Quote Originally Posted by cajunscot
However, I think it needs to be mentioned that we are talking about military discipline, and whilst it's easy to criticize high command for their stance, as a military historian I have to also examine the truce from their point-of-view, too much fraternization leads to low morale and even the possiblity of treason, which the film also mentioned.
When I was taking a class on WWI & WWII from the eminent military historian Sir Michael Howard during college he mentioned something that he had learned when he was an officer during WWII. Apparently in a discussion of the truce with an old general the greatest concern the British had was that by fraternizing the troops would see that the enemy wasn't the demon High Command made them out to be, and that there might be an organized mutiny on both sides with the troops simply refusing to fight. Apparently that general had given orders to his officers that any enlisted personnel who attempted to cross lines for the Christmas Truce were to be shot.