AMD 6

For my final AMD I decided to take the Christmas theme. I read an article on the Christmas Truce of 1914 during World War I. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Germans and the Allies went over to each other's side of the trench and traded food and tobacco with the enemy side. Soccer games were set up and enemies played soccer with each other as if they no longer realized what they were doing in the war. Not only did each size fratenize with the enemy in these ways, but in some areas, the Allies and the Germans even held Christmas feasts with each other. The Christmas spirit trumped the hatred of stalemate.

This was extremely odd of German troops to fratenize with the enemy, for the Germans had the tradition of the "Prussian Spirit." This meant that the German society and military was disciplined and acted like an army. To maintain this reputation, the stories of the Christmas Truce were suppressed in Germany. Some generals maintained this discipline, while other generals had a lax attitude and allowed their troops to celebrate Christmas with the enemy, while gaining valuable intelligence of the enemy's defenses and to resupply their own trenches.

The Christmas Truce ended, for most, after Christmas Day, but some lasted until New Year's. Each side agreed to a signal for the recommencement of war. However, as the war protracted, hatred increased. There was no Christmas Truce after 1914.

http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/worldwari/p/xmastruce.htm