Attitudes to the Outbreak of War

Scots on the Western Front◦Reasons why men volunteered◦The experience of Scots fighting in the war◦Life in the Trenches◦Contribution to the war effort◦Reputation of Scots soldiers

Think of this in relation to the Scots Identity and Martial traditions pre-1914

Patriotic war hysteria. Men rushing to join up. A nation behind the war, and its ‘rightness’.

BUT, IS THIS STRICLY ACCURATE?

NO – THERE WERE MANY VOICES RAISED AGAINST THE WAR AT THIS TIME, WITH 5000 PEOPLE ATTENDING AND ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATION IN GLASGOW IN 1914.

“A month ago Europe was a peaceful group of nations: if an Englishman killed a German he would be hanged. Now, if an Englishman kills a German he is a patriot” – Bertrand Russell, 15 Aug 1914

The Independent Labour Party (ILP)• Strongest opposition group.• Attacked official Labour Party’s

support for Kitchener’s campaign.• Criticised as unpatriotic.• “if a man hints that there may be

just something to be said for the other side, that the whole war might somehow have been avoided, he is at once set down as an unpatriotic, cranky, and absolutely impossible man” – ILP’s newspaper, Forward

Questions 1 - 5

“With our hospitals filled with broken men, with bereaved families in every street...in every village and hamlet, how can we expect people to listen to the arguments about the rights and wrongs of war? We must be tender and considerate to the feelings of our fellow workers, however hot our wrath against the war-makers”

War would be fought by ordinary workers. Lives would not change for the better, even

if they survived. Ordinary workers on both sides would be

killing each other. But, ILP membership fell to 3000 by end

1914. Nonetheless, opposition to war did not die

out.Questions 1 - 8

1. People really did support the war 2. People went along with the crowd

rather than risk being the ‘black sheep’

3. People opposed to war considered it offensive to speak out when ordinary men were dying and being brutally injured

ILP – Independent Labour Party. This was the part of the Labour Party that was in opposition to the war

Socialism – the political ideology that wealth is distributed equally in society.

Fall in volunteer numbers – 300,000 each month up to Oct 1914, but 120,000 each month by early 1915.

Why do you think less people were volunteering?

What could the government do? Jan 1916 Military Service Act

◦Single men 19-40.◦May 1916 – married men too.◦By 1918 men up to age of 50.

Men physically or mentally unfit. Men involved in work of national importance

to the war effort.◦ Miners, shipbuilders, steel workers

Those whose conscription would cause ‘serious hardship owing to his exceptional financial or business obligations or domestic position’.

Those who refused on grounds of conscience to be given special consideration.

About 16,000 across the UK refused to fight. Many ‘Quakers’ thought is was a sin to take up

arms against another. Others were political pacifists. How do you think they would be portrayed? ‘Conchies’ were seen as lazy, ungrateful and

wishing to benefit from the sacrifices of others Judged by military tribunals, made up of local

people and one representative from military. Appeals were often rejected.

Question 1 - 8

Conscientious objectors in Dyce, Aberdeen

Around 4500 went to do work in mines or farms

Around 7000 were ordered to help in France in ‘non-combat’ duties.

However, 5970 were court-martialled and imprisoned.

This was not an easy choice though

There were some shameful cases of sadistic treatment. One inmate of Camberwell Prison, told that he would be executed, was slowly taken through the motions of an actual execution, the the point of a gun being loaded and pointed at him. Inmates were force-fed, tied into straight jackets, beaten, kept in filthy cells, fed on bread and water and often tortured.

At least 73 ‘conchies’ died because of the treatment they received.

‘Alternativists’ were prepared to take on civilian work but not supervised by the military.

This was chosen by many Scottish ‘Conchies’.

Socialists such as James Maxton thought that it would be much easier to create social change from outside than inside prison.

The ILP play a large role. The No Conscription Fellowship (NCF).

Glasgow branch formed early 1915. It has been claimed that in Scotland up to

70% of all conscientious objectors were members of the ILP.

Socialist ILP argued that workers should have loyalty and work together with workers of all nations – to fight in a war against them would be to desert these ideas.

Big Church groups supported the war effort. Difficult for individual churchmen to speak

out in parishes suffering losses, but some did.

‘Beware, for this war was neither God’s war nor a Holy War! It was a war of sinful men between misguided brothers’ – Rev. Malcolm McCallum.

There was little opposition to war when it broke out. The number of ‘Conchies’ stayed small.

However Scots such as Keir Hardie were prominent in the anti-war ILP.

Conscientious Objectors were opposed to war for many reasons.

They suffered many hardships for their beliefs. Scots ‘Conchies’ chose the ‘Alternativist’ route to ensure

they could still work towards social change A majority of Scottish ‘Conchies’ were associated with

the ILP and help Socialist beliefs.Complete up to question 17

Nearly 65% of Scottish recruits were volunteers. 52% for England and Wales.

Bulk of Scottish recruiting comes in first 18 months or so - affected by Loos?

Industrial counties of Lanarkshire and Ayrshire produced 57% of recruits in voluntary period with only 37% of population.

Between18th-24th October 1914, Glasgow produced 3284 recruits - 17% of British total.

Non-industrial areas such as Aberdeen and rural areas generally supplied lower levels of recruits.