By Chelsea

Almost 104 years ago, during WWI, a truce between the British and German army will forever go down in history as one of the most heartwarming things that humanity has done.

It all started on December 25th when the troops from both sides had ceased fire temporarily due to the nice weather that they rarely got. The tensions were still strong between both troops on the front lines at that point. But later that day, the watchmen of the Scots Guard on the British parapets spotted German troops putting up tannenbaum on their trench parapets. At first, they suspected an attack, but then they heard the Germans singing. Their voices wafted across the no-man’s land, “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht.” The original Austrian version of “Silent Night.” The British, sensing they were being challenged, and under the order of Lieutenant Sir Edward Hulse, also started singing their own carol. Both sides started off as a competition but soon merged into a harmony. The men began to shout Christmas greetings across the line, and after a while, the Germans made the first move. They promised the English they would not shoot if the English did not return fire. This was shouted from the other side of the trench. Some were even brave enough to walk onto the no-man’s land while waving newspapers to the other side. These actions were extremely dangerous, and not all sections of the British trench gave those unarmed German soldiers a warm greeting. But most of the sectors remained at ceasefire. The next day, when the British troops looked across the no-man’s land, to their shock, they saw the Germans walking across their parapets. And by that gesture of trust, the Germans lured more and more British out of their lair. Soon enough, the two sides buried their dead in common graves, exchanged gifts, gave haircuts, and even played Kickabouts together! In one sector; a group of highlanders challenged a Saxon regiment who burst out laughing whenever a kilt flew up during play. 

This was the situation that the Field Marshal of the French had feared. Commanders dispatched senior officers to threaten disciplinary actions. The soldiers had no choice but to resume the war; some sectors had their officers from both sides salute and fire revolvers into the air, signaling the end of the ceasefire. A few sectors even carried out their ceasefire until the 30th, nearly to New Year’s Eve.

This kind of ceasefire was never to be seen again, even though many men in December of 1915 tried to do the same but ended up failing and getting court-martialed.

The spirit of that truce in 1914 was unique; it was one of the rare moments in a war where people believed that humanity was better than the hellfire of the fighting. To this day, “the truce” serves as a reminder that we can still find the brightest sparks during our darkest moments.

Seasons Editor: Katelin Mei