Break with traditions of the past¶
Core Argument¶
The chapter excoriates the British Labour Government’s imposition of peacetime military conscription as a fundamental betrayal of the socialist movement’s historic opposition to militarism. The core argument is that Labour leaders, many of whom were conscientious objectors during the First World War, have now severed themselves from their anti-militarist past to pursue a policy of “naked compulsory militarism” that delights reactionaries like Churchill. The text contends that neither the Tories nor the Liberals could have enacted such a measure without provoking mass working-class protest, including strike movements, and it remains uncertain whether workers will accept this compulsion passively.
Key claims rest on the assertion that the socialist movement has always demanded the abolition of standing armies, the dissolution of officer corps, and the formation of a “Workers’ Militia” or “People’s Army.” The Labour leaders, by contrast, have adopted a chauvinist imperialist policy, justifying the suppression of colonial peoples in Indonesia, Greece, India, and elsewhere under the guise of protecting “His Majesty’s Empire.” The chapter draws on the historical context of British socialist pacifism, noting that many current cabinet ministers opposed the first imperialist war as conscientious objectors, yet now enforce conscription. This irony is sharpened by the fact that millions of soldiers and their wives voted Labour expecting rapid demobilisation and the return of troops from abroad; instead, large occupation armies have been maintained worldwide, slowing demobilisation and fostering frustration among servicemen who have already spent years in uniform.
The polemic is directed squarely at the Labour leadership, accusing them of betraying working-class aspirations and the anti-militarist traditions of the socialist movement. The Revolutionary Communist Party is positioned as the principled opponent of this policy, urging workers to conduct a vigorous struggle against peacetime conscription. The chapter thus functions as a denunciation of Labour’s imperialist turn, framing conscription not as a defensive necessity but as a reactionary step that aligns the party with the very forces it once opposed.