The Christmas Truce of 1914, which took place a few months after the outbreak of the First World War, across the Western Front, is the most celebrated informal truce of all. But enemies had fraternised before: in the battlefields of Spain during the Napoleonic Wars, in Civil War America, in the valley of Tchernaya during the Crimean War and in the Second Boer War.
Bartering in Spain
The Duke of Wellington, who led the British, Spanish and Portuguese forces against the French in the Peninsular War of 1807-1814, saw with grief the British soldiers fraternising with the French in many instances. It was not uncommon for sentries or those stationed in outposts to come together for a smoke or a chat and to barter food and other essentials. Groups seen to be foraging in the open were generally not shot at and there were even exchanges of badly injured prisoners. Amidst the atrocities (and there were many), these informal truces offered a flicker of humanity to the embattled troops.
Truces in the Crimean War
In an account of the Crimean War of 1854-6, published in April 1883, the New York Times reporter relates many instances of friendly communication between French and Russians. An informal system of white flags of truce was established so that bartering could take place between sentries. It was common for the Russian to leave a bottle of vodka to be collected by the French who left a couple of loaves of white bread in its place. On the appearance of a white flag, firing would cease and the former enemies would raise their heads and exchange smiles, nods, jokes and goods. A while later, fighting would resume as usual.
Music in Civil War America
Informal truces were widespread in the American Civil War, too. Often Yankees and Rebels occupying the opposite sides of a river would swim to meet on an island in the middle. They would exchange tobacco and coffee and swap newspapers and would chat a little before resuming shooting. When camping in the same area, Federates and Confederates would even join in concerts and play each other's favourite songs. A shout "Rats in your holes!" was a signal that everyone should take cover again.
Football in South Africa
It is reported that towards the end of Second Boer War (1899-1902) in South Africa, a game of football took place between some of the Boers and a British unit under Major Clement Edwards. Sunday truces were also common as the Boers for religious reasons abstained from fighting on a Sunday. A truce on Christmas and Boxing Day was also reported to have taken place in Mafeking in 1899.
The Christmas Truce
The Christmas Truce, which started on Christmas Eve of 1914 and lasted until the first days of January 1915, is undoubtedly the most famous truce of them all. Many letters sent home from the Western Front tell of a "waking dream", a "wonderful day", a Silent Night when fighting stopped and the trenches were illuminated by candles and resounded with Christmas carols sang in different languages. Germans and British ventured in no man's land, exchanged food and buried their dead. Football matches were said to have been organised as well.
Those in charge wanted to make sure that no such truce happened again. However, informal truces continued to take place the following years though on a much smaller scale. On parting a British soldier said to a German: "Today we have peace. Tomorrow you fight for your country. I fight for mine. Good luck".
Further reading
G.F. Barnes and T. Fisher, The Napoleonic Wars, Osprey Publishing, 2004.
G. Linderman, Embattled Courage: The Experience of Combat in the American Civil War, The Free Press, 1989.
B. Farewell, The Great Boer War, Wordsworth Editions, New ed. 1999.
M. Brown and S. Seaton, Christmas Truce: The Western Front 1914, Pan Books, New ed. 1984.
S. Weintraub, Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce, Simon and Schuster, 2001
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On First World War historical films and images see Historical Movies and World War Images
Lito Apostolakou - Lito is a historian with an interest in digital archives and online historical resources. She is the author of blog Palimpsest.
