Lew, over its magnificent longevity of twenty years, LRC has been excellent in informing and reminding our readers/viewers of the historic importance of the Christmas Truce of 1914 during the Great War.
A few weeks ago my World History students learned about the significance of these poignant events in the superb documentary above.
When World War I began in August 1914, soldiers were told that the conflict would be short-lived and over by Christmas. But by December all thoughts of quick victory had faded. Fighting was most fierce in a thin strip of land called the Western Front. A system of trenches separated Allies from Germans, with the area in between known as No Man’s Land. Amidst the trench warfare that defined World War I, a few days of spontaneous peace broke out. On Christmas Eve, an astonishing event began–up and down the Western Front, Allied and German soldiers met peacefully in No Man’s Land. Without a signed treaty, surrender, or armistice, German and Allied soldiers alike were able to share Christmas cheer together.
9:42 am on December 24, 2019
