It was called the
war to end all wars,
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World War I, also
known as the Great War
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started in 1914
after the assignation of
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Archduke Ferdinand of Austria
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His murder fueled the rising
tensions between many nations
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of Europe and
catapulted them into war.
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The war began in August with
great enthusiasm on all sides
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Young men rushed to enlist
convinced they would be home
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by Christmas, but by December,
their initial hopes grew a
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quick victory,
had long since faded,
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replaced by the grim
reality of trench warfare.
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Millions of men
huddled in muddy trenches
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separated from their
enemies by no-man's-land
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strewn with barbed wire
and the bodies of the fallen.
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As the cold winter of 1914
settled over the Western front,
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and Christmas approached, the
mood on both sides was somber.
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Many soldiers were experiencing
their first Christmas
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away from home and the contrast
between the seasons message
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of peace and goodwill and the
daily reality of war and death
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was stark, but few
could have imagined the scene
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that would unfold
on Christmas Day 1914.
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Join me as we visit the
trenches on the western front
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and investigate the
day the guns fell silent.
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[Music] Silent Night
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The First World War
was the largest conflict
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the world had ever
seen up until that time.
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It came about due to
the political tensions and
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complex military
alliances of the era.
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The assignation of the Archduke
Franz Ferdinand in the summer
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of 1914 resulted in an
international crisis and
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by August the
fighting had begun.
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Britain and her empire,
France, Russia and the U.S.
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lined up against
Germany, Austria-Hungary and
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the Ottoman Empire.
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After the initial
German advances of the war,
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the battle on the Western front
quickly turned into a stalemate
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of trench fighting with the
front line zigzagging for nearly
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1,000 kilometers from the
coast of Belgium right through
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to Switzerland.
Within only a few months
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hundreds of thousands
of soldiers had been killed
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in the heavy fighting.
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Trenches were quickly dug
to provide the soldiers with
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some protection
against the lethal weapons
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of artillery and marching guns.
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The trenches were
dug with many sharp turns
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called transverses, these
curves helped limit the range
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of gunfire during
raids, they also minimized
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the damage from the
shell and grenade bluffs.
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The soldiers on both
sides experienced an endless
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nightmare, they
faced the enemy across the
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narrow strip of land
between the opposing trenches
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this is called no-mans-land,
it became a desolate and
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barren wasteland
of craters, debris,
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tangles of barbed
wire and the decomposing
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bodies of fallen soldiers.
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The soldiers on both
sides endured a brutal existence
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in the trenches, they huddled in
damp rat-infested muddy trenches
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their boots are perpetually
soaked in the mud that oozed up
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through the wooden
planks called duct walls,
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that were used as walkways.
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Many soldiers
suffered from trench-foot
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a painful and
debilitating condition caused by
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continually
having cold, damp feet.
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Then there were the gas attacks,
the poisonous clouds that
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drifted over the trenches,
it was a silent, unseen killer
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that crept through the air
searing their lungs and skin.
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Above the soldiers, the
sky echoed with the deathening
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thunderous wall of exploding
artillery shells turning
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the ground around the trenches
into a landscape of craters.
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The air constantly crackled
with tension as both sides
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vied for even the
smallest tactical advantage
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some daring soldiers risked
everything to make an advance
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dodging bullets and scrambling
through the crisscrossing
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sands of razor-sharp wire.
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This was the battleground where
life and death played out daily
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for soldiers on both
sides of the conflict,
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it was a war that was
supposed to be over by Christmas
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that had become an
endless nightmare of
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mud, blood, and death.
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In some areas of the western
front, soldiers on both sides
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had started to tacitly
agree not to fire on each other
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during meal times or
when retrieving bodies from
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no-mans-land.
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Also at this time, Christianity
was still a powerful force
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in Europe and the idea
of fighting on Christmas Day
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did not sit well
with many soldiers.
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Some military Chaplains had
even suggested the possibility
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of a Christmas
Truce, though this was not
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officially
sanctioned by the high commands.
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The first signs of
the Christmas Truce on the
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western front appeared
on Christmas Eve of 1914.
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In many areas along the
front German soldiers had begun
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decorating their
trenches with candles and
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small Christmas Trees.
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The sights of these
twinkling lights in the darkness
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must have been
surreal for the allied troops
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watching from
their own trenches.
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Then, the singing began
from the German trenches
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came the sound of
"Stille Nacht," or Silent Night,
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the British troops recognizing
the melody joined in with
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English lyrics, soon
other carols followed,
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the sound of these
familiar songs sung in
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different languages, but with
the same spirit drifted across
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no-mans-land. In some
places this musical exchange
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led to verbal communication,
soldiers called out to
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each other tentively at first,
then with growing confidence.
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Fritz, you still there?
And the reply would come,
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yes, Tommy, I'm here.
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But it was the German
Christmas carol Stille Nacht
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that was at the heart of
the Christmas Truce of 1914,
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this beloved carol, which played
a crucial role in initiating the
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truce in many sectors has a
fascinating history of its own.
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In the year 1818, a
young priest named Joseph Mohr
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in the small Austrian
town of Oberndorf near Salzburg
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had penned a poem 2 years
earlier, then on Christmas Eve
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1818, Mohr visited his
friend Franz Xavier Gruber,
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a school teacher and
musician with an urgent request.
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The church organ was
broken and Mohr needed a carol
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that could be sung
without the organ accompaniment
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for that evening's
Christmas church meeting.
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To Mohr's delight,
Gruber quickly composed a melody
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to fit Mohr's words,
the new Christmas carol was
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performed for the
first time that very evening.
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Mohr played the melody on
the guitar and the two men
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sang together, the congregation
at St. Nicholas Church
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was immediately captivated
by the simple yet profound
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new song. From these
humble beginnings, Silent Night
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began its journey to becoming
one of the world's most loved
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Christmas carols. The
song spread first through
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traveling Folk
singers in the Austrian Alps
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and then through
church choirs across Europe.
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By the 1830s, it
was being performed
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for kings and emperors.
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The carol's popularity grew
rapidly crossing international
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language barriers, it reached
America and was translated
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into English in 1859
by John Freeman Young
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an Episcopal Priest at
Trinity Church in New York City.
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It is this version that
is most commonly sung in the
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English-speaking world today
and really captures the spirit
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of the German original.
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By the time of the 1st World
War Silent Night had become
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a favorite Christmas
Carol in many countries,
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it was known and loved by
everyone, even the soldiers
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on both sides in the trenches
of this miserable conflict.
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It's simple melody and message
of heavenly peace resonated
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deeply with the men facing
the horrors of trench warfare.
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So, when the German soldiers
began singing Stille Nacht,
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on Christmas Eve, 1914, it
was a song the British soldiers
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recognized and loved.
The trenches were so close
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that the soldiers were easily
able to hear each other singing
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despite the different languages
the familiar tune served as a
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bridge between the trenches,
the song was a reminder of
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shared traditions and
hope that helped pave the way
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for the extraordinary
events of the Christmas truce.
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Then on the 25th of
December 1914, something truly
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extraordinary did
happen, young men who had been
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killing each other by
the tens of thousands,
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put down their guns and
met their enemies to sing songs
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exchange gifts, share
stories, and play a game
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of football together.
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The truce has become the
stuff of legend, this event
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known today as The Christmas
Truce stands as a remarkable
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moment of humanity amid
the brutality of World War I.
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Nobody knows exactly what
happened and how it all started,
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the minute details
are not clear, however,
00:11:33.42\00:11:37.56
picture the scene with
me. It's Christmas Eve 1914,
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on the western front,
it's cold and miserable
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Jib, a young British soldier
receives a package from home,
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there's a large chocolate
bar wrapped in blue and gold
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with an accompanying letter
an a picture of his sweetheart
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then, through the din, and drone
of war noise, he hears something
00:12:01.32\00:12:06.86
unbelievable, German
voices in the distance
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singing the words Stille Nacht,
Heilige Nacht, it's a tune here
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these British Soldiers here
recognize, hesitatingly at first
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and then more loudly, they
respond singing Silent Night
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Holy Night.
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The noise of war stops
soon rising from both the German
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and English trenches,
our voices joining together,
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enemies singing
together in harmony.
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Sleep in heavenly peace...
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That song is a bridge
between the two front lines,
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all of a sudden, the atmosphere
changes as a new day dawns
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and then Jim summons his
courage, wrings his hands,
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and bravely makes his move.
00:13:02.04\00:13:04.28
To his colleagues' surprise
and horror, he removes his hat
00:13:04.31\00:13:08.82
and raising his hands, he
slowly climbs out of the trench
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and then a German
soldier Otto reciprocates
00:13:13.92\00:13:19.19
and climbs out of his
trench and heads towards Jim.
00:13:19.23\00:13:23.10
Now, the British and
German soldiers start climbing
00:13:23.13\00:13:27.57
out of their trenches
and meeting in no-mans-land.
00:13:27.60\00:13:30.77
Jim and Otto shake
hands and introduce themselves
00:13:30.81\00:13:35.34
and Jim shows Otto the
picture of his girlfriend that
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he received in the mail,
just for a moment, they forget
00:13:39.45\00:13:43.89
about the horrors around
them. Someone kicks a ball,
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and a football match
breaks out, in the goal, Otto
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blocks one kick, but the
persistent Jim eventually
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scores exactly at the moment
when the rumble of artillery
00:13:56.77\00:14:01.60
is heard again.
00:14:01.64\00:14:02.97
Peace ends, the war is back
as the troops bid each other
00:14:03.00\00:14:08.14
farewell and return to
their trenches, Jim, and Otto
00:14:08.18\00:14:11.95
meet one last time and
exchange Christmas greetings.
00:14:11.98\00:14:15.42
Back in the German trench
Otto reaches into his coat
00:14:15.45\00:14:21.22
and finds a gift, back in
the English trench Jim opens his
00:14:21.26\00:14:28.76
mess tin and pulls out
that wretched brown biscuit
00:14:28.80\00:14:32.53
while a smile crosses his face.
00:14:32.57\00:14:35.00
What a day.
00:14:35.04\00:14:38.74
The Christmas truce of 1914,
the day the guns fell silent.
00:14:38.77\00:14:44.05
British and German
soldiers put down their guns
00:14:44.08\00:14:47.62
and came together to
sing songs, shake hands,
00:14:47.65\00:14:51.92
exchange gifts, share stories
and play a game of football,
00:14:51.95\00:14:56.83
they found peace through a
song about the Prince of Peace.
00:14:56.86\00:15:02.03
As we noted, it's hard to
pinpoint the exact origins
00:15:02.06\00:15:07.14
of the 1914 Christmas
truce though it was widespread
00:15:07.17\00:15:11.74
it was not universal, it
seemed to emerge simultaneously
00:15:11.77\00:15:16.68
in multiple locations
along the western front.
00:15:16.71\00:15:20.15
There wasn't on uniform
Christmas truce but rather
00:15:20.18\00:15:24.85
several localized events.
00:15:24.89\00:15:27.32
For some soldiers in trenches,
it lasted a couple of hours
00:15:27.36\00:15:31.66
in some areas, until boxing
day and even in isolated pockets
00:15:31.69\00:15:36.87
true to the New Year.
00:15:36.90\00:15:38.57
While in some parts
of the Western front,
00:15:38.60\00:15:41.54
it didn't happen at all, and
the fighting continued as usual.
00:15:41.57\00:15:46.07
The truce was most widespread
among British and German troops
00:15:46.11\00:15:51.51
particularly in
the scepter held by the
00:15:51.55\00:15:54.95
British Expeditionary
Force, the high commands
00:15:54.98\00:15:58.45
on both sides disapproved of
fraternization with the enemy
00:15:58.49\00:16:03.19
and in some places officers
actively prevented their men
00:16:03.22\00:16:08.23
from participating in any truce,
in fact 77 British soldiers
00:16:08.26\00:16:13.94
were still killed in
fighting on Christmas Day 1914.
00:16:13.97\00:16:18.67
News of the Christmas truce
gradually filtered back to the
00:16:18.71\00:16:24.15
home fronts where it was
met with a mixture of amazement,
00:16:24.18\00:16:28.28
approval, and even concern.
00:16:28.32\00:16:30.85
Many civilians were touched
by the story of peace and
00:16:30.89\00:16:35.29
goodwill, overcoming if only
briefly, the bitterness of war.
00:16:35.32\00:16:39.83
Some saw it as a sign that
the war might soon be over,
00:16:39.86\00:16:44.50
however, military authorities
on both sides were less pleased.
00:16:44.53\00:16:49.57
Fraternization with the
enemy was seen as a threat
00:16:49.60\00:16:53.44
to moral and discipline,
steps were taken to ensure that
00:16:53.48\00:16:57.71
such an event
would not happen again.
00:16:57.75\00:17:00.68
Leave was cancelled for
many units that had participated
00:17:00.72\00:17:05.05
in the truce and some officers
faced disciplinary action.
00:17:05.09\00:17:09.69
In the subsequent years of
the war, artillery barriers
00:17:09.72\00:17:14.30
were often scheduled for
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,
00:17:14.33\00:17:17.97
to prevent any
repeat of the 1914 truce.
00:17:18.00\00:17:22.00
By 1916, with the war
having grown even more bitter
00:17:22.04\00:17:27.28
and deadly, the memory of The
Christmas truce seemed like a
00:17:27.31\00:17:31.61
dream from a more innocent time.
00:17:31.65\00:17:34.38
The Christmas truce of
1914 has become one of the most
00:17:34.42\00:17:39.22
famous stories of World War 1
it has been celebrated in books
00:17:39.25\00:17:43.83
films, and even a 2014 Christmas
advertisement from a well-known
00:17:43.86\00:17:49.90
supermarket chain Sainsbury's,
the truce is often held up
00:17:49.93\00:17:55.24
as an example of the
essential humanity of soldiers
00:17:55.27\00:17:59.17
on both sides and the reluctance
to fight in a war that
00:17:59.21\00:18:03.75
many saw as senseless.
00:18:03.78\00:18:05.41
For a brief moment, the
guns fell silent and soldiers
00:18:05.45\00:18:10.39
who had been enemies,
saw each other as fathers,
00:18:10.42\00:18:13.96
brothers and sons who
just longed to go home
00:18:13.99\00:18:17.13
and return to loved ones
rather than as faceless enemies
00:18:17.16\00:18:22.06
to be killed.
00:18:22.10\00:18:23.43
Sadly, although it
was a remarkable event
00:18:23.47\00:18:27.64
it did not change the course
of the war or prevent the years
00:18:27.67\00:18:31.51
of bloodshed and
brutality that followed.
00:18:31.54\00:18:34.58
As 1914 turned into 1915,
the war resumed in earnest,
00:18:34.61\00:18:40.98
the trenches that had seen
handshakes and shared gifts
00:18:41.02\00:18:46.02
on Christmas day once
again echoed with the sound of
00:18:46.05\00:18:49.59
gunfire and explosions.
00:18:49.62\00:18:51.43
Many of the men who participated
in the troops and shook hands
00:18:51.46\00:18:56.30
in no-man's land would not
live to see the end of the war.
00:18:56.33\00:18:59.90
The conflict would drag
on for nearly four more years
00:18:59.93\00:19:04.81
becoming increasingly
industrialized and deadly,
00:19:04.84\00:19:08.94
by the time the relentless
war ended in November 1918,
00:19:08.98\00:19:14.62
over 20 million
military personnel and civilians
00:19:14.65\00:19:19.42
had been lost, but it
wasn't just the lives lost,
00:19:19.45\00:19:23.43
it was also the 21
million wounded and maimed
00:19:23.46\00:19:27.76
from the
brutality of the warfare,
00:19:27.80\00:19:29.40
even the map of
Europe was redrawn.
00:19:29.43\00:19:33.30
Although this extraordinary
event didn't change the course
00:19:33.34\00:19:38.17
of the war, the Christmas
truce of 1914 is more than
00:19:38.21\00:19:42.51
just a fascinating historical
antidote, it's a reminder of
00:19:42.54\00:19:47.18
what's possible when we
choose peace over conflict and
00:19:47.58\00:19:51.42
understanding over hatred.
00:19:51.45\00:19:53.46
It shows us that
even in the midst of
00:19:53.52\00:19:55.96
conflict, peace is possible
and that beneath the divisions
00:19:55.99\00:20:00.80
of nationality, ideology, and a
uniform, we're all human beings
00:20:00.83\00:20:06.53
capable of compassion,
empathy, and connection.
00:20:06.57\00:20:11.21
As we remember this remarkable
event, we can draw inspiration
00:20:11.24\00:20:16.14
from those brave soldiers,
the Jim's and the Ottos
00:20:16.18\00:20:19.85
who, for one brief moment, chose
to see the best in each other
00:20:19.88\00:20:25.05
and create a
miracle in the midst of war.
00:20:25.09\00:20:28.72
As we face our own
challenges and conflicts today,
00:20:38.40\00:20:41.44
The Christmas truce of
1914, continues to be a powerful
00:20:41.47\00:20:46.17
symbol of peace and
hope, it reminds us to look
00:20:46.21\00:20:50.48
beyond the labels and categories
that divides us to recognize
00:20:50.51\00:20:54.62
the humanity in those we
might consider our enemies.
00:20:54.65\00:20:58.42
It challenges us to find
moments of peace and connection
00:20:58.45\00:21:03.29
even in the most
unlikely circumstances.
00:21:03.32\00:21:06.46
Today, Silent Night continues
to be one of the most popular
00:21:06.49\00:21:12.47
Christmas Carols worldwide,
recorded by countless artists
00:21:12.50\00:21:17.34
and translated
into over 300 languages.
00:21:17.37\00:21:20.71
Its role in the Christmas truce
of 1914, has only added to its
00:21:20.74\00:21:26.18
legacy, cementing its status
as a song of peace and hope
00:21:26.21\00:21:30.95
in troubled times.
00:21:30.99\00:21:32.79
And so, every year in December,
in living rooms, schools,
00:21:32.82\00:21:37.53
shopping centers,
concert halls, and town squares
00:21:37.56\00:21:41.30
across the globe, a
familiar melody begins to play
00:21:41.33\00:21:45.00
Silent Night fills
the air and for a moment
00:21:45.03\00:21:49.24
the world seems to pause
and take a collective break.
00:21:49.27\00:21:53.68
This song captures the essence
of hope, it was this hope
00:21:53.71\00:22:00.15
that the angels sang about,
it was this hope that caused
00:22:00.18\00:22:03.39
Mary to wonder in her
heart, it was this hope
00:22:03.42\00:22:07.46
that the shepherds
came to see and worship
00:22:07.49\00:22:09.92
and it was this hope
that brought the Maggi
00:22:09.96\00:22:13.23
who had traveled so
far? to bring gifts.
00:22:13.26\00:22:16.56
The story of Jesus is one
of hope, Jesus came to rescue
00:22:16.60\00:22:23.00
and restore, he came to bring
us lasting peace and happiness,
00:22:23.04\00:22:27.28
He came, and because
He did, there is hope that
00:22:27.31\00:22:32.15
even though we've made
mistakes and messed up,
00:22:32.18\00:22:34.92
we can still through
Jesus find forgiveness, peace,
00:22:34.95\00:22:39.79
and happiness through
Jesus we can be redeemed,
00:22:39.82\00:22:44.13
and the world can be renewed.
00:22:44.16\00:22:46.49
Yes, it really is true,
hope is a person and His name
00:22:46.53\00:22:53.03
is Jesus.
00:22:53.07\00:22:54.40
The echoes of this song have
spread through the centuries
00:22:54.44\00:22:59.81
and as the final notes of
music fade, there's a moment of
00:22:59.84\00:23:04.51
stillness, a time when around
the world, we're all connected
00:23:04.55\00:23:09.85
sharing a universal hope for
peace, it's like a collective
00:23:09.88\00:23:14.72
sigh of reverence we feel for
the quiet beauty of the season.
00:23:14.76\00:23:19.59
Silent night isn't just a song,
it's a global moment of harmony
00:23:19.63\00:23:25.53
a reminder that there is
hope and that inner peace and
00:23:25.57\00:23:29.40
happiness can be a
reality in our lives
00:23:29.44\00:23:32.57
through the Prince
of Peace, Jesus Christ.
00:23:32.61\00:23:35.81
But we've got to make a
conscious decision to accept Him
00:23:35.84\00:23:40.02
as our savior and make
room for Him in our lives
00:23:40.05\00:23:44.12
because you see, when
you make room for Jesus,
00:23:44.15\00:23:47.99
He gives you one
of the greatest gifts,
00:23:48.02\00:23:50.19
here's what He says;
00:23:50.23\00:23:51.76
The kind of peace that
the world gives is temporary,
00:24:04.51\00:24:08.68
in the last 300 years, about
260 Peace Treaties have been
00:24:08.71\00:24:13.88
signed and almost none of
them were kept, World War I
00:24:13.92\00:24:18.29
and it's truce and peace
treaties are evidence of that
00:24:18.32\00:24:22.42
the Christmas Truce
barely lasted a day.
00:24:22.46\00:24:26.16
The peace that comes from the
world is totally circumstantial,
00:24:26.19\00:24:30.97
if you have a good
job, then you're at peace,
00:24:31.00\00:24:34.17
but if you lose your job, then
you're not at peace anymore,
00:24:34.20\00:24:38.74
if you've got money in the
bank, then you're at peace,
00:24:38.77\00:24:42.18
but when that money is
gone, then you're not at peace
00:24:42.21\00:24:46.01
anymore. Jesus gives you
a different kind of peace
00:24:46.05\00:24:50.92
the Bible calls it Peace, which
surpasses all understanding.
00:24:50.95\00:24:56.59
What does that mean? Well,
it means that you have peace
00:24:56.62\00:25:00.96
when there is no
visible or obvious reason why
00:25:01.00\00:25:04.63
you should be at peace,
everything around you could be
00:25:04.67\00:25:08.24
in chaos, but for
some unexplainable reason
00:25:08.27\00:25:11.94
you're at peace.
00:25:11.97\00:25:14.24
That is the peace that
surpasses understanding
00:25:14.28\00:25:18.05
and it can only come from
Jesus, the prince of peace.
00:25:18.08\00:25:22.45
Jesus wants to give you
that kind of peace right now
00:25:22.48\00:25:26.35
so you won't be troubled
or afraid, whenever Jesus
00:25:26.39\00:25:30.49
walks into a room, He
fills that room with peace.
00:25:30.53\00:25:34.60
Do you have rooms in your
hearts that are full of worry
00:25:34.63\00:25:39.43
upset, anxiety, or
fear? Those are the rooms
00:25:39.47\00:25:44.31
you haven't invited Jesus into,
your worries reveal the areas
00:25:44.34\00:25:50.75
you have not given over to God.
00:25:50.78\00:25:53.15
That could include your
finances, your dating life,
00:25:53.18\00:25:57.72
your career, your parenting,
your schedule, whatever it is,
00:25:57.75\00:26:02.99
you have to let it go, you
have to give it over to Jesus,
00:26:03.02\00:26:07.63
He is the only way you're
ever going to have real peace.
00:26:07.66\00:26:12.70
Give every part of your life
to God to use for His purpose,
00:26:12.73\00:26:17.87
then you will have
peace that will stand up to
00:26:17.91\00:26:21.41
all of life's pressures.
00:26:21.44\00:26:23.31
If you would like to experience
this life-transforming peace
00:26:23.35\00:26:29.02
for yourselves, if you would
like to find lasting inner peace
00:26:29.05\00:26:33.05
and happiness and a safe
harbor from the storms of life,
00:26:33.12\00:26:37.49
then, I'd like to recommend
the free gift we have for
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all our Incredible
Journey viewers today.
00:26:41.73\00:26:44.77
It's the booklet,
The Ultimate Gift,
00:26:44.80\00:26:48.57
this booklet is our gift
to you and is absolutely free,
00:26:48.60\00:26:52.14
I guarantee there are no
costs or obligations whatsoever,
00:26:52.17\00:26:56.64
so make the most of
this wonderful opportunity
00:26:56.68\00:27:00.32
to receive your free gift today.
00:27:00.35\00:27:03.39
Phone or text 0436.333.555
in Australia, or 020.422.2042
00:27:03.42\00:27:14.36
in New Zealand, or 770.800.0266
in the United States,
00:27:14.40\00:27:21.70
or visit our website tij.tv,
or simply scan the QR Code
00:27:21.74\00:27:27.24
on your screen and we'll
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00:27:27.28\00:27:30.45
totally free of charge
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00:27:30.48\00:27:33.75
You can also write to us at
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00:27:33.78\00:27:37.59
or email us at info@tij.tv,
don't delay, call or text us
00:27:37.62\00:27:44.89
now. Dear Heavenly Father,
We live in a world of turmoil
00:27:44.93\00:27:51.57
and stress, we long for
peace in our lives, true peace,
00:27:51.60\00:27:56.74
lasting peace, we know
that You are the only one
00:27:56.77\00:28:00.44
who can provide this peace?
and so, we come before You
00:28:00.48\00:28:04.88
today to commit our lives
fully and to make room for you
00:28:04.91\00:28:09.08
in our lives. We ask that
you bless us and our families,
00:28:09.12\00:28:13.76
and keep us close to you,
we ask this in Jesus' name,
00:28:13.79\00:28:18.46
Amen.
00:28:18.49\00:28:20.16