The Christmas Truce

Myth, Memory, and the First World War

Terri Blom Crocker, Peter Grant

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English

The University Press of Kentucky
23 June 2017

History; European history; 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000; First World War

In late December 1914, German and British soldiers on the western front initiated a series of impromptu, unofficial ceasefires. Enlisted men across No Man's Land abandoned their trenches and crossed enemy lines to sing carols, share food and cigarettes, and even play a little soccer. Collectively known as the Christmas Truce, these fleeting moments of peace occupy a mythical place in remembrances of World War I. Yet new accounts suggest that the heartwarming tale ingrained in the popular imagination bears little resemblance to the truth.

In this detailed study, Terri Blom Crocker provides the first comprehensive analysis of both scholarly and popular portrayals of the Christmas Truce from 1914 to present. From books by influential historians to the Oscar-nominated French film

Joyeux Noel (2006), this new examination shows how a variety of works have both explored and enshrined this outbreak of peace amid overwhelming violence. The vast majority of these accounts depict the soldiers as acting in defiance of their superiors. Crocker, however, analyzes official accounts as well as private letters that reveal widespread support among officers for the détentes. Furthermore, she finds that truce participants describe the temporary ceasefires not as rebellions by disaffected troops but as acts of humanity and survival by professional soldiers deeply committed to their respective causes.

The Christmas Truce studies these ceasefires within the wider war, demonstrating how generations of scholars have promoted interpretations that ignored the nuanced perspectives of the many soldiers who fought. Crocker's groundbreaking, meticulously researched work challenges conventional analyses and sheds new light on the history and popular mythology of the War to End All Wars.

By: Terri Blom Crocker, Peter Grant
Imprint: The University Press of Kentucky
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9780813174020
ISBN 10: 0813174023
Pages: 310
Publication Date: 23 June 2017
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Terri Blom Crocker is a PhD candidate and the senior paralegal for investigations in the Office of Legal Counsel at the University of Kentucky.

Reviews for The Christmas Truce: Myth, Memory, and the First World War

Crocker, through meticulous research, dismantles the revisionist histories put forth in the 1960s by both historian and filmmaker alike to reveal a significant series of events which began independently at various points along the 20-mile Western Front. -- <i>Kaintuckeean</i></p>