Christmas Truce
Western Front, including Ploegsteert, Belgium
What happened
British and German soldiers, along with some French and Belgian troops, stopped fighting on their own along parts of the Western Front. In December 1914, after months of fighting, the armies of World War I faced each other from muddy trenches in Belgium and France. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, soldiers in many places sang carols, called out greetings, and climbed out to meet in the 'no man's land' between the trenches. They swapped food, tobacco and souvenirs, buried their dead together, and in some places played football.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It showed that ordinary soldiers on opposite sides could share moments of peace and friendship even in war. It is remembered as one of the most famous moments of World War I.
What came next
Commanders on both sides issued orders against friendly contact, and the German army called it treason. Truces in later Christmases were much rarer.
Did you know?
A memorial at Ploegsteert in Belgium remembers a football match played during the truce, and a re-enactment is held there every year.
Timeline
- 24 December 1914Soldiers begin singing carols and calling greetings across the lines.
- 25 December 1914Soldiers meet in no man's land to exchange gifts.
- 29 December 1914A German order treats fraternising with the enemy as treason.
- 1 January 1915The last truces end in some places.
- December 1915Christmas truces are much less widespread.