Conscientious objection and cultural memory: retrospective perspectives among Britain’s World War One conscientious objectors

Abstract

Approximately 20,000 Britons registered as conscientious objectors during the First World War. While there has been significant analysis regarding both their actions and motivations, no previous study has comprehensively examined the testimony these men supplied to the historical archive in their later years, during the 1960s-1980s, which represented their unique cultural memory of the conflict. This thesis considers said testimony, alongside CO sources contemporary to the war as well as historical research on COs, with the aim of demonstrating that their experiences in the 1910s defined how these men thought about certain matters for the remainder of their lives. These matters include their sense of identity and unity, their politics and ideologies, their dynamics with other British citizens, their understanding of masculinity in the context of the war, and their opinion of the nature of war in the aftermath of both World Wars. The story encoded within these testimonies reinforce our recognition of the vital role these men played in the development of Britain9s anti-war movement in the 20th century and provide a potential blueprint for future generations of war resisters who may find themselves needing to resist the order of their government to take up arms.