conscription Flashcards
when war broke in summer 1914, huge amounts of men volunteered to join the army after being reassured the war would be over by christmas
In October 1914 voluntary recruitment fell and it was becoming clear the war was not going to come to an end as suggested. According to the Glasgow herald of December 1914 if there not enough volunteers to join the army then conscription would be the only alternative
In early 1915 a branch of the No Conscription Fellowship was created in Glasgow which later that year spread across scotland
the NFC was created to resist conscription and support those who objected to actively taking part in the first world war.
The military service act 1916 introduced conscription of the very first group from march that year
the first to be conscripted where unmarried men aged 19-41 and then in may this was extended to married men 18-41 in may. Finally in april 1918 conscription was extended to any man up to the age of 51. As in many other country’s conscription was not popular in Scotland and many Scots went on to become objectors in resistance of the government - reusing to get involved in a war their government involved them in and not them
The military service act however did have some catogarys of exemption - the first being
any man who was involved in work of national importance to the war effort. these became known as reserve occupations for example coal mining. 25% of coal miners from fife enlisted at the beginning of the war and this had a huge impact on production which highlighted the need for military exemption
the second category of exemption was for men who had business obligations, domestic position or if joining the army would cause serious hardship as a result of financial circumstances
men who owned businesses of national importance had to be exempt from military work to ensure the war could be won. At this time many family’s in Scotland were both large and living in extreme poverty and so for some remaining at home was more financially supportive
the third category of exemption was for men who refused to fight on the grounds of their conscience
The military service act specifically stated in this case men could object to partaking in the fighting. some Scots became conscientious objectors and the two main types where absolutists who refused all military duties and work towards the war effort and non - combatants who refused to take part in armed fighting but took up duties such as stretcher bearers or ambulance drivers
the decline in volunteers was partly due to the constant uncertainty surrounding when the war would end aswell as the levels of newspaper censorship
scots returning home from the front line where traumatised by what they where enduring and whilst many didn’t discuss it with anyone there was undoubtably fear within those yet to join up. newspapers gave away very little - except from heroic descriptions of fighting taking place alongside extensive casualty lists
when and were was a branch of the NCF created and how were they treated
a branch of the no conscription fellowship was created in glasgow in early 1915 and later that year it spread across scotland
supporters were treated awfully by newspapers with some labelling followers if the NCF as cowards, peace cranks and ‘pasty faces’
