On Centenary, Secretary-General Calls First World War ‘Christmas Truce’ Glorious Example of Enemies Reaching Out in Peace to One Another

Following are UN Secretary‑General Ban Ki‑moon’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, on the centenary of the First World War “Christmas Truce”, in New York today:

Good afternoon, Guten Tag.

The world has paused many times this year to mark the centenary of the First World War, and to remember the millions of people who were cut down in their prime.

Today, we also remember the humanity of those who reached out to one another in peace, across the mud and trenches of the Western Front.  These spontaneous ceasefires, during which British and German soldiers sang Christmas carols and even played football with one another, were quite extraordinary, un-choreographed events.

Some 100,000 troops were involved in unofficial truces all along the Western Front.  On one occasion it is recorded that individuals walked across to talk to their opposite numbers, bearing gifts.  But, as the war deepened and the battles became bloodier, these events took place with less frequency.

To this day, the events of Christmas 1914 give us hope that enmities can be forgotten, and that former enemies, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, can become great allies.  I commend the Permanent Missions of Germany and the United Kingdom for holding this imaginative and evocative event.

The carnage of the First World War led to the birth of the League of Nations, one of the first comprehensive attempts by the international community to create a multilateral body dedicated to maintaining the peace.  Tragically, the world found itself at war again.  The United Nations rose from those ashes, and next year will celebrate its seventieth anniversary.

As we reflect on the lessons of one of the deadliest conflicts in history, let us also remember some of the most glorious examples of man’s humanity to man.  I wish all of you well in the football penalty shoot-out!  Danke, Thank you.