The Christmas Truce: A Changing Effect Of War: One's Effect On Society

Throughout history, war has left a lasting impact on society and those involved with it. Wars not only destroy people’s lives, they change the people as well. Though truce, the devastation left behind by war is lessened but does not change the impact that war has on society. During WWI, The Christmas Truce of 1914 gave peace of mind to those wanting to end the war; similarly, the truce had affected the soldiers’ outlook upon the war, given people fighting a sense of hope, and brought both sides closer for a short period of time. In 1914, The Christmas Truce had made a lasting impact on those who were involved. Likewise, this changed how the soldiers viewed the war, in a positive way. This can be revealed through the soldiers’ reaction to
Though the truce brought hope, some did not understand the reason for a truce during such a crucial moment in the war. For others participating in the war, “approaching the enemy trench had consequences, deadly for some” (Emplaincourt 22). As stated before, not all people agreed to participate in the cease-fire that the truce offered. In addition, higher authorities ordered soldiers to continue fighting the enemy throughout the remainder of the armistice. As the respite came to a close, “suppression of the events occurred immediately with denials of its occurrence.” (Kenedy Jr. 2). These denials arose from the generals and sergeants that were in charge throughout the war. Regardless of these truths, soldiers on either side found The Christmas Truce of 1914 to be a significant building block to ending the
These exchanges resulted in bountiful positive and negative impacts on the war great or small. As Christmas Eve came to a close and Christmas day was upon the infantry men on either side. The agreement “to extend peace into Christmas day, so they could meet again and bury their dead” had become more widely accepted (Edmonds 2). This agreement not only benefited soldiers that were trying to bury the dead, but it had also affected those who were wounded or injured. A continuation of the positive things that resulted from the war were the Germans affixing Christmas trees in the enemy’s trench (Edmonds 1). This occurred at the start of the truce as a sign that the truce began, which in turn ceased all fighting and commencement of comradery amongst the Germans and British. In conclusion, WWI has had a lasting impact on the world today, this is shown through each side's involvement in the war as well as the many friendships that were developed. As the time for the Christmas truce drew to close many people were hopeful for the end of the war but also frustrated that they would have to fight their comrades in battle once more. Through the Christmas Armistice of 1914, the lives of others and the lives of the people involved were changed, resulting in the world we have