Why were some men unwilling to fight?

Learning objective – to be able to examine the reasons why conscientious objectors opposed fighting in the First World War.

I can describe some of the reasons why conscientious objectors objected to the First World War.

Grade D

I can explain the significance of conscientious objectors on the Home Front during the First World War.

Grade B

I can explain and evaluate the impact of conscientious objectors during the First World War.

Grade A

Starter – How many recorded conscientious objectors were there

during the First World War?

Starter – How many recorded conscientious objectors were there

during the First World War?

16,000 men were listed as conscientious objectors during the

First World War.

What was the impact of the Military Service Acts of 1916?

The Military Service Acts of 1916 introduced conscription – no longer did men aged between 18 and 41 had the choice of volunteering to serve in the army.

Those men were exempted from conscription included – Men who failed the medical inspection which

was carried out to make sure they were fit to fight.

Men who were employed in jobs that were classed as ‘essential’ for the war effort. These jobs included train drivers, miners and shipyard workers.

‘Those who could show a conscientious objection’.

Who were ‘those who could show a conscientious objection’?

Men who refused to fight on the grounds of conscience or personal beliefs were called conscientious objectors.

There were 16,000 registered conscientious objectors and they formed their own organisation called the British Neutrality League at the start of the war but developed into Non-Conscription Fellowship in 1916.

All those who declared themselves a conscientious objector had to attend a tribunal to attest to their stance on fighting .

What happened at a tribunal for conscientious objectors?

Tribunals treated conscientious objectors aggressive, accusing them of cowardice and lazy.

Tribunals questioned conscientious objectors and had the power to grant unconditional exemption.

The majority of the cases allocated these men non-combatant duties, such as stretcher bearers, that kept them out of the fighting but performing useful duties.

Many of these men were extremely brave and performed essential duties under gunfire. It would be a mistake to label them cowards.

Who were absolutists?1,500 conscientious objectors refused to complete any work for the war effort. These men were labelled absolutists.

They refused to have anything to do with the war and were sent to prison – some were even given hard labour sentences.

They were given an extra six months imprisonment at the end of the war, so returning soldiers would get whatever jobs that were going. They were also not allowed to vote until 1926.

Why did conscientious objectors oppose the First World War?

Religious reasons – many were pacifist Christians, such as the Quakers.

Political views - many socialists refused to kill fellow workers and believed the war was waged to make money for the capitalists.

Employment – many self-employed men, particularly farmers, objected to the war fearing ruin.

Main tasksDefine the following terms and features –

Conscientious objectorsAbsolutistsTribunals

Cut out the sources provided, stick them into your exercise book and annotate their meaning. Then write a short paragraph for each source on how reliable they are based on their provenance and content.

Sir,What right have ‘conscientious objectors’ to live in this country whose existence is only maintained by the fighting men of our Army and Navy?

G. Moor3 SilverfieldsHarrogate

From the Daily Mail, 10th January 1916.

The hardest question of all.‘Then are you willing to see your country defeated?’ That’s the question which stops many of us when we are trying to explain our position as conscientious objectors. There is hardly one of us who would say ‘yes’, but if we say ‘no’, then back comes the question – ‘Then are you willing to let other men fight and die for you, while you stay quietly and safely at home?’

An extract from a magazine called Friend, published by the religious group the Quakers in 1916.

Choose your own plenaryTo show how much progress you have made this lesson, choose any of the following plenaries to complete and share with the rest of the class. You can do as many of these activities as you like.

Tweet my lesson- no more than 140 characters.

Write a Facebook status for a person who is facing a Tribunal trying to explain his reasons for exemption to serve.

Choose five words that sum up what you have learnt this lesson and explain why you have chosen them. Your chosen words must all start with the same letter.