The National War Aims Committee and British patriotism during the

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The National War Aims Committee and British patriotism during the First World War
Monger, David
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The National War Aims Committee British
and
during First World War
the
patriotism
David
on er
Kinks College London
Thesis for the degree Phi)
submitted
of
March 2009
awarded
Abstract
This thesis discusses the National War Aims Committee (NWAC),
a cross-
Treasury-funded Parliamentary in
to
party, organisation established mid-1917 conduct
domestic The its
thesis the
propaganda. provides most comprehensive examination of
historical
treatments,
organisational structure, expanding upon and correcting existing
demonstrating it British
that
and was a more significant element of wartime society
It discussion NWAC's
than the
previously assumed. also provides much greater of
by Parliament, the the
reception press and public.
The thesis the in
provides extensive analysis of representation of patriotism
NWAC This its
propaganda. exceeds existing work, considering all printed
but NWAC in hundred in
propaganda, also reports of events over a newspapers thirty
localities. This detailed NWAC
that
analysis suggests propagandists retained many
familiar themes identity. This
of pre-war patriotism and national observation counters
assumptions that pre-war patriotism was nullified by the mass casualties suffered by
However, I basic
patriotic volunteers. argue that while patriotic themes remained
NWAC in
recognisable, them the
propaganda reconfigured a narrative reflective of
The
experience of war-weary civilians. propaganda generally revolved around a core
idea duty, by demonstrated
of supplemented one or more contextual elements which
its I interactive interdependent
necessity. suggest several categories of and
`presentational by influence
to
patriotisms' used propagandists civilian attitudes.
Further, I demonstrate is discernible in
that
each category more widely pre-war
in different
that, the
settings, suggesting while model narrative might vary situations,
the history British benefit from the
general of patriotism might applying evidence of
I familiar `otherness'
thesis to the the
my other examples. challenge significance of
identity, difference
that the
paradigm of national suggesting recognition of was only
by NWAC. Further, is
the the
part of patriotic narrative supplied my analysis
interactions between local,
the
particularly concerned with national and supranational
identity, by historians.
sources of often overlooked or under-examined
2
Contents
Paw
List figures tables 4
of and
List 7
of abbreviations
Acknowledgements 8
Introduction 10
Part I. The National War Aims Committee 25
the
" organisation of
Chapter 1: War-weariness, the the 26
civilian unrest, and establishment of
National War Aims Committee
Chapter 2: The the NWAC 50
work of
Chapter 3: Remobilising the local War Aims Committees 81
public:
Part II. NWAC the British 107
- propaganda and representation o patriotism
Chapter 4: Presentational
108
patriotisms
Chapter 5: Adversarial
127
patriotism
Chapter 6: Extra-national identity:
157
supranational and proprietorial
patriotism
Chapter 7: Patriotisms
Duty: the idea 194
of civic patriotism and of a
concrescent community
Chapter 8: Dutiful
224
sacrifice and spiritual patriotism
Chapter 9: Aspirational
253
patriotism
Part III: The NWAC 280
the
reception of
Chapter 10: Parliament, the the NWAC 281
pressure groups, national press and
Chapter 11: Public the NWAC 315
reception of
Conclusion
349
Appendices Bibliography 356
and
Appendix 1: Card-index database 357
Appendix 2: Local 364
case studies
Appendix 3: Meetings Register database 369
Appendix 4: Articles database 375
Appendix 5: Reports database 381
Bibliography 385
Database information 404
3
List figures
tables
of and
Fizure Pagge
1: Number days beginning 1 August 1917 31 63
of campaign each month,
-
May 1918
2: Progression days beginning 1 63
of number of campaign each month,
August 1917 31 May 1918
-
3: Total days NWAC 64
of events per constituency
4: Number holding NWAC by 64
and percentage of constituencies events,
classification
5: Average days by 64
number of per constituency classification
6: Non-MP/War Cabinet 65
speaker affiliations
7: Days by Cabinet 65
per speaker contributed non-MP/War affiliations
8: MP/War Cabinet
69
affiliations
9: MP/War Cabinet:
days 69
number of contributed per affiliation
10. MP/War Cabinet: days 69
"
per speaker contributed per affiliation
11: Publicity Department: destination 75
of pieces
12: Monthly WAC 91
establishment
13: Difference between 95
percentage of pre-1918 constituencies and
WACs
percentage of
14: Roland Hill, `The Old Touch', Welcome, 5,1/5/18, 49 111
no. p.
15: NWAC, British Victory Calendar, February 1918 114
16: The NWAC's logo, from its The Nation Made War 124
the
pamphlet, and
Nation Must Make Peace (n. d. [1917])
the
17: The NWAC's German Crimes Calendar, September 135
18: W. F. Blood, 'The Teutonic Thermometer', Welcome, 20,14/8/18, 137
no. p.
235
19: Cover W. S. Sanders' Germany's Two Voices 141
of pamphlet
20: Strikes in Germany, in the Evening News (reprinted in Reality, 142
satirised
109,16/2/18)
no.
4
21: W. F. Blood, 'Four Forlorn Hopes', Welcome, 18,31/7/18, 211 145
no. p.
22: 'Names Leninite Leaders', Reality, 97,17/11/17, 4 147
of no. p.
23: Frank Styche, 'The Food Hog', Welcome, 16,17/7/18, 189 156
no. p.
24: Frank Styche, 'The New Ally', Welcome, 17,24/7/18, 198 164
no. p.
25: 'Real Intervention', Reality, 107,31/1/18, 1 (reproduced from 165
no. p.
The Bystander)
26: 'America's View Unity', Reality, 119,25/4/18, 1 167
of no. p.
27: David Wilson W. F. Blood, 'The Same Strain', Welcome, 15,169
and no.
10/7/18, 175
p.
28: Wilmot Lunt W. F. Blood, 'Four Finest', Welcome, 16,174
and the
of no.
17/7/18, 181
p.
29: Detail from 'A Daniel Come to Judgment', Reality, 146,31/10/18,187
no.
2-3 (reproduced from
the Bystander)
pp.
30: Welcome's
200
mast-head
31: Wilmot Lunt W. F. Blood, "'Blighty. "', Welcome, 8,22/5/18, 207
and no. p.
85
32: Frank Styche, ['Joining Army' NA: PRO T102/19,207
the
untitled
-
Publicity Department ledger], Welcome, 21,21/8/18, 248
no. p.
33: L. Raven Hill, Untitled, Welcome, 18,31/7/18, 207 236
no. p.
34: 'Soul Flights' (reproduced from Life), Reality, 105,17/1/18, 1 246
no. p.
35: Bernard Patridge, 'The Last Crusade' (reproduced from Punch), Reality, 248
102,26/12/17, 1
no. p.
36: 'What Spain Thinks Palestine's Liberation' (reproduced from El 248
of
Imparcial), Reality, 104,10/1/18, 4
no. p.
37: Wilmot Lunt W. F. Blood, 'Waiting for Daddy', Welcome, 21,274
and no.
21/8/18, 241
p.
38: Speakers' 328
reports of reception
-judgements
39: Speakers' judgements (excluding 328
reports of reception unknown/
-
unclear)
5
Table
Page
s
1: WACs formed by 4 August 1917 (based
in TNA: PRO 44
on card-index
T102/26)
2: WAC formation by
92
constituency classification
3: WAC formation by
(pre-1918 92
constituency classification constituencies)
4: WAC formation by
to 31 October 1917 (pre- 92
constituency classification
1918
constituencies)
5: Regional distribution WACs
97
of
6: Regional distribution WACS (pre-1918
97
of constituencies)
7: The Parliamentary `pacifist'
288-9
group
6
List
of abbreviations
ABCUP Archives the British Conservative Unionist Party
of and
ASE Amalgamated Society Engineers
of
BEF British Expeditionary Force
BLPES British Library Political Economic Science, London School
of and
Economics
of
BSP British Socialist Party
BWL British Workers' League. See BWNL
BWNL British Workers' National League. Organisation
of ultra-patriotic
labour figures led by Victor Fisher, the
which emerged out of
Socialist National Defence Committee later its
to
and changed name
British Workers' League (BWL) National
the then the
and
Democratic Party (NDP).
CID Criminal Investigation Department
CCNPO Central Committee for National Patriotic Organizations
DORA Defence the Realm Act
of
DRR Defence the Realm Regulation
of
FRM Fight for Right Movement
ILP Independent Labour Party
IWM Imperial War Museum, London
MoL Ministry Labour
of
MP Member Parliament
of
NDP National Democratic Party. See BWNL
d. details [footnote]
n. p. no publication
NSFU National Sailors' Firemen's Union
and
NWAC National War Aims Committee
PA Parliamentary Archives, London
PDC(5) Parliamentary Debates (Commons), 5th
series
PDL(5) Parliamentary Debates (Lords) 5th
series
,
PRC Parliamentary Recruiting Committee
SDRs Speakers' Daily Reports
TNA: PRO The National Archives: Public Record Office, Kew
TUC Trades Union Congress
UDC Union Democratic Control
of
VC Victoria Cross
WAC War Aims Committee
[footnote]
w. e. week ending
WSPU Women's Social Political Union
and
7
Acknowledgements
I like to thank the Arts Humanities Research Council for
would and granting
three-year, full-time PhD I have been
me a studentship, without which would not able
to take this doctoral In financial terms (as, in I
on research. of course, many others),
for funding first
to the twenty-two
am also grateful my parents years of my
As History first
themselves, they the to
educational experience. graduates were also
interest in its I have been fortunate in
me study, and subsequently a number of
inspirational teachers. The Warren Davies Malcolm Day
enthusiasm of and at
William Parker School invaluable in by
teaching
was a subject unloved many of my
fellow At the University York, Joanna De Groot, Alan Forrest, Shane
pupils. of
O'Rourke Mark Ormrod from
and were particularly supportive and enjoyable people
learn, interest in History beyond BA.
to
whom and stimulated my pursuing my
Having Richard Vinen's interviewing Master's
scraped past eyebrow, my year
in
King's thanks to
at was also an enjoyable experience, no small part my module
Bill Philpott delivered first formal First World War (despite
tutors. teaching the
my on
having directed independent A-level
my previously every and undergraduate project
it), Paul Readman's `Patriotism British Politics'
at while module on and prompted my
doctoral interests. Paul has been PhD
research since an exemplary supervisor, reading
(and despite Departmental
re-reading) my work quickly and carefully mounting
Bill (having
topic
responsibilities, while graciously stepped aside when my research
has been helpful
changed) a very second supervisor.
I to Adrian Gregory for having topic to in
am grateful suggested my me
from hope he be interested
to
response an email an unknown correspondent, and will
in findings; Kate Bradley Joseph Maslen for for
to
my and and useful suggestions
8
theoretical I to Richard Arthur Bums for
reading. am also grateful and conducting a
(after brief
rigorous upgrade viva, which a sulk) prompted me to develop what I hope
is interesting
a much more approach than my original one. Others who have helped by
thesis David Thackeray, Frank
reading sections of my or associated work are
Trentmann Ian Barrett, the last has invaluable
and of whom also proved as a near-
fellow History
neighbour and researcher with whom to share gripes about the
iniquitous low-rise ivory
state of academia while perching on towers.
A the King's College History Department (arranged by
paper at
seminar
Adam Sutcliffe) first `publicly' defending
provided a very useful experience of my
ideas, the Department has been base. The `British
and generally a very enjoyable
History, 1815-1945' Institute Historical Research has been
the
seminar at of my
second academic home for the last three years and I am indebted to the convenors for
first dinner I
making me welcome at a post-seminar at which was the only non-
to Matthew Cragoe for introducing himself had been
convenor, and as someone who
`reading (which
my work' came as something of a surprise after two weeks as a PhD
for
his
researcher), as well as recruiting me as an occasional member of cricket team.
Seminar like Paul, Matthew, James Dixon, Tony Little, Roland Quinault,
regulars
Michael Thompson Jenny West have Thursday
and made alternate evenings a
have friends imbibers Pieter Francois, Dion
pleasure, as and occasional post-seminar
Georgiou, Helen McCarthy, Henry Miller, John Price David Thackeray. Finally,
and
thanks to Beaulieu C. C. Robertsbridge C. C. for do
and to
giving me something on
they have informed for
summer weekend afternoons and, as periodically me, paying
through their taxes for PhD topic know
a on a which we already everything about.
Hopefully, last incorrect.
thesis this
my might prove point
9