An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir Dec 2014/Jan 2015 www.dfmagazine.ie 30 | by JAMES SCANNELL I n August 1914, british, French, and german soldiers marched off to war on the general understanding and public perception that it would be over by Christmas, but things did not work as planned. the german plan to defeat France was based on a rapid advance through belgium, the Schlieffen Plan, but when they invaded belgium, britain, as a guarantor of belgium's neutrality, declared war on germany and immediately dispatched the small but highly trained british Expeditionary Force across the Channel. In addi- tion, the belgians put up a far more spirited defence than the germans anticipated. they also destroyed their own road and railway infrastructure as they retreated, further impeding the german advance. The German advance was halted 30 miles from Paris by the week-long Battle of the Marne from 5th September to 12th September 1914, after which the Germans withdrew to the River Aisne and dug in, determined to retreat no fur- ther. The British and French also dug in and soon both sides had a network of trenches facing each other, running from the Swiss border to the Belgian coast. The distance between opposing trenches varied from 100 yards to 600-plus yards, with the area in between being 'No-Man's Land', across which both sides sent out noc- turnal patrols to collect intelligence on the enemy trench system and defences, especially the locations of machine guns, and to inflict casualties on the enemy. By December 1914 military operations had effectively come to a halt at many locations along the 250-mile long front, with a 'live-and-let-live' practice being observed by many units under which neither side engaged in hostile operations against the other. Some days prior to Christmas, General Sir Horace Smith- Dorrien, concerned about stories he had received about British and German troops fraternising with each other, issued an instruction warning that unofficial local armi- stices destroyed the offensive spirit in all ranks. Friendly intercourse with the enemy, the exchange of tobacco and other comforts, and 'we-won't-fire-if-you-won't-fire' practices, were absolutely prohibited, and the war was to be prosecuted with full vigour. While the general was right in assuming that there would be a reduction in hostilities, he hardly imagined what was to happen on Christmas Day, when hostilities halted for 24-hours. On Christmas Eve 1914, the weather across the Western Front turned very cold but dry with a hard frost falling across the trenches. During the afternoon and into the evening at various places along the trench systems, British troops were amazed to see Christmas trees with candles and paper lanterns appear on top of the German trenches and when darkness fell they could hear German troops singing carols, hymns, and popular songs of the day. In some places the British and German troops engaged in a sing-song, followed inevitably by the call not to engage in hostilities against each other that evening or on Christmas Day. This unplanned and spontaneous unofficial truce contin- ued into Christmas Day with troops on both sides at differ- ent locations emerging from their respective trenches and meeting each other in no-man's land. Officers rendered due military compliments to each other and in some cases ex- changed minor gifts with each other, but in many places the priority was to bury the dead who had lain unburied in no- man's land and in front of the trench systems. Work parties from both sides engaged in this process, sometimes jointly. The Christmas Truce British and German soldiers holding a Christmas truce during WWI, painted by Angus McBride. © Bridgeman Art Library (LAL295769)

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