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Activism without “Radicalism”: American Activism on Behalf of Conscientious Objectors during World War I
Author(s) -
Tannenbaum Seth S.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
peace and change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1468-0130
pISSN - 0149-0508
DOI - 10.1111/pech.12217
Subject(s) - dissent , conscientious objector , political radicalism , government (linguistics) , law , political science , world war ii , order (exchange) , sociology , spanish civil war , politics , philosophy , linguistics , finance , economics
This article explores the tactics that civilian activists used to influence U.S. War Department policies and U.S. Army procedures regarding conscientious objectors during World War I. The varying nature of civilian activists' tactics during the war points to a sustained desire to effect change and the important realization that in order to do so, activists had to remain “nonradical” in the government's eyes. Furthermore, activists operated during a time of intense government suppression of dissent, which made their desire to remain “nonradical” both more urgent and more difficult to achieve. This article concludes with analysis of an organization that activists carefully crafted to appear “nonradical” in order to effect radical change.