30.01.2012, 03:32
Hi madcat,
I'll try to answer your question one by one:
One of the reasons for this film was the fact that a couple of years ago in Saxon or Thuringia (I'm not quite sure) a guy cleaning the attic of his parents house,
found a trunk with a few diaries of his grandfather, written in a strange or secretly stenography - nobody understood. Interesting enough there was a book
explaining everything as well. So this guy learned and translated all of these diaries one by one and learned about the Christmas truce in 1914 from his Grandfather
who was a Lieutenant then and a part of this Truce.
I don't know if you can purchase this book in English but it's telling this and a lot more stories:
"The little peace in the Great War"
http://www.amazon.com/Kleine-Frieden-Gr ... 005&sr=8-1
Look at the picture of the cover there - these are German and English soldiers in 1914 at the Christmas truce!
1. Did the Christmas unofficial truce happen again or was it a one off ?
It did happen again but at a much smaller scale.
In 1914 the war was just a few months old - in 1915, well over a year with much bloodshed and suffering on both sides.
But even in 1916 and 1917 there was a truce here and there..
A lot of things changed....
It is told, that soldiers from both sides were shooting above the heads of their enemies for weeks after Christmas...
Only when the artilleries start to fire they had casualties.
2. Did unofficial truces or fighting stop in other places along the lines ? (I said I think so and that hey would send in sharpshooters to start the fighting back up again, but not shore)
It started and took place mostly where the troops from Saxon and Bavaria where positioned. Most if not all of these soldiers where Catholics and more religiously than the
troops of Prussia. So it was possible that in the northern part of a sector i.e. the Saxons fought, there was a truce, in the middle part - Prussians - fighting, in the south part
the Bavarians - truce. A very strange situation if you think about it....
3. Would people get themselves captured on purpose to get out of fighting ? (I said I think so, depends how desperate you was)
In WWI it wasn't that common to surrender or to take POW's unless there was a hole group of soldiers...
As gruel as it sounds - but there was no time and no real feelings about your enemy as a human.. Kill or get killed....
But like always exceptions prove the rule.
Like in WWI Japan fought as an Allied against Germany and they took German prisoners.
And these POW's were treated after the Geneva Convention, with nothing to complain....
... if you were lucky and your opponent a human being - you lived!
4. Why didn't they just go round, like invade Denmark from Britain across the North Sea or invade Austro-Hungarian Empire from Italy across the Adriatic Sea ?
A good question - and I really don't no the answer. A few reasons come into my mind but nothing to proof.
Like Denmark was neutral and Britain respect that - or they just did not had the manpower to do it, the constant pressure from the Germans on the western front was to strong...
And WWI wasn't only in Europe! The Germans fought in Africa, the Mideast and so on... the Turkish fought against the Britain Empire...
In every German village and town you'll find today an memorial of the fallen soldiers from WWII, WWI and wars before that.
But with WWII and the ferociousness the Germans committed - WWI isn't that common in Germans history lessons and minds as it should be.
In France, Britain and so on it is totally different!
Hope I could answer a bit..
Jambo :wink:
P.S. Please remember, this film Joyeux Noel - is a film!
I saw it as well and I still got the DVD
You have to evaluate this film for your own... :wink:
P.P.S. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce
I'll try to answer your question one by one:
One of the reasons for this film was the fact that a couple of years ago in Saxon or Thuringia (I'm not quite sure) a guy cleaning the attic of his parents house,
found a trunk with a few diaries of his grandfather, written in a strange or secretly stenography - nobody understood. Interesting enough there was a book
explaining everything as well. So this guy learned and translated all of these diaries one by one and learned about the Christmas truce in 1914 from his Grandfather
who was a Lieutenant then and a part of this Truce.
I don't know if you can purchase this book in English but it's telling this and a lot more stories:
"The little peace in the Great War"
http://www.amazon.com/Kleine-Frieden-Gr ... 005&sr=8-1
Look at the picture of the cover there - these are German and English soldiers in 1914 at the Christmas truce!
1. Did the Christmas unofficial truce happen again or was it a one off ?
It did happen again but at a much smaller scale.
In 1914 the war was just a few months old - in 1915, well over a year with much bloodshed and suffering on both sides.
But even in 1916 and 1917 there was a truce here and there..
A lot of things changed....
It is told, that soldiers from both sides were shooting above the heads of their enemies for weeks after Christmas...
Only when the artilleries start to fire they had casualties.
2. Did unofficial truces or fighting stop in other places along the lines ? (I said I think so and that hey would send in sharpshooters to start the fighting back up again, but not shore)
It started and took place mostly where the troops from Saxon and Bavaria where positioned. Most if not all of these soldiers where Catholics and more religiously than the
troops of Prussia. So it was possible that in the northern part of a sector i.e. the Saxons fought, there was a truce, in the middle part - Prussians - fighting, in the south part
the Bavarians - truce. A very strange situation if you think about it....
3. Would people get themselves captured on purpose to get out of fighting ? (I said I think so, depends how desperate you was)
In WWI it wasn't that common to surrender or to take POW's unless there was a hole group of soldiers...
As gruel as it sounds - but there was no time and no real feelings about your enemy as a human.. Kill or get killed....
But like always exceptions prove the rule.
Like in WWI Japan fought as an Allied against Germany and they took German prisoners.
And these POW's were treated after the Geneva Convention, with nothing to complain....
... if you were lucky and your opponent a human being - you lived!
4. Why didn't they just go round, like invade Denmark from Britain across the North Sea or invade Austro-Hungarian Empire from Italy across the Adriatic Sea ?
A good question - and I really don't no the answer. A few reasons come into my mind but nothing to proof.
Like Denmark was neutral and Britain respect that - or they just did not had the manpower to do it, the constant pressure from the Germans on the western front was to strong...
And WWI wasn't only in Europe! The Germans fought in Africa, the Mideast and so on... the Turkish fought against the Britain Empire...
In every German village and town you'll find today an memorial of the fallen soldiers from WWII, WWI and wars before that.
But with WWII and the ferociousness the Germans committed - WWI isn't that common in Germans history lessons and minds as it should be.
In France, Britain and so on it is totally different!
Hope I could answer a bit..
Jambo :wink:
P.S. Please remember, this film Joyeux Noel - is a film!
I saw it as well and I still got the DVD
You have to evaluate this film for your own... :wink:
P.P.S. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_truce