It’s estimated that during the First World War some 16,000 conscientious objectors refused to fight across Britain as conscription laws enlisted 2.5 million extra British troops from 1916 onwards.
Dundee-based historian, Dr Kenefick said that at face value, the 105 Conscientious Objectors (COs) recorded in Dundee might not seem like a very high number. Only Glasgow had more COs in Scotland than Dundee and Dr Kenefick said it was likely the numbers of non-fighting men from Dundee was actually much higher due to the prevalence of skilled workers who would have been exempt.
Dundee was also the “epicentre” of a very well organised network of support for COs and war resisters, he added. Regular collections took place every Sunday outside the Dundee High School gates to support the dependents of the COs when they were in prison.
“About 70% of COs were Independent Labour Party members or associated with John Maclean’s Scottish section of the British Socialist Party which was anti-war and very Marxist,” he said. “There were other groups. The Socialist Labour Party for example, the Union of Democratic Control and the Women’s International Peace movement."
He explained, “The greatest majority of COs were political objectors who were against the war before 1914. What happened when conscription came in in 1916 was quite simply they maintained their anti-war stance and said quite simply ‘we will not fight.’ However, I have to add that not all COs were pacifists. They were anti-imperialist if they were political and as far as they were concerned this was a war being fought for capitalist gain and capitalist greed." Dr Kenefick added it’s worth noting that some of the men who refused to fight in Dundee in the 1914-18 war would have been happy to fight on the side of the republic during the Spanish Civil War of 1936.
Dundee-based historian, Dr Kenefick said that at face value, the 105 Conscientious Objectors (COs) recorded in Dundee might not seem like a very high number. Only Glasgow had more COs in Scotland than Dundee and Dr Kenefick said it was likely the numbers of non-fighting men from Dundee was actually much higher due to the prevalence of skilled workers who would have been exempt.
Dundee was also the “epicentre” of a very well organised network of support for COs and war resisters, he added. Regular collections took place every Sunday outside the Dundee High School gates to support the dependents of the COs when they were in prison.
“About 70% of COs were Independent Labour Party members or associated with John Maclean’s Scottish section of the British Socialist Party which was anti-war and very Marxist,” he said. “There were other groups. The Socialist Labour Party for example, the Union of Democratic Control and the Women’s International Peace movement."
He explained, “The greatest majority of COs were political objectors who were against the war before 1914. What happened when conscription came in in 1916 was quite simply they maintained their anti-war stance and said quite simply ‘we will not fight.’ However, I have to add that not all COs were pacifists. They were anti-imperialist if they were political and as far as they were concerned this was a war being fought for capitalist gain and capitalist greed." Dr Kenefick added it’s worth noting that some of the men who refused to fight in Dundee in the 1914-18 war would have been happy to fight on the side of the republic during the Spanish Civil War of 1936.
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| Conscientious objectors at Dyce Camp during the First World War |
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