This is from Randy Rowland, a member of Veterans for Peace in Seattle (and a leader of the Presidio “Mutiny” in 1968).
We drove to Sarasota, Florida to check out a theater presentation called “All Is Calm,” which tells the story of the Great Christmas Truce of 1914 using music. The piece was originally written for radio, and eventually made into a play. Most of the singer/actors hail from Minnesota, and many have done this production for years. Their voices were magnificent and the overall effect excellent. It reminded me that this is the one hundred tenth anniversary of this event, where over 100,000 soldiers put humanity over uniform for at least a little while.
In the run-up to World War I, the war was almost universally opposed by the political left in all countries. The “Great War” was seen as an imperialist war, that is, a contest between capitalists over who would control the colonies. In direct opposition to the nationalist notion of fighting for one’s ruling class in their efforts at world domination, the concept of “Internationalism” was quite appealing to many. Internationalism suggests that one’s first duty is to humanity, the people of the planet. “Workers of the World Unite!” rang the cry in those days just before the Russian revolution.
Unfortunately, the working class of the various major powers was swept up in narrow calls to patriotism and duty to fatherland. They found themselves in opposing trenches in spite of their better instincts. But in the months leading up to Christmas 1914 the Pope called for an official Christmas Truce (rebuffed by all sides), and the peace movement launched major campaigns for a truce as well. Communists, anarchists, and many other leftists championed ending the war by building working class solidarity among the fighters of all nations, claiming “no war but class war.” Though the leaders of the various warring nations ignored the call for a truce, the soldiers in the trenches answered the movement’s call.
The antiwar and internationalist sentiment was still strong in those early years of WW I, and there were many, well-documented instances of non-cooperation that, according to Wikipedia, included “refusal to fight, unofficial truces, mutinies, strikes, and peace protests.” No doubt the most dramatic of these was the Christmas Truce of 1914, when over 100,000 soldiers emerged from their trenches to carol, swap smokes, shake hands, and in some areas play a friendly game of soccer in the no-man’s land separating their respective armies. This fraternization was opposed, of course, by the brass and politicians on every side, but in some areas the truce held past New Year’s Day. All told, the 1914 Christmas Truce was probably the largest instance of soldiers choosing humanity over uniform in the history of the world.
Now, 110 years later, the cause of peace and internationalism is no less pressing. There now exists an international ruling class whose quarrels among themselves dangerously initiate and escalate wars, while the challenges of climate change, the state of the collapsing oceans, and other serious concerns make it clear that humanity is in the lifeboat together. What better time to draw inspiration from the greatest act of solidarity in world history?
Here’s some things to mention about the Great Christmas Truce in your celebrations on this anniversary of that historic series of events:
Hostelling
Richard Schirrmann, founder of the first youth hostel, was a soldier in a German regiment in December 1915, when a smaller repeat of the previous year occurred. He wrote about what he witnessed as soldiers from both sides came out to greet each other and “exchanged wine, cognac, and cigarettes for Westphalian black bread, biscuits, and ham.” Wikipedia says military discipline was soon restored, but Schirrman pondered over the incident and whether “thoughtful young people of all countries could be provided with suitable meeting places where they could get to know each other.” Inspired, he went on to found the German Youth Hostel Association in 1919, and as this new movement swept the world, he became president of the newly formed International Youth Hostel Association (now Hostel International), 1933-1936. Schirrmann attributed the Christmas Truce he witnessed as a key motivator behind the Youth Hostelling movement.
Football (soccer)
Perhaps the widest celebrations of the Truce come from European soccer teams and fans. In Dec, 2014, for the 100th anniversary, England’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and President of the Football Association, dedicated a monument to the Truce and the historic informal soccer matches played between opposing armies back then. In his dedication speech, Prince William said, “This week teams at every level of the game have been coming together before matches to unite for mixed-team photos—evoking the spirit of the Christmas Truce.”
Both British and German football supporters had been visiting the site of one of the historic matches for many years, leaving scarves and other mementos in remembrance of those who played and those who died.
For the 100th anniversary there was a special soccer match between teams from the British and German Armies, played in commemoration of the Christmas Truce.
One of these years, I think VFP should leaflet soccer matches with the Christmas Truce story, and maybe place literature in hostels as well. Meanwhile, consider making a toast at your holiday meal to the soldiers who participated in the Truce, and to all who choose humanity over uniform.
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