Due to a shortage of troops, the British government began conscripting men into the military in 1916. Some men refused conscription on grounds of politics, religion or morality. These conscientious objectors had to argue their case to a tribunal. If exempted, they performed civilian or non-combat military work, but many faced imprisonment and abuse. Conditions in prisons and work camps for objectors were often poor and physically demanding, with around 73 men dying as a result. Even after the war, conscientious objectors sometimes faced ongoing difficulties and discrimination in their communities.

1. Era of the
Great War
Conscription

2. Conscription and conscientious objectors
In today’s class I am learning to:
• Describe the process involved in
conscription

3. Due to a shortage of troops needed to win the war,
from 1916 onwards British men were conscripted
and forced to fight.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

4. At the start of the Great
War, Britain had a
volunteer army.
To try and get more
soldiers the government
launched a huge
recruitment campaign.
However this failed to
attract the numbers
which were needed.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

5. In July 1915 the British
government introduced
the National
Registrations Act.
This law forced all men
and women to sign a
register so that they
could be called up to
play a part in the war, if
required.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

6. In January 1916 the
Military Service Act was
passed.
This introduced
conscription for single
men aged 18-41,
excluding certain groups
such as clergy and some
types of workers (in
reserved occupations).
Conscription and conscientious objectors

7. This law also recognised
that some men may
refuse to fight on moral
grounds, and included
plans for them to get
civilian jobs or non-
fighting military roles.
In May 1916 this law was
extended to cover
married men too.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

8. The final change to the
conscription law came in
1918 when the age at
which men could be
recruited went up to 51.
There was some public
opposition to
conscription, and there
were notable protests
against this.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

9. Conscientious
objectors
Conscription and conscientious objectors

10. Many men had reasons
for refusing to fight.
Some people objected to
the war because of
politics. They believed
that the war would help
rich businessmen and
hurt poor soldiers, and
so they did not want to
participate.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

11. John Maclean was a
Glasgow school teacher
who opposed the war.
Maclean encouraged
men to refuse to fight,
and he also publicly
spoke against the war.
He was sent to prison
under the Defence of
the Realm Act.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

12. Other men objected on
the grounds of religion
or morals.
They argued that it was
wrong to fight and kill
another human being,
and so they would not
do so. Others refused to
even help people that
were fighting.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

13. Many Scottish men
refused to fight,
including Abel Freeman
from Edinburgh and
George Searson from
Glasgow.
Other Scots protested
against being forced to
fight, including rallies at
Glasgow Green.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

14. Anti-conscription groups
were set across the UK,
including Glasgow.
Many anti-war men were
members of the
Independent Labour
Party. Some of them
agreed to work in
munitions factories
instead of fighting.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

15. Other Scots actively
supported the war
effort, and criticised
conscientious objectors.
The Church of Scotland
officially backed the war.
Scottish newspapers
also criticised anti-war
views, calling those
people “cowards”.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

16. The Military Service Act
gave men the chance to
refuse to fight.
They had to attend a
Military Service Tribunal
to argue their case for
not joining the fighting.
1400 Scottish men
applied for exemption.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

17. Whilst waiting on a
tribunal’s decision, many
conscientious objectors
were held in prison.
During their time in
prison they were often
subject to physical and
emotional abuse from
the prison guards, or
even other prisoners.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

18. If the tribunal agreed,
the men were allowed to
work in a civilian job, or
instead a non-fighting
military role.
However many men had
their request denied and
were forcibly sent to the
army, where some then
refused to follow orders.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

19. Conscientious objector
soldiers that refused to
follow orders faced
various punishments.
They might be physically
assaulted, or given extra
work and duties to carry
out. They certainly faced
military prison and were
threatened with death.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

20. Some conscientious
objectors were sent to
special prisons and work
camps.
Conditions in these
places were often very
poor, and the work could
be physically very
intense, with ten hours
of hard labour each day.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

21. Living conditions were
also very difficult. A
limited diet and poor
quality tents where the
men stayed could lead to
illnesses.
Around 73 men died as a
result of their
experiences in these
camps.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

22. There were different
prisons and camps in
Scotland where
conscientious objectors
were held.
This includes Dyce work
camp (near Aberdeen)
and Calton jail in
Edinburgh.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

23. Psychological torture
could be used on
objectors.
Some men were told
that they were going to
be shot. They were taken
to the yard, blindfolded
and the order to fire was
given, although not
actually carried out.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

24. Conscientious objectors
were generally
unpopular.
In their home
communities many such
men might be spat on or
abused in the street.
Some of them would be
refused service in local
pubs or shops.
Conscription and conscientious objectors

25. Even after the war these
men often continued to
face problems.
Some of them were
sacked from their job
and found it difficult to
get another job, or they
were made to start at
the very bottom of their
workplaces.
Conscription and conscientious objectors