Militarism and the British Left
Subtitle: 1902-1914
By: Matthew Johnson
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 247
ISBN-13: 9781137274120; 9781137274137; 9781137274144
Subjects: Politics and government; Right and left (Political science); Militarism; War and socialism; Military policy; History
Description: Militarism is usually regarded as a phenomenon of the political right. It has traditionally been seen as alien - indeed, as antithetical - to the values and principles of the left. In Britain during the years before the Great War, however, the relationship between militarism and the politics of the left was a highly complex one. Militarism in pre-war British society was manifest in a variety of forms, from popular enthusiasm for war and martial values, to demands for greater provision to be made for the nation's defence, and even in calls for the militarization of society itself. The response of the political left to these challenges was ambivalent and contested. Whilst militaristic sentiment and practice did not always sit comfortably alongside progressive principles, an ideological space existed on the left in which militaristic ideas could take root. Indeed, militarism could take on ostensibly 'progressive' forms that proved particularly appealing to some elements on the left. Moving beyond the focus on pacifism and anti-militarism that has characterized much of the existing scholarship on this subject, this book explores the ways in which Liberals, socialists, and others on the left of British politics were able to accommodate aspects of militarism during the years before 1914. In doing so it offers an intriguing new perspective on the nature of militarism itself.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 225-239) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction: Militarism and the Left: conceptual problems and the case of Britain; title: 1. Ideological context: war, martial values, and military prestige; title: 2. Civil-military relations under the pre-war liberal governments; title: 3. The militarization of the state: armaments, popular navalism, and the liberal party; title: 4. The militarization of society: compulsory service, the National Service League, and progressive politics; title: 5. Alternatives to conscription: Richard Burdon Haldane and a 'Liberal' nation-in-arms; title: Conclusion and epilogue: militarism and the Left by 1914, the Great War, and the coming of conscription.