martes, 13 de enero de 2015

The Christmas Truce

Colour illustration of a British army officer scoring a goal against a German officer, circa 1914
During the first Christmas of the war, something unique happened in some parts of the front line. Both sides on the Western Front agreed to put down their weapons. This became known as the Christmas Truce.
The British High Command, which led the British troops, did not agree with this truce and warned the soldiers not to go ahead with it. They even suggested that the Germans were planning an attack on Christmas Eve. However, they were ignored and no guns were fired on Christmas Day 1914.
On Christmas Eve, soldiers from both sides met in no man's land. They sang Christmas carols, like 'Silent Night' ('Stille Nacht' in German). There was even a burial service for dead soldiers where the bodies of German and British soldiers were buried next to each other.
Men from both sides gave gifts to each other, mostly food. The Germans gave sausages to the British and the British gave the Germans chocolates.
On Christmas Day, a football match was played between German and British troops on the Western Front. This was started by a British soldier kicking a football out of his trench. The Germans then joined in. It was reported that Germany won the match 3-2.
At midnight, in one part of the trenches, a flare was lit to tell soldiers it was time for them to return to fighting.
The truce went on until the New Year in other parts of the Western Front.
Do you think it could happen today?

23 comentarios:

  1. It happened because at that time people were forced to go to the war as soldiers.
    I think that it wouldn´t happen because nowadays all soldiers in almost all countries aren´t forced to be soldiers, because it is a job. If a war started they would do their job.

  2. It depends because of the countries which are fighting. If they are two countries where the soccer is very popular they could play together in a special day like Christmas Day (if both of them share the same religion) , it happened once, why not again?
    However , if they are two countries with a lot of differences it would not work. For example soldiers from USA will never play soccer with yihadits.
    In conclusion , it is not the same if their culture is similar or if it is completly different.

    -Guillermo Sánchez Navarro.

  3. By: Sergio Segura Viciana 4ºB

    I think this would happen again because soldiers are also people who have heart, so these people would stop the war for that moment and would celebrate Xmas because they would know that all of them are humans with family and that they would can die next day.

  4. Javier Hernandez Garcia19 de enero de 2015, 19:57

    It occurred due to both countries lived in poor conditions and were fed up of the war, because they were forced to stay there, and they couldn´t back home, so they celebrated the first Christmas in this way probably as a sign of disagreement with the war.
    Nowadays, we aren´t forced to go to the war, If you go, means that you aren´t agree with certain political system, religious or situation that have been occurred in your country. For example, several wars are happenning now in Siria, Irak etc... and they are fighting for their beliefs and almost all because they want.

  5. I think it can't happen again because nowadays people is very suspicius so when the soldiers see the enemy trops singing carols they will get angry because the will think that they are tricking them so they will start to shoot and many people who only want to sing carols like in thei home will die on Xmas

  6. Well, I think that situation could never occurred in our world today. We are still having serveral attacks and confrontations between some countries but in my opinion it would never stop just because it's Christmas.
    In the old times, soldiers were forced to go to wars but today it's a job which anyone can choose.

  7. From my point of view, this can't never happen today. If that happened that day was because at that time people were forced to go to the war as soldiers, so they decided to "challenge" their own authorities and stoped the war.
    Nowadays the people that go as soldier to war are people who are physical and mental prepared to fight, so it is a job.

  8. In my opinion the world is more agressive than in those days. In those days the ww1 was the biggest war in all times and they wanted to finish with the suffer and in addition in those days chritmas was more important and friendly than today. Now a days we are suffering much more wars and we are not as friendly as before. Pobably if that is proposed again soldier would meet but for any reason they will fight again.

  9. As I see it, it couldn't happend nowadays. People is more interested in winning than in playing a football match, just because of traitors. I'm sure that if it happened a situation like this, there would be a person that would kill anybody and enemy troops could get really angry. This is due to the low number of people who fight today and people who fight then.

    Carmen Mª De Blas

  10. I think that the decision to think if the soldiers are pruned to playing football the day of navidad, is very relative, for that it is necessary to see in the moment as this one the constitution, and know that before the soldiers were forced, to relax and to forget everything bad, the day of navidad they did it. From out it is true that meets strange for that they are the opponents ,we all are human .
    Sofía Vilar Ramos 4ºB

  11. Roman Bianca María20 de enero de 2015, 17:39

    I think this couldn't happen now a days because soldiers wouldn't stop an important war just because it's Christmas,although this is a special day.Now a days you can decide your profession,but many years ago soldiers were forced to go fighting,so that soldiers decided to do so because they wanted to celebrate and feel Christmas.

  12. I think that this happened because soldiers were obligated to be soldiers and if they don't do their job well, they will be executed.
    These solidiers didn't want to kill anybody and even less in that special day so they only wanted to be in peace and have a good Christmas eve with no deaths.

    Juan Enrique Sánchez Viciana

  13. I think not because i see it almost impossible that a war is stopped by an important day like christmas,because if passed one of the two i would use as a trap to kill the enemy.

    Christian Gómiz Soriano

  14. As I see it this might happen nowadays, depending on the countries at war. Since I think that everything can be possible, is not very likely but we never know what can happen in the future. Christmas is a very important day and the soldiers have feelings to stop a war if the want to, also is very difficult that an important war could start now.
    Ana Celia Ruiz García 4ºB

  15. No way. This happened because they liked xmas and they wanted to end the war and return home.
    Now, soldiers choosed to be soldiers so they must do what they are told.
    Also, a war now looks like to be a war with extremist of other religion, so they wont celebrate xmas.

    By David Ferrer Zamora

    1. well, there may be a little posibility if its a war betewn certain countries.

  16. I don't think this could happen today because the technology is more developed than in those days and if there is a war right now I really don't think there would be trenches. As well as the development of technology another thing that has developed is the mentality and the thirst for power , so if there is a war nowadays nothing would matter.

  17. No I think because it isn't probably that there isn't any war in those days. The soldiers now a days are people who work of this, it isn't possible that occur.

  18. In my opinión, it couldn't happen nowadays, because soldiers at that time fight in those wars because they wanted to, but now soldiers are paid to fight for their country. So, they wouldn't spend their time playing football and singing with their enemies.

  19. María Martínez Sánchez20 de enero de 2015, 20:32

    I don´t think it would happen today, just because, in my opinion, if you are in a war, fighting against other countries and also gaining money for this, it would be irrational to stop it, although if it is Christmas.

  20. By: Miguel Hernandez 4B
    It is thought that soldiers who are in mission in zones such as Afganistan aren't allowed to rest in Cristhmas. But these persons are there because they wanted and they asked for their superiors to go so they have to be serious and they can't eat or play with the enemies

  21. Well, I honestly think this is interesting. It shows that at the end of the day we all still humans who need affection, after probably many months in those filthy trenches they decide to go out like that and sing a truce.It should have stopped there and no more killing or either murdering. I would like this to happend again , but I´m afraid that nowadays is impossible.

    By: Irene Expósito Mora 4B

  22. tWell, When I read this article I thoungth that is such as a joke. I can´t imagine how soldiers than one day they were killing each other the next day they do the peace for a day and the next day they contiued with the war. From my point of view this is impossible nowadays! By: Adrian Popa :)