Conscription in the First World War.

When the First World War began there was no shortage of people to join the army. National pride, excitement and the belief that the war would be quick, have few casualties meant there was a race to join up in August 1914. In the first month there were over half a million people who joined. However, it was not too long before people realised that things were not going as easily as it had been imagined they would. So propaganda was used to get people to join up. Hatred of Germans and the demonising of them was used. Posters were produced to make people feel they had a role to play in a number of roles was promoted. Another way of getting people to join up was to get people to join in friendship groups. PALS regiments were established to do this. It was felt that if al of your friends from a street, club or workplace joined up you would feel unable to say no.

The poster on the left shows the way all have a role in wartime Britain and the newspaper report in the Daily Mail shows dead babies from the torpedoed Lusitaina. It demonises the Germans and assisted the anti-German views spread at the time.

Eventually even these strategies failed and the Conscription Act of 1916 meant that all men of 18-40 with the exceptions of certain jobs (teaching was one!) was introduced. Law was used to force people to join. Having said this guilt and the bad reception that people had in public places like bars meant very few wanted to be seen as not doing their bit.