MODERN CS- Conscientious Objectors

MODERN CS- Conscientious Objectors

what is the name of the act that introduced conscription and when released

1916 Military Service Act

dates of when different groups of people were part of conscription and the groups

• March 1916- all unmarried men 18-41

• May 1916- married men

• 1918- upper age limit increased to 51

what are conscientious objectors

men who refused to fight as they said their conscience wouldn’t allow it

reasons for being a conscientious objector

• religious beliefs

• political reasons

• culture and heritage

two types of conscientious objectors and their differences

• absolutists- people who refused to support the war in any way (mainly pacifists)

• alternativists- refused to carry weapons or serve but prepared to support the war effort in others ways

jobs that alternativists were made to do

• stretcher bearer, very dangerous at frontline

• ambulance drivers

• other support work

name of the clause in Military Service Act that allowed conscientious objectors and what did it allow them to do

• conscience clause

• allowed men to ask for exemption on grounds of conscience

number of men who made request to be exempt on grounds of conscience

16,500

if a man claimed to be a conscientious objector, what did they have to do to make sure their claims genuine

• appear before tribunal court to judge

why were tribunals not always fair

• held locally and judging panel selected by local authority so wide variation from area to area

• members of the panels generally too old to be called up themselves but often had very clear views about other peoples duty to fight

how were CO’s punished and why

• many absolutists imprisoned, sometimes facing solitary confinement so they couldn’t mix with other prisoners- authorities hoped this would weaken their determination

• some COs punished by being sent to France, to frontline of the fighting

• given orders and if they refused they were sentenced by military court; small number sentenced to death

• prime minister stopped this and reduced punishment to ten years in prison

why were COs treated so harshly; what was done to make them seem bad

• casualty rate of soldiers in WW1 high so they needed to recruit lots of men and COs stopped them from being conscripted

• gov presented fighting as mans duty to his country

• refusing to fight presented as unmanly and traitorous

• press spread views of Cos as cowardly and unpatriotic

• harsh punishments handed out to COs publicised to put people off refusing to fight and to make harsh treatment more widely accepted

• most people had close family and friends who were fighting and who had been killed or injured and often felt that COs were unfairly shirking their responsibilies

how were some COs treated by their friends and neighbours

• some COs and their families isolated by friends and neighbours

• some received hate mail or white feathers in the post as symbol of cowardice

how were COs treated in WW2

• COs offered alternative occupations like farm work

• prison generally used as last resort rather than standard deterrent to other potential objectors

• authorities still expected people to support the war

how did the gov build support for the war

used lots of propaganda

what would happen to people who actively campaigned against war and example of org

• could be sent to court to be punished

• members of org called the Peace Pledge Union, who posted anti-war posters, were put on trial

why were harsh punishments of COs hypocritical

they were fighting against Hitler and being asked to unite against him as a tyrant and Nazism as a movement that persecuted minorities, so persecuting COs would be just like what they are fighting against

why would some public opinion towards COs be negative

most people felt they were making great sacrifices for the war, but COs weren’t

how were COs treated in public

• verbally abused in public

• attacked

• some lost jobs as their employers disapproved of their actions