Scotland and the Impact of the Great War

Anti-War sentiment

Thornliebank War Memorial

Watch the following clip:

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/11734920

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