I have been listening to my local AM station from Omaha - KFAB. They are airing "An American Christmas with Manheim Steamroller" and Chip Davis.
Chip recited a story about WWI and a Christmas miracle of an impromptu truce. You should really read this, it is good!
It was 1914 and much of Europe was a political and military tinderbox awaiting the spark that would ignite it into the terrible conflict that was later known as World War I. The mood was ominous as the clouds of war hung sullenly over much of Europe and armies prepared for battle.
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire on June 28th 1914 at Sarajevo provided the final spark that plunged Europe and much of the world into the greatest military conflict known up to that time.
Shortly afterwards, the 'guns of August' boomed and the mighty armies of the French, British, Belgian, German, Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires began their mobilization for a relentless confrontation that would eventually claim millions of lives before peace was finally restored in 1918.
But in spite of all the shelling, gunfire, smoke, blood, mud and death, a little-known 'miracle' took place on Christmas Day, 1914. It was a miracle of human kindness and love.
In November of that year, Pope Benedict XV requested a cessation of hostilities on Christ's birthday. "Impossible!" was the reply from both the Allied and Central high commands. The war must go on.
But what is impossible for officers in high places is often very possible for ordinary soldiers. They quickly tire of war and soon long for peace and home. The thousands of men facing each other in the mud-filled trenches, that stretched their ugly scars in the earth from the Swiss border to the North Atlantic, decided to call off the war on the Western Front themselves!
Around sundown on Thursday, a cold and frosty Christmas Eve, the firing died down until every gun was silent. After months of thundering artillery and crackling rifles the silence was almost eerie. What was happening?
Standing guard duty at midnight, a British soldier, Private Peter Goudge, was alert to every sound from the German trenches. Suddenly he was startled to hear the German troops singing their traditional Christmas hymn "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht." Goudge started singing himself. Before long other British troops sang "O Come, All Ye Faithful". The singing continued until all along the Western Front recent enemies could be heard singing Christmas carols. British, Irish and French troops then noticed hundreds of coloured lights being strung up by the German soldiers along the barbed wire in front of their trenches. Suddenly, brightly coloured Christmas trees brought the holiness of the season to the war-ravaged battlefields.
Private Goudge was even more startled to see a lone German soldier carefully picking his way across the barbed wire and shell holes of 'No Man's Land' while holding aloft a tiny Christmas tree bright with flickering candles.
Leaning over the barbed wire of the British trenches the German soldier shouted happily in English "Merry Christmas." "Merry Christmas to you!" roared back the British troops. The Germans then shouted, "Come out - we will not shoot for Christmas. " Timidly at first, British troops climbed out of their trenches and advanced unarmed to greet yesterday's enemies. Some laughed; others were near tears as they embraced.
Along the hundreds of miles of trenches, the Christmas spirit caught on quickly. French troops shouted "Joyeux Noel" across the battle lines. A French regimental band serenaded the German troops with Christmas music. Belgian and German troops exchanged gifts of cigars and cheese, presents from their loved ones at home.
Christmas Day finally dawned to the strange sight of groups of formerly hostile soldiers exchanging gifts good wishes and songs on yesterday's bitterly contested battlefields. Football matches, using the barbed wire as field markers, took place between teams from opposing armies, A British team played a German team and lost 3-2, Photos were taken. It was truly difficult to tell that a war had raged between these armies for five months. The Spirit of Christmas filled the day.
Toasts with beer and wine, and even tea and coffee, were offered for home and family and friends The most popular toast, though, was to peace.
But as evening fell soldiers of the various armies began to trickle back slowly to their trenches to resume much more reluctantly the bitter business of killing each other. Tears and embraces marked the parting of thousands of men who had known peace on earth - if only for a day. The Christmas Miracle of 1914 had ended.
Military high commands in all armies took seven measures to ensure that warring troops would not fratenize in the future. There were no more Christmas miracles for the rest of World War 1. But to those soldiers who participated in it, the day the war stopped for Christ's birthday was a cherished memory.
RADAR
Chip recited a story about WWI and a Christmas miracle of an impromptu truce. You should really read this, it is good!
It was 1914 and much of Europe was a political and military tinderbox awaiting the spark that would ignite it into the terrible conflict that was later known as World War I. The mood was ominous as the clouds of war hung sullenly over much of Europe and armies prepared for battle.
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire on June 28th 1914 at Sarajevo provided the final spark that plunged Europe and much of the world into the greatest military conflict known up to that time.
Shortly afterwards, the 'guns of August' boomed and the mighty armies of the French, British, Belgian, German, Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires began their mobilization for a relentless confrontation that would eventually claim millions of lives before peace was finally restored in 1918.
But in spite of all the shelling, gunfire, smoke, blood, mud and death, a little-known 'miracle' took place on Christmas Day, 1914. It was a miracle of human kindness and love.
In November of that year, Pope Benedict XV requested a cessation of hostilities on Christ's birthday. "Impossible!" was the reply from both the Allied and Central high commands. The war must go on.
But what is impossible for officers in high places is often very possible for ordinary soldiers. They quickly tire of war and soon long for peace and home. The thousands of men facing each other in the mud-filled trenches, that stretched their ugly scars in the earth from the Swiss border to the North Atlantic, decided to call off the war on the Western Front themselves!
Around sundown on Thursday, a cold and frosty Christmas Eve, the firing died down until every gun was silent. After months of thundering artillery and crackling rifles the silence was almost eerie. What was happening?
Standing guard duty at midnight, a British soldier, Private Peter Goudge, was alert to every sound from the German trenches. Suddenly he was startled to hear the German troops singing their traditional Christmas hymn "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht." Goudge started singing himself. Before long other British troops sang "O Come, All Ye Faithful". The singing continued until all along the Western Front recent enemies could be heard singing Christmas carols. British, Irish and French troops then noticed hundreds of coloured lights being strung up by the German soldiers along the barbed wire in front of their trenches. Suddenly, brightly coloured Christmas trees brought the holiness of the season to the war-ravaged battlefields.
Private Goudge was even more startled to see a lone German soldier carefully picking his way across the barbed wire and shell holes of 'No Man's Land' while holding aloft a tiny Christmas tree bright with flickering candles.
Leaning over the barbed wire of the British trenches the German soldier shouted happily in English "Merry Christmas." "Merry Christmas to you!" roared back the British troops. The Germans then shouted, "Come out - we will not shoot for Christmas. " Timidly at first, British troops climbed out of their trenches and advanced unarmed to greet yesterday's enemies. Some laughed; others were near tears as they embraced.
Along the hundreds of miles of trenches, the Christmas spirit caught on quickly. French troops shouted "Joyeux Noel" across the battle lines. A French regimental band serenaded the German troops with Christmas music. Belgian and German troops exchanged gifts of cigars and cheese, presents from their loved ones at home.
Christmas Day finally dawned to the strange sight of groups of formerly hostile soldiers exchanging gifts good wishes and songs on yesterday's bitterly contested battlefields. Football matches, using the barbed wire as field markers, took place between teams from opposing armies, A British team played a German team and lost 3-2, Photos were taken. It was truly difficult to tell that a war had raged between these armies for five months. The Spirit of Christmas filled the day.
Toasts with beer and wine, and even tea and coffee, were offered for home and family and friends The most popular toast, though, was to peace.
But as evening fell soldiers of the various armies began to trickle back slowly to their trenches to resume much more reluctantly the bitter business of killing each other. Tears and embraces marked the parting of thousands of men who had known peace on earth - if only for a day. The Christmas Miracle of 1914 had ended.
Military high commands in all armies took seven measures to ensure that warring troops would not fratenize in the future. There were no more Christmas miracles for the rest of World War 1. But to those soldiers who participated in it, the day the war stopped for Christ's birthday was a cherished memory.
RADAR
