In one case, Germans came out of the trenches with their hands up and would retrieve the wounded in “ No-Man’s Land.” The French and English soldiers then did the same. Much was learned when those who only knew their enemies through propaganda and caricatures actually conversed with their foes.Īccording to Weintraub, in the days before Christmas unofficial displays of “truce” were already beginning to be formed. But as Christmas eve approached, an unlikely truce was forged by troops all across the front lines. Soldiers excited of the prospects of war glory quickly lost their initial enthusiasm in favor of sheer survival. Both sides believed that the war would be over quickly, but as December 1914 approached such a resolution seemed much less likely.
On the front lines, opposing men were separated at times by less than 100 feet, living in filthy trenches dug into the ground. By August 1914, the countries were engaged in total war the likes of which had never been seen on earth – trench warfare. On one side were the Entente Powers: France, the United Kingdom, and Russia on the other side were the Central Powers: Germany and Austria-Hungary.
#SILENT NIGHT BOOK SUMMARY SERIES#
The murder triggered a fast-paced series of events that ultimately led to what we now call World War I. On June 28, 1914, Bosnian-Serb student Gavril o Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.
Weintraub’s book retells the events of “horror taking a holiday” over Christmas on the front lines through soldiers’ personal recollections and other reports. During and afterwards, many wondered why they were fighting in the first place. All over the front lines in Europe in 1914, men laid down their arms and remembered the Prince of Peace. The book is about the World War I Christmas Truce. Stanley Weintraub’s Silent Night isn’t a book that warrants a long review because the point is so clear. However, I do not intend for all my book reviews to be that long-winded. Some book reviews that I write are rather long, primarily because they were originally written for a theology class or something similar. A Book Review of Stanley Weintraub’s Silent Night.
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