight Yup, many people who fought with the nazi or fascist regime once they came back from the wars, they started to fight against it. Many people don't know that for example, a lot of partisans in Italy were also ex-soldiers who fought with the regime.

[@andrewh5457]

My father was in WW2, he told me in the latter days of the war he was camped just outside a village, being quite a couple went into a bar, there were a small number of German soldiers in there, they had no more interest in killing my dad than he had of killing them, had their drink and left. Happy New year everyone, 2022.

[@badenglish5162]

At my fathers farm German soldiers were quartered in ww2, later also English soldiers. He always said that the wehrmacht soldiers were very nice to them and even warned them to hide the only pig left when the SS would come by.

[@basshunter7077]

as a german i can say it's a pity that we never had that at school, because i love that story. thank you so much for making that video. i wish this was the moment to end the war. what an even more beautiful story that would have been.

[@enightc]

soldiers doesn't end wars, they just fight them

[@Dourkan]

You know, I believe if it were up to soldiers the war would've ended right there in 1914. It's a shame that after so much death we humans have realised that it's not worth dying for a political leader or figure. Good thing we finally did, although not all of us.

[@enightc]

@@Dourkan ha, you would think so, but in reality there are still many willing to sacrifice themselves for a leader or figure. Just look at our own history, cult leaders, political leaders, January 6 in USA, humans are creatures that loves to follow and we are also creatures that loves when others follow. Its just in our nature, ever since our nomadic ways in ancient times. Its what we do without a second thought.

[@robinwitting2023]

I am English and met a WWI veteran who told me during the Christmas Truce German and English soldiers were saying to one another, We're Anglo-saxons, why are we fighti g one another. Plato said that only the dead see an end to war. Robin Witting England

[@michaelhuffman6429]

I'm of German descent myself, and yes I love this story, it puts a lump in my throat.

[@johnryder1713]

1915 on Christmas Day On the western front the guns all died away And lying in the mud on bags of sand We heard a German sing from no man's land He had tenor voice so pure and true The words were strange but every note we knew Soaring or the living dead and dammed The German sang of peace from no man's land They left their trenches and we left ours Beneath tin hats smiles bloomed like wild flowers With photos, cigarettes, and pots of wine We built a soldier's truce on the front line Their singer was a lad of twenty one We begged another song before the dawn And sitting in the mud and blood and fear He sang again the song all longed to hear Silent night, no cannons roar A King is born of peace for evermore All's calm, all's bright All brothers hand in hand In 19 and 15 in no man's land And in the morning all the guns boomed in the rain And we killed them and they killed us again With Bullet, Bomb, Bayonet, Gas, and Flame, And neither we nor they at all to blame. There was heavy fighting right throughout the day, for one nights peace we Bloodily did pay. At night they charged we fought them hand to hand And I killed the boy that sang in no man's land Silent night no cannons roar A King is born of peace for evermore All's calm, all's bright All brothers hand in hand And that young soldier sings And the song of peace still rings Though the captains and all the kings Built no man's land Sleep in heavenly peace

[@davecrupel2817]

....😰😭

[@hiddenfromhistory100]

It happened more often than once at Christmas 1914. My grandfather's Canadian regiment routinely fraternized with the Germans when the officers weren't around, all during 1915-1917. Grandpa's life was even saved by a German soldier, who found him wounded and passed out in a shell hole and brought him across our lines. Humanity always wins out.

[@rickmorrow993]

I am reading through the affidavits my grandfather collected for his multi-decade effort to be compensated for damage from gas, trenchfoot and shell-shock. This war forever changed him. From a once athletic student who excelled at running, he was not able to do a full day's work or work around loud noises again. His uniform as been donated to a Veterans museum and I am gathering the documents about his struggles after the war. WW1 was a tragedy that never should have happened. There is no celebrating war. Never.

[@MoneyGist]

For some strange reason, this story brings tears to my eyes. People want to be good. People just want to be good. No one wants to be the villain. Why can't we get it right?

[@hanspeter4196]

Sooo true

[@CorbinB-Rax]

Sometimes you have to be. You have to say and do what others won't.

[@glanced9684]

Bankers, weapon manufacturers and other parties who benefits from war could've lost if something like this went viral like things go viral these days. Humanity could've won.

[@Xighor]

The Rothschilds wouldn't have been happy

[@villebooks]

Yeah, that's why our world is so peaceful these days. Not.

[@timmurphy9312]

I've just been sat talking about this story with one of my sons, Bless these Men that for a time showed the world that Peace is a Beautiful thing under the worst of situations ,🕊

[@darrencady4261]

The most unecessary mass slaughter of humans, by humans, for humans. And yet when all is said and done the power of Christmas overruled the aggression of rival factions to ultimately prove that these brave men who were ordered to kill the opposition were really no different from each other and who endured the same hardship and fears. It is important to remember those on both sides of this terrible conflict.

[@mtmontgo]

100% agree. Well said. Merry Christmas to you and all that read these comments!

[@jacquelynejohnson9127]

God works in mysterious ways

[@darrencady4261]

@@jacquelynejohnson9127 He certainly does, Jacquelyne. Properous New Year to You.

[@Hwje1111]

It wasn’t useless for the poles or Belgians or even the Serbs. To them, peace was the useless thing.

[@viejaspeliculasfilipinas3621]

My cousin's grandfather was a british soldier in that time, and met the german lieutenant, had a handshake together.

[@ejthedj8016]

...I love your telling this wonder, thank you! ...my father died in Russia, WWII what for???

[@Vag-Poop]

And then, eaten by wolves later that day.

[@scottpalmer829]

I have read that there were quite few informal truces during the war, especially in the first year or so. A lot of German soldiers had girlfriends, acquaintances, etc. in England and even gave letters to the British to deliver. In some sectors, commanders were frustrated because it was hard for them to get the soldiers to fight.

[@williamstanley3059]

Hard to believe that this wonderful story of the Christmas truce in 1914 would soon be overshadowed by the intense violence of some of the bloodiest battles in history, 800,000 casualties at verdun in 1916 also in 1916 1,000,000 casualties at the somme, including 60,000 British on first day, then passchendaele 400,000 casualties. It boggles the mind.

[@richardhasler6718]

When we recognise ourselves in others, humanity blossoms!

[@tonypotts1644]

I'm fascinated to see that at the time of commenting, four people dislike historical facts.

[@krusk3544]

14 now, I guess they should have all sat in the trench and killed each other, to appease those 14 people

[@bretttech2896]

Their pea brains can only pay attention on tick tok.

[@trekinseattle]

On cell phones its VERY easy to accidentally dislike a video.

[@jackpowell8155]

This didn't age well.. goodbye dislike button ....

[@reginaldmustardbacon5866]

@@trekinseattle yep specially when your eyes are filled with tears

[@mrequi1]

Those men were so incredibly tough. Can you imagine standing in nearly freezing water up to your waist. The stench of the now floating bodies starting to get ripe. The fear of immediate death always in the forefront.

[@martynclarke8400]

Sad that people in the middle of the worst war in human history have more compassion for each other than the instagram nation in which we live today...

[@SlurpySlimy]

FACTS! Man right here is speaking truth.

[@FantomPhoenix]

I think it's because the people on Instagram aren't suffering when they fight...anyone truly involved and affected in war (the soldiers on the ground, not the deadbeat politicians/terrorists that start it) would rather it end instantly and knows the true value of peace. You never know how valuable something is until you lose it. So many people in the modern world say things like "I want to fight on the front lines and shoot up bad guys because that sounds badass". This romanticized view of war boggles my mind, and I imagine it changes pretty quick once they actually start fighting for long, brutal periods of time.

[@StacyMcCabe]

Who even uses instagram 💀

[@OUTERGALACTICFROGGY]

@@StacyMcCabe well 2 years ago instagram was still big

[@michaelazimmermann301]

Thank you for sharing this beautiful Story with us, and also your family memories of those peaceful moments during war. It should be taught in history lessons around the world!

[@CalasTyphon488]

A warm story amid all horror of war .

[@davidkila6823]

If you grew up in a Christain family you'd know the value of Christmas. They might be from different countries across Europe but I think most grew up as Christains. Most celebrated Chistmas in Church and at homes. The gift of the Festive season is always there for the taking, no matter who you spend it with or where you spend it.

[@ejthedj8016]

Must they be Christians? Why not Muslims? I have many, many friends among all religions. From a German...

[@bokonoo77]

I mean ww1 was the last war for the reactionary movement. And during that time not some but almost 99% of the men were devout christians.

[@ЖудаМ]

@@ejthedj8016 Do Muslims even comemorate Christimas? No?

[@lukew6725]

@@ЖудаМ Plenty of atheists celebrate Christmas, so why not Muslims?

[@ЖудаМ]

@@lukew6725 Don't think is even considered good in their creed

[@tedkrasicki3857]

Had once read of a truce on the Russian/Austrian front. Moved next to an old fellow from the Ukraine in 1976. We hit on the topic when he mentioned he was a supply teamster on a wagon for the Austrian army. When the officers left one evening the NCO's gathered them around the fire. They proceeded to turn the field caps backwards so the Austrian rosette was to the rear. "Boys we are to fight some people tomorrow but they are just like us and not Russians. We will close but not fight." Next day, bottles of drink, sausages and baked buns in greatcoat pockets the armies met bet started to party. Officers on both sides beat men with sides of swords but they would not fight. Officers rode away. He was not sure what ethnic groups were involved. Next day severe discipline was restored and vigorous fighting was the norm until the end of the war.

[@howardbaxter2514]

I have to wonder how many of those truces happened on the Eastern front. I got to imagine not a lot due to the differing Calendars. I do know that some Russians tried an Easter Truce and they got captured or mowed down because of the differing calendars.

[@silverzales1980]

What an amazing story, this should be told in school... this is the stuff that gets lost in history, hell im pretty sure everyone who could first hand account this doesn’t exist anymore.... they’re legends, no one will do this again, that moment in history survives through old pictures.. stories, and old literature.... just amazing

[@shwiftyboi2184]

This is peak compassion. For a day, they were not soldiers, but fellow men enjoying the companionship of one another in the most brutal of times. They knew deep down they were not enemies, but had to think they were due to the bitter dealings of the people pulling the strings. Gifts substituted Rifles. Sung Carols substituted Shouted Orders. Peace Substituted War. In the middle of a horrific time in human history, we found one of the most beautiful moments. God bless everyone and have a Merry Christmas.

[@isaakvandaalen3899]

Good to see that even during the toughest times we can still find it within ourselves to be human.

[@ppg2358]

Well, it was a Christmas miracle..❤❤❤

[@hyunsoo_zx]

Well, of course higher ups wouldn't want stuff like this to happen, very probably because it humanizes their pawns lmao

[@McCullyClassic]

Facts

[@BuzziRus]

They were probably worried they would be answerable to thier most senior leaders including the government for not advancing forward...

[@anacalero9733]

An old inspiring story. It should be repeated often to show hope and people. Been possible. Why not now? Ana

[@cerealmuffin465]

They were most likely scared of being accused of treason

[@anthonyeaton5153]

The Higher ups had a bloody war to fight and win that’s why.

[@humphreyjames6252]

who on earth would dislike this ?

[@healingbyqurannow]

Satan and Satan worshipers

[@shawn8847]

Middle of July, crying about human solidarity in the midst of a brutal war. Ill never give up organizing people for unity.

[@DaeXeaD]

I enjoyed the Dr Who episode of this WWI event. I told people who were watching with me that this happened, and they were surprised. It is sad that I was the only one who knew.

[@erickibarra5320]

It would've been awesome to see all the soldiers from both sides recreate the same photo, but after the war to see who made it out alive.

[@ianscales4347]

Brings tears to my eyes just watching this.

[@cousinbernard7693]

Lord John Reith - BBC first président told about the Truce 1914 in France and the football match Scots / Saxons ( "Wearing Spurs") He was for 4 months with 5th SRD in Houplines facing Saxons in Frelinghien. Johannes Niemann 133 Saxon told about to Mrs Miles BBC reporter in 1968. "Christmas Day passed quietly" . Christmas love was stronger than all. Wonderful moment.

[@HumanAmerican]

I watched this after discovering the Sainsbury's ad. Very well done thank you.

[@Trenasist]

I totally believe it was humble men that accepted the Holy Spirit into their heart, to have the openness and courage to come forward over that line and offer a truce; which mixed with a sense of joy and forgiveness for Christmas. Praise the Lord :-)

[@fergusscott3386]

amen dude

[@Dom-ny7vh]

And this is why I will always have respect for the Germans

[@ejthedj8016]

Thank you, from a German...

[@warrenmilford1329]

Are you including the WW2 era Germans in your statement? I can't see them ever meeting the enemy, sharing food, singing carols or kicking a football around, especially the Waffen SS.

[@Taiyou536]

@@warrenmilford1329 People like you will never be able to live in peace - cos you keep living in hatred and the past ! believe it or not also good Germans were in WWII - watch THE PIANIST for example .

[@warrenmilford1329]

@@Taiyou536 I am truly baffled, and somewhat amused, how you could possibly read into my comments, all the things you accuse me of. Like...never being able to live in peace...really? Or...I keep living in hatred and the past...how could you possibly draw these bizarre conclusions? All because I asked a simple and valid question, which I truly wanted an answer for, followed by an observation that most people, with even the most basic understanding of 20th century history, would whole heartily agree with. Even historically minded, objective and mature thinking German people. I was asking the question in response to the OP's really strange sweeping statement about respecting Germans, wholly based on one very minor incident at the start of WW1, involving a handful of Germans. An ultra minority amongst the millions of Germans in the general area. So I was curious how he reconciled his position, with the various events before and during WW2, that didn't show the Germans of the time in their best light. I would never make such a bizarre statement or judgement about any race, nationality, or country, including my own, just because of one minor feel good incident, from over 100 years ago. It's absolutely absurd, and if anyones living in the past it's the OP. Btw, I have absolutely nothing against German people, or any other group of people, which is what you weirdly perceive.

[@skrm-vy6dr]

@@Taiyou536 You're right Even in Ww2 the Nazis werent all bad, only the officers were the bad ones that had no mercy

[@divyabhashini]

Im glad to watch this videos of real ww1...watching christmas truce videos of some films makes me come out tears every time..I realizing ppl didnt wanted war they wanted peace..I should be lucky to listening to those real soldier's voice and listening what happened on the christmas truce day. RIP for all soldiers

[@ArvelCrynyd]

Silence I remember the silence On a cold winter day After many months on the battlefield And we were used to the violence And the cannons went silent And the snow fell Voices sang to me from no man’s land

[@merryrose6788]

Beautiful words from "Christmas Truce" by Sabaton. Thanks!

[@starxcrossed]

Sabaton!!

[@ExMachina70]

It's heartbreaking to know that the peace between them ended, and four more years of murder had begun.

[@missli160]

Its a heart warming to see how simple people have peace but politician wants war😢 may THE LORD JESUS BRING PEACE TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US ❤

[@mariaofarrell7tsavororite12-7]

War damages bodies but also minds. It sometimes kills both How many more centuries must this go on ? The many die for whims of few . The young die for aspirations of the old. My Father served at Chosin, Korea. Korean War. I remember as a child waking up to his screaming the middle of night. He wouldn't speak with me about the war until I was in my thirties. It was brutal and beyond horrible.

[@cristianbaciu6113]

An intimate, subtle message of that Christmas Truce may have been something like: „Who do you think you are fighting against, if not your own selves?”

[@IrisOsiris]

This entire video is inspiring and heartbreaking

[@evelynmccabe3855]

Fascinating story. Thank you.

[@arlenehensley7305]

A bright spot in the middle of a serious war.

[@pdfloyd9982]

Don Smeltzer, what a beautiful piece of history to have!!!!

[@michaelhuffman6429]

A beautiful story, I'm sharing this with my grandsons

[@valeriebrogan1953]

Thank you. I've just discovered your site.

[@howardbaxter2514]

This is truly something that could only happen when it did. No other year and no other war could this have happened on such a large scale.

[@roberto_0174]

This brought a tear to my eyes. I thought i had no feelings

[@TheInkPitOx]

A century later to the day a commercial was created in tribute to the event, done as accurately as possible, showing what Christmas was really about.

[@dan-kt6vm]

For the people Skewing the reality here , The Christmas Truce wasn't about abstract humanity-it was a moment of Christian fellowship in a brutal war. Soldiers didn't step into no man's land because of vague human goodwill; they did it because Christmas reminded them of Christ's command for peace, forgiveness, and brotherhood.

[@sergeantseven4240]

What sad about all this is that the grunts in the trenches aren't the ones at war with each other. they are only trying to survive after being forced to be there. If they all came together and rebelled against their governments we wouldn't have had a war to begin with... people need to rise above those in power. With power comes greed and corruption. Its never in anyone's best interest to start a war with anyone.

[@ejthedj8016]

So very true..EJS

[@Dourkan]

The problem is that a good tad of people actually want to fight the other side, so you'll never be able to gather everyone to rebel against that power. As long as there are people who follow their leaders power will be in their hands. A shame really. Every interview I've seen or heard told about how much all sides respected eachother and didn't want to fight but had no other choice to do so. "It was our duty"

[@Hwje1111]

@@Dourkan they don’t need their leaders. They had their own two eyeballs to see just how barbaric Germany was and still is!

[@bunalibaytv4864]

War is not the answer, but love and peace is the best!

[@achillesbuilds2432]

This event was a direct threat to those that seeked to benefit form the war. Both sides seeing humanity within one another are less likely to spill blood for the gains of rich mans pockets. It was a day that revealed no one wanted to be there and we truly are one. To call it a fairy tale is merely just a divide and conquer tactic on a massive scale. We are the common man... never forget there are billions like you and I.

[@PiggyXMalone]

sought, not "seeked"

[@Hwje1111]

Yeah and it was also a grave insult to the Serbs and Belgians who had to suffer from genocide and enslavement by the so called “civilized and polite” german and hungarian forces. Picture that very German playing football over the trenches, then picture that very man raping a Belgian or a Serb.

[@leftyriverfunforlife3411]

Am a believer . Bravo !!!

[@historyjedi]

Just amazing

[@averagejoe7860]

6:53 whoever said it was a bad thing clearly hadn't seen war. or they were a general commanding from an ivory tower

[@anothertime1282]

How different the history of the 20th century would have been if the soldiers on both sides had had the courage to continue the truce, to strike against the war.

[@rubijenn]

They were shot. Only the Australians were not allowed to be executed by their British commanders. Many French and British were executed for “desertion” or refusing to obey orders.

[@TK2236]

We all are naturally good to each other. That is our nature my sisters and brothers.

[@dumiththiwanka9326]

Thank you very much 🙏😇😇

[@petronilobuan4648]

Music is the Universal language of Peace! Humanity still exists during War even how horrendous it is! In War there is Hope there is Love! K

[@bim-ska-la-bim4433]

This is one of your best - thank you.

[@PlushPineapple]

My Great Grandfather fought in the 1st World War as a British Royal Scots Grey and would tell my grandmother stores about his experience's in the war and one of them being about this 1 day peace between the Germans and British and French were they played football, sang Christmas's carols and swapped sigars. He would end up badly damaging a lung in a large gass attack by the Germans and wanted to enlist to fight the Germans again in WW2 however with only 1 useable lung was sent to be a home defense regiment in Britain and would end up seening some small action and would end up surviving both wars.

[@jimrock6096]

2:05 bruh that's Putin lol

[@Jack_assdfffd]

He live forever 🙃

[@lordwetrustl7080]

That what happens when russia gets their hands on a time machine

[@joseperez4857]

Dude I thought the exact same thing

[@shubhampawar113]

Hey bro even I noticed him!!!!!!

[@jeanreno7846]

Please... Putin wasn't the one who faked the elections it was the same folks who told you it was Putin.

[@ingridlinbohm7682]

My great grandfather fought in the first world war in the German Army. My grandmother told me he had already been killed by Christmas 1914. My grandmother on my mothers side was 2 years old. My other grandmother was 35 in 1914 and was British.

[@somerandomgermandude2557]

Love that courage truly, sad that this had changed in the World Today🤧

[@jeanreno7846]

If you look at the so-called people who are telling you that, in big letters on the front of their news papers, and see how few they are you might see that our world hasn't changed as much as they want you to think.

[@immavampardude2703]

That's awesome. Too bad we cant have a lifelong truce with the enemies of today. It's a damn shame too.

[@whitetroutchannel]

when you look at the inter-linked history with france britain and germany, we have that much in common the only thing that separates us is the channel and the north sea

[@jordyndisimone666]

A leap of faith for sure

[@jamesthomas4693]

Their truce was based on the realization that both sides were, at their core, Christian, and the war wasn't a just war but a war that came about from negligent leadership and a series of unfortunate events.

[@robertkorsberg18]

The movie "joyeux noel" did a good job of portraying this event.

[@teddymonadnock8910]

There’s a story of a polish family that had American and German soldiers over for Christmas.

[@corvus2512]

Was this after the war ended? The Americans only reached the western front in any significant numbers in the late spring and summer of 1918 and the war ended in november. The few americans on the western front in 1917 wouldnt have been anywhere near Poland.

[@beterbomen]

I like to think one of the reasons the Christmas Truce is so popular - and forgive me for stating the obvious - is because we like peace. Being angry at each other is easy, but also incredibly draining, both physically and mentally. We would all much prefer to live in a world where everyone just got along, and there'd be no need for war. That's what the Christmas Truce represents to me: people overlooking each others differences, to focus on what they had in common. Different people just getting along. Am I naive for thinking like this? Maybe. But I don't care. I'd rather be naive than sad.

[@Rattenkriegs]

There is an important aspect of this story not mentioned in the video and a major reason why this never happened again, and it's political. All those men, no matter what king and country they fought and was expected to die for in the winter of 1914, where citizens of undemocratic states. The vast majority of them did not have the right to vote and they had no prospects of ever seriously improving their lot in life. They worked 12, 12, 14 hour days or more for a pittance, they had no right to health care, no pension or vacation, they had only a few years of school and their children's prospects where no better. Yet they where expected to do most of the fighting and dying to keep crowned heads of state and rich industrialist in power - the very same people who made their lives such a toil in peace time. The socialists and labour unions had fought for the voting franchise for decades in all European countries at this time - but the political right, who held the power in all nations, refused to give it up. Rightly understanding that if every grown man and woman got the vote the socialists would benefit massively from this. One of the principle points all socialists at this time (before the First World War) championed was that they were anti-militarist as the military in all nations where the utter defenders of the old order. If workers went on strike to improve their conditions the state would send in the police - and if that failed they would send in the army to violently suppress popular protest. So according to Marx and other socialist thinkers it was obvious that the common workers of the world had more to fear from their own leaders then from fellow workers in other nations. It's a question of social class - not nationality. Poor exploited workers in Britain, France or Germany had more in common with one another then they had with the factory owners who exploited them all. That's why, before the First World War, it was a major tenant of the international socialist movement that WHEN the next big war in Europe happened (because everyone expected one to happen sooner or later), the workers in all nations should simply refuse to fight. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internationalist%E2%80%93defencist_schism Why should they die or kill men just like themselves, denied the right to even vote, to defend the interest of people who lived off of their sweat? If the kings and the nobility of Europe wanted a war they could fight it on their own - it was certainly not in the ordinary mans interest to die for a country that offered them nothing but slavery in all but name. It was a powerful moral argument but unfortunately, when war broke out, nothing became of it. Most socialists all over Europe where swept up in stupid nationalism and marched of to kill or be killed for leaders and governments that treated them terribly. But the Christmas truce of 1914 was an example of and showed what all governments in Europe feared more then anything else - that the ordinary soldier would just simply refuse to fight. Seeing the claimed enemy not as that but a fellow man much like himself. So this kind of fraternization was strictly forbidden by the high commands on all sides after this episode. Because nothing scared the powers that where more then the prospect of ordinary soldiers speaking to the enemy and finding out they had more in common with them then their own officers. In the end it took the Russian revolution to scare the political right that was in power all over Europe to finally allow universal suffrage. The thought of telling millions of veterans from the war that they now should return home and accept being second class citizens in their own countries again, while the Russian people deposed their own leader and nobility by the use of force, was obviously playing with fire. The real risk of the Russian revolution spreading to any other country was obvious and that's why the peoples of western and central Europe at last got the right to vote and democracy in the years after the First World War - at least for a time. Unfortunately it didn't end that fight in Germany - or in fact in Russia - but we who live in western Europe have the Russian revolution to thank for avoiding revolutions in our own countries and giving birth to our democracies.

[@heikkijhautanen4576]

the HeavyMetal band Sabaton has done a song about this.....

[@SuAva]

There is no war if no one fights.

[@richardjohnson2965]

My grandfather fought in that war…wounded at Chateau Thierry, and at Verdun. He got gas in his lungs which caused him breathing problems for the rest of his life. He died an old man…at 59 yrs. Old. It was a terrible war, as all are…and he didn’t talk much about it. He saw many of his friends die or get badly wounded. Those trenches were cold, dirty, muddy, and rain soaked…and sanitary conditions were abysmal. The movie “ Joyeux Noel” shows the soldiers much too clean…but a good reminder of the past.

[@reichjef]

Mild truces are more common than people think. There are many stories during all wars of taking a few days break or clear out the dying, and a calming in the fighting.

[@garrettwilliams617]

The Kerbal Space Program music really ties it all together

[@conanotoole]

I was watching it in class and was wondering hy it was there! It seems so out of place when you know where it's from XD

[@glstka5710]

Try Sabaton Christmas Truce kzbin.info/www/bejne/foHHeZ5-qNF5f7c

[@krealyesitisbeta5642]

Imagine if every war was like: "We can't blow each other up on Christmas!"

[@mokshnaidu]

Amazing!

[@kinagrill]

A shared concept of christmas... without it, I highly doubt there'd have been a december 24th truce. It's the fact we all share the same celebration, the same idea of getting together in winter, singing and revelling together.

[@cashmoneymedia247]

I always wondered if all these men during this truce would have just decided to lay down their arms and walk away from this war back in 1914. Imagine every single soldier of every country just decided this war is bullshit and ended it on that Christmas of 1914.

[@a3bachelors106]

Love and peace for world 🙌🙌❤️❤️

[@chrisangus463]

It was an example of humanity free of the people who wage wars vs those who fight wars

[@letoubib21]

How the heck could all these men fight again after that *. . .*

[@annamayolsen3404]

I read that they didn't want to but got commanded! Elections are crucial!

[@xsingje1906]

They didnt, their COs did

[@johelenfugate3498]

Annamay Olsen it’s my understanding that the units were transferred.

[@windlife]

They didn't. They changed the whole group of soldiers to fight again.

[@rhino2960]

they couldn't, the men deployed on both sides eventually had to be transferred away from that stretch of the front line and replaced with fresh troops who didn't take part in the christmas truce before the fighting resumed

[@MenteMaestra91]

"The tragedy of war is that it uses man's best to do man's worst." -Harry Emerson Fosdick.

[@buddyduddyful]

The power of Jesus Christ through the Christmas spirit.

[@normalplayer7377]

The Prince of Peace

[@merryrose6788]

Everyone told the men signing up that the war would be over by Christmas 1914. And actually, it was, in that the Kaiser and his generals knew by then that they had lost the war. Their push to Paris through Belgium had stopped with the Western Front line, in the trenches. However, the Kaiser didn't want to "lose face" so he and his generals kept the war going. Instead of the Kaiser losing face, millions of people lost their health, their minds, their land and possessions, their towns and loved ones, their animals, and their lives.

[@terrygunn6723]

if we could only do this again this is from a former Military man let the generals fight next time over a board game

[@carlislepanting5219]

Prayers for 🌎✌!!✌🙏🌎❤🤗💯

[@liviuchira6068]

we must respect all

[@a3bachelors106]

War doesn't give you anything until it is fought to defend ourselves

[@StevieMoore]

110 years ago. Amazing. I don’t think it would have ever happened in 1918 I’ll say that.

[@natesmith8412]

Isnt the music in the beginning of this video the soundtrack that is in Kerbal space program?

[@jajajaja9752]

i can't imagine the only Alfred Anderson survived during the Christmas Truce 1914 Respect for him🫡 and RIP🕊