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The Christmas Truce Teach Peace Pack Assembly: The Christmas truce 3 Continue the story… Aim: to learn about a remarkable As the British soldiers kept watch, they heard story from World War I and encourage something which surprised them. It was not gunfi re children to think about reaching out in but singing. As dawn broke, instead of the guns friendship across divides. starting up once more there was a strange calm. Someone in the German trenches raised a board Planning/Preparation: you may like on which they had written the words, “You no fi ght, to fi nd images of WWI trenches to we no fi ght”. Along the line, a German offi cer raised display during the assembly. a white fl ag. Nervously, some British soldiers stood up above the trench – and nothing happened. Cautiously they began to advance, without their 1 Introduction: Football guns, towards German lines. The Germans, too, Ask the children: Who likes playing football? [Show came forward and began to greet their enemies of hands] What do you like about it? [Look for with warm handshakes. “Happy Christmas, Fritz!” answers about friendship and fun] and “Merry Christmas to you, too, Tommy.” Explain that you want to tell a story about an By that afternoon, thousands of soldiers on both extraordinary game of football that took place 100 sides were talking and laughing and singing. years ago… Some showed their new friends pictures of their loved ones. Some Germans had been working in 2 Tell the story of The Christmas Truce England just before the war and one soldier asked It was 24 December 1914 – Christmas Eve. Many a British offi cer if he would take a letter back to children were getting ready for Christmas without his English girlfriend. There was much swopping their fathers. Earlier that year, in August, war of small presents such as cigarettes, tinned food, had broken out right across Europe and around plum puddings, and even helmets! Someone else the world. Germany had invaded the next-door found a football and a game began. Other games country of Belgium. Britain had agreed to help started and where there was no ball, tin cans or defend Belgium and so hundreds of thousands of sandbags stuffed with straw were used. And all men had set sail to France. the while, carols continued to be sung in both Before very long they were facing German troops languages. This truce had been started by ordinary in a long line of trenches. These deep trenches soldiers not wishing to fi ght on Christmas Day. The were dug to protect soldiers on both sides from offi cers who were fi ghting with them joined in the the guns of the enemy. Even so, already thousands truce but offi cers higher up were not at all pleased. of men on both sides had been killed. 4 The Generals Explain to the children that it was Christmas Eve. Ask the children: Why do you think the generals, Ask: What would the soldiers be thinking of? those running the army, were unhappy? [Look for [Look for answers like friends, family, wives and answers about them not being happy because girlfriends.] So were the Germans. being friendly with the enemy was not a good idea. How can you fi ght with someone who is a friend?] When the Generals commanding the war got to 5 Conclusion: Building peace hear of it, they were very angry. They feared that Explain to the children that you want them to think their soldiers would lose the will to fight because about reaching out across divides. Ask: Have you they could see that their enemies were people just ever helped someone new settle into your class, like themselves. or stood up for someone who has needed it, even though you didn’t really know them. Have you The army commanders acted quickly to prevent been a friend to someone who needed you? When this ever happening again. Orders went out that you do this sort of thing you are building peace. So there was to be no more contact with the enemy keep doing it... and before long, sadly, the shooting began again. Many people had hoped the war would have been over by Christmas that year. Sadly, it went on for another three and a half years. By this time, millions of soldiers around the world, and even more civilians, had died. Follow up activities/resources: l For more about the Christmas l Go to www.ppu.org.uk Truce, see: https://research.ncl.ac. for more resources from The uk/martinlutherking and Truce: Peace Pledge Union. The Day The Soldiers Stopped l Fighting by Jim Murphy, 2009. Explore with your class times when people might want you to l Learn more about the experiences do things which make you of conscientious objectors – unhappy. How hard is it to stand people who refused to kill from the out and refuse? Why? What can start, not just on Christmas Day. help us to be courageous about See Conscience A World War I our ideas and beliefs? critical thinking project (primary) l During World War I and in every and Conviction (secondary). other war, newspapers and others, Available from the Quaker Centre spread terrible lies about the 020 7663 1030 or email enemy. Why do you think this is? [email protected]. Discuss times when groups White Feather Diaries of people become suspicious of www.whitefeatherdiaries.org.uk. each other. What can be done to help break down these barriers? Voices of Conscience, short films Why do some people not want www.vimeo.com/channels/ these barriers to come down? voicesofconscience. l Learn how to make a Peace Choices then and now – a World Mala – a symbolic bracelet that War I resource for primary schools, promotes friendship, respect secondary schools and colleges, and peace between the faiths from the Bradford Peace Museum. and all people in our world, see: For more info see: www.peacemala.org.uk. https://peacemuseum.org.uk. 0386.QPSW.0915.RV1RP1.
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