[Valin]

Click on source for many more links.

[Spktyr]

WW1 destroyed the Europeans' romantic notions as thoroughly as our own Civil War did ours. The Christmas truce had been traditional in European warfare until then - along with all the other trappings of chivalric war that died in mud, blood, and clouds of poison gas in 1914-1918.

[inquest]

If only it could have held. Most of the soldiers didn't know what the hell they were even fighting for - except to keep themselves and their buddies alive.

[Servant of the 9]

there was no hostility, neither was there a relaxation of the will to win;

Then why did higher command on both sides find it necessary to transfer the units out and new ones in to resume the war?

The troops involved were moved to other sectors and mixed in with other units.

So9

[Samwise]

Thanks for posting this, Valin!

Bookmark for Hubby.

[fatima]

Nice story Valin,thank you for posting it.

[M Kehoe]

Good afternoon. Merry Christmas.

I used to volunteer at the VA. One old grunt told me that they (I can't remember where), watched as ANGELS calmed the battlefield during Christmas circa 1917. He told me they actually SAW the angels, and that no fighting took place until the next day. I know, he was almost 90 years of age, but I had heard of this phenomenon from my uncle when I was a boy.

Anyway, probably an urban myth.

Have a great day.

5.56mm

[eyespysomething]

We got my father-in-law one of the brass boxes the British soldiers received on the front (1914 Princess Mary brass Christmas box). It probably had cigarettes and some chocolate or such in it. It's very cool knowing that box may have been at the Chirstmas truce of 1914. (It has the date)

[The Drowning Witch]

Bump

[solitas]

FYI - another good one: http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/christmastruce.htm