A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.
On Dec. 24, 1914, during World War I, impromptu Christmas truces began to take hold along parts of the Western Front between British and German soldiers.
War had begun in August, so this was the first Christmas in the trenches for all involved. But there had already been many, many casualties.
As the story goes, British, French and Belgian troops were dug into trenches along one side. Their German enemies were dug in along the other. Every day they tried hard to blast each other into oblivion. In the trenches, corpses mounted, soldiers huddled in mud and freezing water and few dared venture out to the no-man’s land that separated the trenches.
But on Christmas Day, some of the German soldiers began singing familiar Christmas songs and lighting makeshift trees. The other side was skeptical at first, but soon the spirit of the moment took hold.
Soldiers from both sides emerged from their hiding places. Enemies exchanged cigarettes, drinks and other token gifts. By some accounts, a Scottish soldier produced an actual soccer ball and a game was started.
Along the front, as many as 100,000 soldiers took part in the three-day truce in one way or another.
Much of what is told comes from personal experiences and letters home. The last known participant in the truce of 1914 died in 2005.
Since then, the tales of the truce have been shared and retold, and perhaps romanticized a bit. Renowned television anchor Walter Cronkite spoke of the episode during a Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert that he participated in years ago. In recent years, a group of BYU students created a video tribute to the idea of momentary peace and hope during time of war.
In the Premier League in the United Kingdom, top teams play on the day to honor the moment. A terrific statue has been erected in Stoke on Trent, England, to note the incident.
Here are some stories from Deseret News archives about the truce and what lessons we can learn today, event 110 years later:
“A century later, the mythic thud of the ball in WWI Christmas Truce still heard”
“Voice of venerable journalist enriches Christmas concert”
“Students’ moving video on the Christmas truce of 1914 shows power of faith and hope”
“Moment of truce at No-Man’s Land”
“Opinion: The true power of Christmas in a world filled with violence and hate”
“Richard Davis: The Christmas Truce of 1914 — lessons for today”