No More Football

Unlike Christmas day 1914 there were no impromtu football matches. Can you imagine the worry in high command. Fraternising could so easily lead from minor rule breaking to outright rebellion. No, the whole propaganda machine at home and at the front was geared to making the “Hun” a monster. No room for sentiment no peace until they were utterly defeated.

December heralded a major shift in Government perception. They realised that they were running out of volunteers and on the 31st the Cabinet decided to introduce male conscription. Initially single men would be called but provision was included for calling up the married men too. To understand the seriousness of this act we have to acknowledge that not since the 12th century had the state had this power. Conscription became law in mid 1916. More on that later

This was the month and the moment when it was clear that the war would be fought to exhaustion. The moment when 2 million people or more were effectively condemned to death. Just as truth is the first casualty of war so restriction of personal freedom is its lasting legacy. Limiting personal freedoms becomes embedded as an instrument of policy. The relationship between state security and our freedoms is as uneasy today.

Across the Atlantic two events marked an interesting juxtapositon of of ideas and reality. On 04 December Fulton County, Georgia, gave a charter to the Klu Klux Klan. Ten days later Jack Johnson became the first black heavyweight champion. Sad to think that racial hatred is still embedded in societies across the world. Whilst we are still in America. The Iron and Steel workers began a three-week strike in Ohio in pursuit of an eight hour day. Because steel was needed for the armaments, terrific business in time of war, the strike was successful. Think about it an eight hour working day 100 years ago.

War begets better and more efficient machines for killing people and sure enough the world’s first all metal aircraft (Junkers J-1) had its maiden flight at Dessau.

We started with relief from the trenches so it is appropriate to end with the same. There were no football matches but the high command from both sides enjoyed a round of Christmas festivities. The depletion of the champagne caves around Epernay and the wine cellars of the Loire and Medoc attest to this.

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