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Old 12-24-2003, 08:02 AM
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MORTARDUDE MORTARDUDE is offline
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Default WWI Christmas Truce Started By Thousands Of German Soldiers

http://www.rense.com/general46/cchr.htm

WWI Christmas Truce Started
By Thousands Of German Soldiers
By Tony Paterson
The Independent - UK
12-24-03

BERLIN --The Christmas truce of the Great War in 1914 was started by a "peace movement" of German soldiers who won over their trenchbound British foes by lobbing chocolate cake at them instead of hand grenades, a new book claims.

The interpretation of the events on the Western Front on Christmas Eve 1914 is made by Michael J?rgs whose book, The Small Peace in the Great War is the first to be written about the ceasefire from a German perspective.

The book has received wide publicity in Germany where its findings have been welcomed, not least because they help to dispel the stereotype of the German soldier as a ruthless fighting machine.

"This is the friendly Hun from next door," wrote Markus Hesselmann in Berlin's Der Tagesspiegel newspaper. "It's about German front line soldiers not obeying orders and making peace by leaving their weapons behind."

J?rgs compares the actions of German soldiers in 1914 to those of the country's peace movement opposing the Iraq war. "There were not merely one or two incidents of peace on the Western Front in 1914," he writes. "In reality there was a spontaneous peace movement which ran for hundreds of kilometres and thousands took part," he adds.

His book reveals that German troops began preparing for the truce well in advance. Several days before Christmas, soldiers from a Saxon regiment lobbed a carefully packaged chocolate cake across no- man's land into the British trenches. A message was attached asking whether holding a one-hour ceasefire that evening might be possible, so that the troops could celebrate their captain's birthday.

According to J?rgs, the British stopped firing, stood on their trench parapets and applauded as a German band struck up a rendition of "Happy Birthday". J?rgs quotes from the diary of Kurt Zehmisch, a German lieutenant who describes how thousands of German Christmas trees delivered to the front line helped to bring about the ceasefire. "It was pure illumination - along the trench parapets there were Christmas trees lit up by burning candles," Zehmisch writes. "The British responded by shouting and clapping."

What followed was a bout of unprecedented fraternisation between enemy forces that has never been repeated on an equivalent scale: German Fritzes bearing candles, chunks of cake and cigars met British Tommies carrying cigarettes and Christmas pudding in no-man's land. The two sides exchanged presents, sang songs and played football, using tin cans for makeshift balls and spiked Pickelhaube helmets for goalposts.

J?rgs says the Germans were able to take the initiative because many had been in Britain as "guest workers" before the war and, unlike most of the British, had a command of the enemy's language.

The truce collapsed shortly after Christmas 1914 when news of the ceasefire reached the horrified high commands and strict military discipline was reinforced. J?rgs writes that in one area, Ploegsteert forest in Belgium, the ceasefire continued until the end of February 1915.
? 2003 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe...p?story=475890
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Old 12-24-2003, 08:29 AM
Andy Andy is offline
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There are two programs that have been on TV about 1914 Christmas in the trenches. Very interesting stuff. It seems to have been totally unorganized. In one area the German?s lit a Christmas tree, set it up above the trench line and were surprised the Brits did not shoot at it. In another sector the Germans sang Silent Night very loudly, not to be out done the Brits sang the same song even louder in English. After several Christmas carols they got out of their holes without weapons and just like during the Civil War wanted to trade coffee for tobacco or whatever.

In one area a British officer freaked out seeing his men and the Germans out in No Man?s Land. He shot a single German soldier and both side rushed back to their lines. In another area on Christmas Day there was a soccer game between the two armies - still a dispute over who won.

People on both sides fought for 4 ? months with old out dated methods of attack. The artillery and machine guns were generations ahead of standing soldier to soldier and marching forward. The death and carnage was unbelievable. The battle field was all thick cold mud with way too many unburied bodies laying around. Could anyone blame these guys for wanting to ?have a day off??

Note both sides were singing Christian songs on a Christian holiday. I love mentioning this to atheists.

Stay healthy,
Andy
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Old 12-26-2003, 01:15 PM
Seascamp Seascamp is offline
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The book ?The First World War, a photographic history?, published in 1933 by Simon and Shuster has some very graphic and rare photographs of this monumental struggle among European Monarchs and those who were so unfortunate to get caught up in it all.
Page 129 tells the reality of what Andy suggested. The top photo shows the Bishop of Westminster addressing British Troops. The caption reads ?Oh God our help in ages past?. The next photo down shows an Eastern Orthodox Priest of the Black blessing Russian Troops. The caption reads ?Oh God our help in ages past?. The third photo down shows what appears to be a Catholic Priest or Lutheran Minister addressing German infantry Troops. The caption reads ?Oh God our help in ages past?. All the book captions are by Laurence Stallings.

I have long believed that the onset of WWI was the beginning of the end for the centuries-old three Estate system where the Nobility of the first Estate worked hand in glove with the Clergy second Estate to control the third Estate, which was everyone else. There is little doubt in my mind that the Founding Fathers (A deliberately non-PC term) had the obsolescence of the Three Estate system in mind as they forged the beginnings of our country. I also believe we need to be very careful of contemporary interpretations of their fine work lest we loose our roots and anchor set.

Scamp
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Old 12-27-2003, 05:02 PM
usmcsgt65 usmcsgt65 is offline
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Sir John Keagan believes that the 1914 Christmas gathering in "no man's land" was an event of the moment. The English troops heard the Germans singing. They responded with their songs. A few brave soldiers ventured out. Soon the whole division was out. Only combat troops would take that kind of chance. Once the general officers found out, it was back to the trenches. Can't have the troops believing that the other side is human.
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