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Christmas Truce
The Christmas truce was 24 to 48 hour period where soldiers on the western front agreed to a limited ceasefire without the authorization of higher authorities. The truce resulted in significant sections of the line mingling as soldiers used the time to exchange gifts, play soccer, sing carols, and exchange newspapers.
The truce was in part caused by the fact that most soldiers were not fighting for racial, ideological, or religious reasons on the western front, and very little rancor existed among the general soldiers of the line for the other side. Although a second truce broke out on a limited scale in 1915, by 1916 no more Christmas truces happened as feelings toward the other side had hardened for all armies on the front.
Christmas truces were not common in other European wars. In the Second World War allied forces would enter into a period of limited offensives in the week before and after Christmas which German units came to expect, but starting 1943 these truces became opportunities for the German army to launch surprise offensives against the allies, culminating with the battle of the Bulge.
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