[Peace] Fwd: Celebrating the WW I Christmas Truce – 100 years ago this week

[Stuart Levy via Peace]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Celebrating the WW I Christmas Truce – 100 years ago this week
Date: 	Mon, 22 Dec 2014 15:14:52 -0500 (EST)
From: 	Kevin Martin, Peace Action <peaceact at reply.salsalabs.com>
Reply-To: 	peaceact at reply.salsalabs.com
To: 	stuartnlevy at gmail.com



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Dear Stuart,

In this season where “Peace on Earth” is often invoked, yet not always 
honored, remembering and celebrating peace history couldn’t be more 
appropriate. The story of the astonishing outbreak of the Christmas 
Truce one hundred years ago this week calls out for celebrating and sharing.

During the first winter of “the war to end all wars,” World War I, 
French, Belgian, Scottish, German, Indian and Algerian troops stalemated 
and hunkered down in trenches a mere 75 to 100 yards apart in France and 
Belgium observed a spontaneous Christmas Truce for two days, much to the 
consternation of the generals on both sides.

Soldiers who had been shooting at each other just the day before ceased 
fire, gathered and buried the dead in the no man’s land between their 
respective lines, sang Christmas carols together, exchanged food, drink 
and gifts, raised small Christmas trees, and even played football 
(soccer), with the German side reportedly winning most of the games.

The truce was so successful both sides had to bring up reserve troops 
from the rear who hadn’t participated in the truce in order to re-start 
the war. Remarkably, no one was court-martialed for voting with their 
feet and observing the truce.

I never heard of the Christmas Truce in school. I learned of it from 
folksinger extraordinaire John McCutcheon’s song “Christmas in the 
Trenches,” which is well worth a listen for inspiration on the real 
spirit of the holidays 
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An outstanding book on the Christmas Truce is /Silent Night: The Story 
of the World War I Christmas Truce /by Stanley Weintraub. Superbly 
written and documented, it ably refutes skepticism in some quarters that 
the truce ever happened. The accounts in newspapers and especially 
letters to family by troops on both sides are as intimate and touching 
as you might imagine.

The Christmas Truce was chronicled in the 2005 film /Joyeux Noel./ 
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Unfortunately I missed this film when it played (in September, bad 
scheduling!) at the AFI Silver Theater two blocks from the Peace Action 
office here in Silver Spring, but the trailer looks great and I’ll try 
to find it sometime over the holidays.

As John McCutcheon says, the story of the Christmas Truce needs to be 
told year round, 365 days a year.

Thank you for your actions for peace, and support of Peace Action.

Humbly for Peace,


Kevin Martin
Executive Director
Peace Action

P.S. -There is still time to help us meet our $10,000 matching gift 
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 From the staff and Boards of Peace Action and Peace Action Education 
Fund, we wish you a happy and healthy holiday.

	


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