Tannenberg News

Many will know what happened at the Western Front during Christmas of 1914. German and British soldiers would lay down their weapons and celebrate the holidays together. But how was spending Christmas on the Eastern Front? That’s a little more complicated than you might think…

This has to do with the different calendars used. Nowadays, we mostly refer to the Gregorian calendar. However, the Russians still used the Julian calendar. There are a few reports that Germans would seek out a truce during Christmas, but these aren’t as widely spread or well known as what occurred in 1914. For soldiers in the trenches of the Eastern Front, it would have been ‘business as usual’, although that is a weird statement considering they were at war...

One of the important Russian offensives is named the ‘Christmas Battles’ and took place on the second and third weeks of January 1917, if we go by our current calendar. The battle took place in a swampy, frozen landscape and stood out because of the partial victory for the Russian Empire. In particular the Latvian Riflemen earned their reputation as very capable combatants based on this offensive.



[h2]The Christmas Truce in Verdun[/h2]
In Verdun, our WW1 Game that takes place on the Western Front, the Christmas Truce event returns! From December 22nd 2020 until January 5th 2021, you can join the Christmas Truce and even win a special medal for doing so! Jump into a special map where all players have the same loadout. Stories to tell, snowballs to pick up and a football to kick. Celebrate Christmas in a unique way with your fellow soldiers and earn the Christmas Truce medal by participating in the festivities.
[previewyoutube]https://youtu.be/LqSbWDa-RyU[/previewyoutube]

[h2]What makes a truce?[/h2]
Co-founder of M2H Studios and developer of the WW1 Game Series, Mike Hergaarden, has written an interesting behind the scenes article about including different truces and other lesser known historic events in games. “The common factor in these truces is a shared human experience.” To get some more insights, read the article here.


[h2]A cold winter sale[/h2]
If you are looking to enlist on the battlefields of World War I, now is the perfect time! Tannenberg is -60% off and could be gifted to a fellow soldier. Looking to head over to the Western Front and join the Christmas Truce? Verdun is -70% off as well!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/
[h3]From the development team of the WW1 Game Series, we wish you a merry Christmas and a healthy new year![/h3]

[h2]The wolves have left...[/h2]
...for now! Which means that the Wolf Truce has ended. Did you manage to get your special Wolf Truce medal? If you have somehow missed it, don't worry! The beasts are likely to return for some fresh meat sometime in the future.

Here are some community highlights of the truce from players 'Matthias' and 'SadAlice'



[h2]Crossing the borders on consoles[/h2]
Just a quick note today to let any console fans among you know that we have released an update allowing Xbox and PlayStation gamers to play Verdun and Tannenberg together!

Sadly we couldn’t add cross-play for PC users due to differences in their game versions, such as 64 player matches rather than the 40 player games on console, and other cross-platform balance issues like controller auto-aim.

It's also a free weekend on consoles from December 11-13, meaning Verdun and Tannenberg are open to everyone to try out!

[h3]Celebration giveaways![/h3]
Even if you don’t own a console, you might be interested in the giveaways running on our Twitter – you’ve got a chance to win some tasty mints!

[h3]Holidays are coming to the Western Front[/h3]
With temperatures and snowflakes that are starting to fall, we do not only remember those who have fallen or the conflict they were involved in, we also remember the rare moments of humanity during the war. But more on that later....

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h2]The Pack approaches… [/h2]
Winter is drawing near. And when the world is at war, wild beasts are more desperate for food than ever. Hungry packs of wolves are looking for some fresh meat and the only tasty things around are you, your squadmates, and your enemies!

When you hear the wolves howl on the battlefields of Tannenberg, a massive pack of wolves will approach. At this moment, both sides have the opportunity to uphold the truce and fight together against the hungry beasts. If you manage to eliminate the pack without hurting anyone on the enemy team, all players involved will earn the special medal! The event runs from November 25 to December 2!

A cold howl
The Wolf Truce is based on accounts of Russians and Germans on the Eastern Front holding this unique truce in 1917 to fight off ravenous wolves. Although some have found reasons to debunk this, the stories the soldiers told each other made their way into American newspapers such as the New York Times. There are also more sober accounts in Russian history books noting that hungry wolves certainly were a threat, though they generally suggest it was to civilians or isolated soldiers.

A Russian squad in 1914 on the Eastern Front, in the midst of a forest where wolves might be likely to strike a few winters later.

The Eastern Front awaits!
Want to go wolf hunting with your squadmates? Now is the best time to enter the frontlines of World War One, because the entire WW1 Game Series is part of the Steam Autumn Sale! The Western Front of Verdun is open to new recruits with a 50% discount. However, the Wolf Truce only takes place on the Eastern Front of Tannenberg, which is now available for -70% off!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/633460/Tannenberg/
[h2]The war in the palm of your hands[/h2]
For enthusiasts of physical video game releases, we also have some great news! Both Tannenberg and Verdun have a limited boxed release on PlayStation 4. For now, we have a release in selected German and Austrian retail stores. However, you are able to get a international shipment from Amazon DE:
https://amzn.to/3lGEX4j

We are looking at having a international physical release, but we require your feedback. Would you be interested in a PlayStation 4 boxed release of the WW1 Game Series titles? Let us know:
https://forms.gle/8h67ftBCJEU3u2CQ7



[h3]Happy Hunting![/h3]

At 11 am on November 11th 1918, the Armistice of Compiègne went into effect and ended World War I. A good moment to remember those who have fallen during this long and bloody worldwide conflict.
In Tannenberg (and Verdun, our Western Front World War I game), you have an optional way to commemorate the Armistice. Watch the poppy flower turn red in two minutes of silence and you earn a special remembrance medal.

There is also a filter overlay for your Facebook profile picture to show your compassion. You can simply add the filter on you Facebook profile image by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3iCMVcq

[h2]Learning from the terrors of war[/h2]
The Armistice was a strange event for the soldiers still fighting. The last soldier to officially be declared KIA in the war, a minute before the Armistice came in effect was US Sergeant Henry Gunther. He was demoted from the rank of Sergeant to private. Seeking to reclaim his rank, he rushed into battle and fell, just a minute before the fighting stopped. It teaches us that life is more important than ambition.

[h2]Revolutions and Civil Wars[/h2]
For the Eastern Frontmost of the fighting stopped earlier on March 3rd 1918, when the Germans and Russians reached an Armistice. However, Russia had a tumultuous year with the Russian Revolution and the start of the Russian Civil War, another conflict that would once again claim over a million lives.
It is therefore even more upsetting to see these Russian and German soldiers pictured sharing a hug after the fight on the Eastern Front stopped, only for both sides to be reassigned to fight in different wars.

[h2]Life during the war[/h2]
What it must have been like to be a part of World War I is something that generations born after the conflict ended have been wondering. We have records, diary entries and other accounts to remember what it was like to fight in the trenches or forts. Something we try to share with all of you on a daily basis.
More information on the Armistice can be found on our socila media channels!

The Bloody Autumn event has come to an end in Tannenberg. This seasonal event was based on the Siege of Przemyśl 1914. During the actual siege, the Russians obliterated the Austro Hungarian armies, which resulted in the Central Powers believing that a massive Russian push towards Germany took place, yet it never did.

During our Seasonal event the Entente suffered 1.537.161 casualties while the Central Powers lost even more with 1.604.116 fallen soldiers, which makes the Entente faction the winner of the Bloody Autumn 1914!

The actual Siege had a total of over 252.000 casualties with both sides combined. However, these also include the wounded soldiers. It seems we ended up calling this seasonal event Bloody Autumn 1914 for a very good reason…

The number of casualties counted during the event includes the struggles on the Western Front as well as the Siege of Przemyśl on the Eastern Front of Tannenberg. For this event we only counted the kills that involved a player, so bots vs bots fights have not been counted.

Look out for more Seasonal events coming soon where you can earn more special medals across Verdun & Tannenberg!
Tannenberg player ‘Runa’’ is holding the position!
[h2]Remembering the end of WW1[/h2]
On the 5th of November 1918, allies agreed to take up negotiations for a truce. French general Ferdinand Foch would be writing up one of the most important documents in human history soon after. The Armistice of Compiègne was signed on November 11th 1918 and went into effect a couple of hours later. A day to be remembered, but we will have more on that next week…