Christmas in War

Author: [German] Michael Ursinus
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: On December 24, 1914, due to Christmas, the warring British and German armies agreed to a one-day truce. Amidst the smoke-filled battlefield, a temporary peace emerged. The opposing sides emerged from their trenches, exchanging blessings in song, even holding a football match. After the match ended, war resumed. Based on this story, film companies from multiple European countries jointly invested in the production of the classic masterpiece In the Mood for Love. Regardless of nationality, belief, or the nature of the war, world peace is the desire of people, and war is an endless story of failure. There is a story that is almost unbelievable, telling of a successful, though brief, peace during World War I. On Christmas Day in 1914, soldiers from warring nations laid down their weapons and celebrated Christmas together in the no-man's-land on the front lines. Over the past few weeks, the unburied dead in the no-man's-land were buried together by the opposing sides in the prayer of "rest in peace." The battlefield became a place to exchange cigarettes, pipes, raisin puddings, cigars, rum, beer, and wine. They shared their desires, showed family photos, and even played football. Above the trenches stood Christmas trees, and candles were lit on the barbed wire. Enemies who were supposed to save and heal each other sang Christmas carols, wishing each other a Merry Christmas and hoping for a lasting peace. They were heroes who dared to pursue peace on their own, simply wanting to return home alive. Soon, they would have to follow their superiors' orders to resume shooting and continue killing each other. The war would last for several more years, and millions of lives would soon be lost, so the stories of these peace builders were quickly forgotten. However, photographs from that time have been preserved.