A Century Ago, When The Guns Fell Silent On Christmas

A century ago, young men in Europe were killing each other by the tens of thousands. World War I, which had erupted just a few months earlier, was raging. Yet on a frozen Christmas Eve, the guns briefly fell silent.

The Christmas Truce of 1914 has become the stuff of legend, portrayed in films, television ads, and songs. On this 100th anniversary of the cease-fire, it is possible to reconstruct the events of that day from letters, diaries, and even the recorded spoken words of the men who experienced the truce.

"On Christmas Eve, at noon, fire ceased completely on both fronts," said German Army officer Walther Stennes. He told his story in English for an oral history project that Britain's Imperial War Museum recorded years ago.