Scotland and the Impact of the Great War

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Scotland and the Impact of the Great War

• Anti-War sentiment

Thornliebank War Memorial
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Watch the following clip

• http//www.bbc.co.uk/news/11734920

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Lesson StarterRed poppies are associated with
remembrance, what are white poppies associated
with?
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You will learn about

• The anti-war sentiment in Britain
• Groups who did not support the war
• Treatment of those who were pacifist

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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.

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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.
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The ILP

• The Independent Labour Party was arguably the
  opponent of the war.
• It was critical of the official Labour Partys
  support for Kitcheners Campaign
• This view was not popular and they were widely
  criticised for being unpatriotic.

Keir Hardie at London Rally
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• 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.

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• But regular anti-war meeting were held in
  Glasgow, Dundee and Leith.

• 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

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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
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• 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.

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Tribunals

• 1914 No Conscription Fellowship was set up and
  spread throughout Scotland
• ILP kept own register of Con. Obs
• Dundee had many Con. Obs.
• NCF and ILP had similar campaigns

• Press said they were cowards and peace cranks
• Military Tribunals decided whether or not a Con.
  Obs claims were to be accepted.
• Tribunals made up of locals including business
  people, landowners, shop keepers and a member of
  the military.

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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
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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.

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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.

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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 Obs
• 1300 were still in prison 5 months after the
  armistice (remember the war was not officially
  over till 28th June 1919)

• May 1919 Con Obs 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.

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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 Andrews Halls, Glasgow
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Task

• Read pages 54-60 for more information