Tuesday 30 December 2014

The awkward truth about the Christmas truce

THE CENTENARY of the Christmas truce in World War One has been rightly marked with a series of events and commemorations over the festive period.

It was, after all, an extraordinary event. Just think for a moment about the incredible bravery of soldiers on both the allied and German sides as they tentatively clambered out of their trenches to sing carols, exchange gifts and even play a little football. 

Of course, there can be no doubt that this actually happened. Thankfully, some first-hand accounts and photographs of meetings with the Germans have managed to survive the passage of time.

Nevertheless, an organised football match most probably did not occur. Instead, there would have been just a few small-scale kickabouts without anyone keeping score.

Yes, one of the little myths is that the Christmas truce was in some way a mass participation event.

The reality is that there were instead a scattered series of small-scale ceasefires with fighting carrying on as normal in many other areas of the Western Front. Indeed, at least 80 soldiers still died on Christmas Day itself.

Still, is it wrong that even these small-scale truces and their undoubted symbolism should be commemorated by professional bodies such as the Football Association?

Well, of course not. Even critics of the controversial Sainsbury's Christmas advert - with the supermarket accused of profiteering and disrespect - would at least admit it was a well-produced piece of cinema which has also raised funds for the Royal British Legion.

But the real problem with the Christmas truce as it is now being remembered by Sainsbury's and others is the saccharine context in which it is being presented.

Put bluntly, those same soldiers who had swapped gifts with the Germans on Christmas Day were more than likely shooting at them over the next few days - or perhaps they were the ones being shot at and killed.

Added to that, the war - which was originally meant to be over by Christmas - had of course barely begun. The literally entrenched positions following the Race to Sea had seen to that.

And so, with war clearly the order of the day, much of High Command was furious that the truces had taken place at all, fearing that fraternising with the enemy would lead to mutiny and surrender.

In fact, they would never happen again - and, when one soldier attempted to reprise a truce in 1915, he ended up being found guilty by a court martial.

Knowing this, it is understandable why the Christmas truce of 1914 has been so fondly remembered, and even romanticised.

But, while it is good that it has been remembered in its own right, the fact that the truces were the last recognisably great acts of humanity for the next four years is nothing really to celebrate.

For, while the truce represented the principle of goodwill to all men, the resumption of gunfire where it had ceased simply confirmed the worst outcome of 1914.

That the last chance for peace had indeed been lost and the lamps had already long gone out over Europe.

No comments:

Post a Comment