![]() Their opposition to unilateral force also made them skittish about the creation of an authoritative international organization that might employ collective military action against recalcitrant or aggressive nation states.Ī peace movement in Europe had existed since the end of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) and had become better organized in the last decades of the 19 th century. They were most interested in the transnational values and sense of community that underlay world politics and were conducive to reform of the international system. Many pacifists supported the establishment of some kind of post-war association of nations for resolving international disputes and preserving the peace, but, with some exceptions, most were reluctant to give it extensive enforcement powers. Such activists usually pursued their ideas and programs through pacifist or quasi-pacifist groups.Īt the same time, this account excludes several individuals and groups whose primary focus was on the creation of a post-war world organization. #PACIFIST MEANING FREE#Since they were not subject to conscription, their peace actions were limited only by other laws restricting free speech and assembly.įor the purpose of this essay, “pacifism” (or “pacifist”) is defined broadly to include not only COs, but also those individuals who, strongly sensitized to the ongoing slaughter on the battlefields and opposed to military solutions, engaged in concerted peace advocacy, which included nonviolent actions (petitions, meetings), the search for a negotiated end to the conflict, and championing principles for a lasting peace. There were also many women from belligerent as well as neutral countries who supported conscientious objection but were also involved in other forms of peace activism. The historic peace churches – Mennonites, Anabaptists, and Society of Friends (Quakers), for example – subscribe to such beliefs.Įven among the conscientious objectors (COs), however, there were gradations during the Great War. It applies to those Christians, with a belief in nonresistance, who refuse as a matter of conscience to participate in war or war-making activity. ![]() That definition fits absolute pacifists opposed to all wars. Dictionaries define “pacifism” as the belief that any violence, including war, is unjustifiable under any circumstances, and that all disputes should be settled by peaceful means. ![]() ![]() ![]() Yet there was a lot of “pacifism” during the Great War, if the word is not treated too narrowly. It was surely the Great War, as it was called at the time, but even that name seems inadequate as a brief description of the horrific and destructive effects of warfare, which in fact became a total conflict fought unrelentingly to the finish. Indeed, the outbreak of the European war in August 1914 quickly spread geographically and would eventually involve twenty nations worldwide, and the relentless and savage fighting ultimately resulted in 30 million casualties, including about 9 million killed. The idea of “pacifism” in the midst of an extended and horrendously bloody military encounter may seem like an oxymoron. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |