Scotland and the Impact of the Great War Anti-War sentiment Thornliebank War Memorial.
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Transcript of Scotland and the Impact of the Great War Anti-War sentiment Thornliebank War Memorial.
Scotland and the Impact of the Great War
Anti-War sentiment
Thornliebank War Memorial
Lesson StarterRed poppies are associated with remembrance, what are
white poppies associated with?
You will learn about:
• The anti-war sentiment in Britain
• Groups who did not support the war
• Treatment of those who were pacifist
Opposition to the War
• Although there was a wave of patriotic fervour that swept Britain on the outbreak of war there were many people who did not fully support the war .
• At first these men refused to volunteer and then as the war progressed they fought conscription.
Early opposition
• At the same time as Kitchener was launching his campaign to increase the number of men volunteering, some people were questioning the need for war.
• Soon after war was declared 5000 people joined an anti-war demonstration held in Glasgow.
Bertrand Russell, a pacifist, said that before the war if a an Englishman killed a German they would be hanged but after the outbreak of war they were a hero.
The ILP
• The Independent Labour Party was arguably the opponent of the war.
• It was critical of the official Labour Party’s support for Kitchener’s Campaign
• This view was not popular and they were widely criticised for being unpatriotic.
Keir Hardie at London Rally
• In the 1st 2 weeks of the war there were 20,000 casualties
• One member of the ILP said that families who has lost relatives would be even less likely to support their anti war campaign.
• The ILP and other socialists argued that workers fighting workers was wrong
• They said that the ordinary workers who fought and survived would not benefit form the war, that their lives would not be any better
• By end of 1914 ILP membership has fallen by 3000
• But regular anti-war meeting were held in Glasgow, Dundee and Leith.
Conscription
• Unlike European countries Britain did use conscription at the start of the War.
• Some argued that it was the duty of young men to go and fight.
• As early as Dec 1914, the Glasgow Herald called for conscription as the number of men volunteering fell.
• By 1915 conscription seemed inevitable
Date Volunteers per month
Oct 1914 300,00
Early 1915 120,000
• Anti-war supporters had thought that conscription would only be a matter of time.
• Jan 1916 Military Services Act introduced conscription for single men 19-40
• May 1916 included married men.
• 1918 men up to age of 50.
• Some men were exempt:
*men who were physically or mentally unfit
There were 3 other categories:
1-work that was of national importance e.g. miners
2-if it would cause serious hardship e.g. owned a business
3-grounds of conscience (religious or political beliefs), known as ‘conscientious objectors’ or ‘conchies’.
Tribunals
• 1914 No Conscription Fellowship was set up and spread throughout Scotland
• ILP kept own register of Con. Ob’s
• Dundee had many Con. Ob’s.
• NCF and ILP had similar campaigns
• Press said they were cowards and peace cranks
• Military Tribunals decided whether or not a Con. Ob’s claims were to be accepted.
• Tribunals made up of locals including business people, landowners, shop keepers and a member of the military.
Tribunals• Aimed to conscript as
many men as possible so many appeals were rejected.
• In Scotland estimated 70% were ILP members.
• Read page 58 in the textbook to read a typical argument.
• UK 5970 Conscientious Objectors were sent to prison
• Treatment was harsh and at least 73 died.
• UK total 16000 refused to fight most were pacifists
A tribunal
Choice• Conscientious objectors
were given options other than prison:
• Work in non-combat roles e.g. stretcher –bearers 7000 took this option. 1500 refused this as ‘fighting by proxy’.
• Many took on civilian work – ILP members often took this as their cause would not be heard in prison.
Religious Groups
• Divided over conscientious objectors
• Big church groups backed war
• Hard for parish ministers to speak out when their parishioners had lost relatives
• Represented on tribunals but often rejected religious arguments.
After the War• The argument about
state power over citizens continued
• ILP called for repeal of the Military Services Act.
• 11 April 1919 meeting at St Andrew's Halls in Glasgow. Speakers spoke out for the end to conscription and the release of the Con Ob’s
• 1300 were still in prison 5 months after the armistice (remember the war was not officially over till 28th June 1919)
• May 1919 Con Ob’s began to be released and by August they were all released.
• When they returned to civilian life, many were shunned by their families, they could not get work and Parliament tried to ban them from voting for 5 years.
Effects on the ILP• ILP stayed committed to
the anti-war campaign throughout the war and by 1918 many Scots had listened to their arguments.
• ILP branches grew form 112 to 167
• Membership grew form 3000-9000
• BUT compared to the millions who were involved in the war effort pacifists were a tiny group – less that ½% of population
• Dec 1920 conscription abolished.
St Andrew’s Halls, Glasgow
Task
• Read pages 54-60 for more information