T-Shirt Women No Man’s Land United (Xmas Truce 1914)

This design for December 2025 is inspired by an unofficial Christmas truce held by 100,000 troops on the Western Front during World War I. Soldiers refused to fight one another and instead German troops began singing "Silent Night" in German, French and English, along with other Christmas carols. They decorated the trenches with Christmas trees, lit candles and hung multilingual banners wishing opposing armies "Merry Christmas". Across much of the front artillery fell silent, British troops joined in the carol singing and both sides began to shout Christmas greetings at one another. On Christmas Day, soldiers began to climb out of the trenches to fraternise with the other side, bring back bodies from no man's land and exchange gifts like tobacco, chocolate and alcohol. In several areas there are first-hand accounts of often-improvised football matches being played. The truce covered about 100,000 men, almost entirely on the Western front however there was also a small truce along part of the Eastern front between Austrian and Russian troops. Fighting continued in some areas. Henry Williamson, a British private, wrote to his mother on December 26:

"In [my] pipe is tobacco. Of course, you say. But wait. In the pipe is German tobacco. Haha, you say, from a prisoner or found in a captured trench. Oh dear, no! From a German soldier. Yes a live German soldier from his own trench. Yesterday the British & Germans met & shook hands in the Ground between the trenches, & exchanged souvenirs, & shook hands. Yes, all day Xmas day, & as I write. Marvellous, isn't it?"

British authorities were extremely angered by the mutiny, and ordered that soldiers engaged in informal truces be court-martialed.

The slogan “No Man’s Land United” is capturing the moment of hope and unity inherent to the soldiers’ decision to lay down the arms and instead come, sing and play football together in the space between the trenches commonly known as “No Man’s Land”. In times of ever-increasing militarisation, propaganda and war drumming, this is the perfect way to show which team you’re on. Without a doubt, No Man’s Land United are the team of the hour and a worldwide working class force fighting for peace and against our real enemies!

Design realised by Conny Ochs.