History Channel - World War I The Great War (2009) Part 12 Christmas Truce
HISTORY is proud to present the definitive collection of documentary programs on World War One. Experience the world-changing events from the birth of what became known as The Great War to the tragic, final day where over 13,000 men died. From the first dogfighters and the Red Baron, to the battle of The Somme, John J. Pershing, The Iron General and the Last Day of WWI. In the four year period from 1914 - 1918, the war was responsible for over 40 million casualties and over 20 million deaths. Join the brave servicemen of land, sea, and air as they valiantly fought alongside their Allied brothers in this “war to end all wars.”
Part 12: Christmas Truce
WWI began in August 1914, and by December all thoughts of quick victory had faded. Fighting was most fierce in a thin strip of land called the Western Front. A system of trenches separated Allies from Germans, with the area in between known as No Man's Land. Amidst the trench warfare that defined World War I, a few days of spontaneous peace broke out. On Christmas Eve, an astonishing event began–up and down the Western Front, Allied and German soldiers met peacefully in No Man's Land. Without a signed treaty, surrender, or armistice, German and Allied soldiers alike were able to share Christmas cheer together. Actor Ioan Gruffud narrates a feature-length look at the fabled Christmas truce, filled with eyewitness accounts.