Concientous Objectors in Britain 1914 – 1918

From the start of the war it was opposed by those who objected to war in principle and their position coined a new term ‘pacifist’. A voice for them was found thought the Union of Democratic Control but there were many others who acted out of religious or political conviction. In March 1916 when compulsory military service came into affect the right of pacifists were acknowledged. Some 16500 tough minded idealists mostly inexperienced young men withstood the pressures to join up. Over half agreed to perform non combatant service re medical or agricultural work. Some 6000 refused to accept the authority of the tribunals set up to assess how much of a pacifist they actually were or if they were cowards. Some were detained and arrested. Some were given hard labour in Dartmoor. One of these prisoners was a Quaker called Stephen Hobhouse who was from a wealthy family who his inheritance and went to work for the poor in Londons East end. People who supported the pacifists or conscientious objectors as they came to be known were ridiculed and pressured. In 1918 the suffering did not end for 5 years the were ostracised from society and could not get work. Bertrand Russell was fined £100 in 1916 deprived of his lectureship at Trinity College Cambridge and in February 1918 he was sentenced to 6 months in prison for publicly advocating an offer of peace negotiations to the Germans.