| The Christmas Truce of 1914 during World War I |
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One of the most remarkable, and heavily publicized events concerns the
'Christmas Truce' of 1914. In this event the soldiers on the Western Front
laid down their weapons on Christmas Day. They met in No Man's Land,
exchanging food and cigarettes, and in a surprisingly, twist they played a
game of soccer. The cessation of violence was entirely unofficial and there
had been no prior discussion: troops acted spontaneously out of good will,
not orders. This truce amazingly lasted until January 3, 1917. To think that
on Christmas Day complete enemies put down their weapons and played a
friendly game of soccer. At this point in time they did not want to fight
each other, their main 'battle' was who was going to win the soccer game.
The soccer game was played between the Germans and the British and was
played on the actual battlefield. They played with a real soccer ball
that had been brought by one of the sides. The Germans happen to win the
soccer game 2-1. |
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| German comrades during the 1914 truce. |
| One of the British trenches during the Christmas Truce |
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