It is known that World War I ( 1914-1918) it was one of the most iconic events in all of human history and had an immense impact around the world at the beginning of the 20th century. The use of heavy weaponry, both by land and by air and sea, produced millions of deaths and razed entire cities to the ground. Chemical weapons such as mustard gas (iperite) turned men into misshapen monsters, leading them to a terrible death by suffocation and ruptured blood vessels. However, in the midst of the compilation of terrible facts that the First War imposes on us, there is one that is quite unique, as it stands apart from the others. And it stands out for presenting gestures of solidarity and fraternity between soldiers of enemy troops. This is a Christmas truce , which took place on Christmas Day 1914.
This Christmas truce of 1914 took place in the vicinity of the city of Yprès, Belgium. The German Empire had clashed for months with the French and English at Yprès. As the year drew to a close, winter descended on the trenches, and each army remained withdrawn. Enemy lines were very close together, so each troop could see their enemies and target them if they left their trenches. It so happens that, on Christmas Day of that year, some soldiers began to show themselves relaxed and festive, inside their trenches. They didn't seem to care about the war or the winter.
Others, strangely, began to walk, unarmed, through the area known as “no man's land”, that is, the space between one trench and another. They walked to the enemy's trench without being approached or killed by their tormentors, wishing them a “Merry Christmas”, then offering drink, food or cigars. There are many reports, both from flat soles and high-ranking officers, about this Christmas truce – which came exclusively from them. That is, it was not the result of a sanction by the high war command of their countries. One of these reports follows below:
“At 8:30, I saw four unarmed Germans leave their trench and head for ours. I sent two of my men to meet them, also unarmed, with orders that they not go more than halfway between the trenches, which were then 350 to 400 yards apart at that point. There were three privates and a stretcher and their spokesman said he wanted to wish us a Merry Christmas and hoped that we would tacitly maintain a truce. He said he had lived in Suffolk where he had a girlfriend and a motor bike.” [1]
This account was written by Captain Sir Edward Husle of the British Royal Army. The officer's surprise to see the soldiers approaching with festive purposes makes clear the unusual character of this historic event. But despite the good intentions of those involved in this truce, not only was the war at Yprès resumed, but the officers involved in the truce were harshly punished by their superiors.
NOTES
[1] THEODORO, Reinaldo V. The Christmas Truce . In:Clube SOMNIUM, 2004. p.4.
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