So what could be done to encourage more men – and later women – to want to join the army? Over 60,000 men applied to be conscientious objectors during the Second World War, which was four times the amount of those in 1916. Refusing to fight was not seen as strong-spirited, anti-establishment or radical – it was portrayed in the media and by Government as cowardly, selfish and a betrayal, and many men went to jail for it.ĭespite the stigma, which was a hangover from the First World War, attitudes were softening and refusing to fight was becoming more common. Conscription to the army was made compulsory for all men aged between 18 and 41 who were in good health, and anyone who refused on religious, moral or other grounds – conscientious objectors – had to stand in front of a court to make their case. When war broke out in in Britain in 1939, fighting for your country was not really a personal choice.
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