Just after midnight on Christmas morning, exactly 101 years ago, the majority of German troops engaged in World War I ceased firing their guns and artillery and commenced singing Christmas carols. At certain points along the battle fronts, the soldiers of Russia, France, and Britain even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing.
At the first light of dawn, many of the German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines (that is, countries that fought opposite Germany and its allies – France, Russia, Britain and the United States) across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues.
At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed, they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. There was even a documented case of soldiers from opposing sides playing a game of football.
The so-called Christmas Truce of 1914 came only five months after the outbreak of war in Europe and was one of the last examples of the outdated notion of chivalry between enemies in warfare. In 1915 however, the bloody conflict of World War I erupted with greater fury, and the concept of another Christmas Truce became unthinkable.
Hence, the Christmas Truce of 1914 was perhaps the first and last of such show of camaraderie between soldiers of opposing sides in battle.