P. Brock, Against the Draft

Peter Brock. Against the Draft: Essays on Conscientious Objection from the Radical Reformation to the Second World War. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006. 462 Seiten $84.00, cloth, ISBN 978-0-8020-9073-7. Reviewed by Andrew Rigby Published on H-Soz-u-Kult (August, 2006) Peter Brock was the Professor of History at ing range of his research - from the broad sweep the University of Toronto for many years, having of conscientious objection in revolutionary and joined the university in 1966. Sadly, he died on 28 Napoleonic France or the inter-war years in May 2006 at the age of 86. During his long and Poland, via the fascinating account of the origins productive life he had established himself as the of conscientious objection in Japan, through to a pre-eminent historian of pacifism, an ideology focus on such small-scale episodes as a six-week and moral conviction with which he identified training camp for a Universities Ambulance Unit completely. near a village in Essex in the summer of 1940. So In an affectionate and appreciative foreword rich is Brock’s grasp of his subject matter that to the current volume Martin Ceadel recalls how a even to read his source notes is a humbling expe‐ representative of the University of Toronto Press rience for any historian of the pacifist movement, referred to Brock’s edited volumes as ‘Brock‐ as he refers to original and secondary sources in a busters’. Presumably this title is the last of them - range of languages, whilst apologising for his lack and as such it constitutes a wonderful memorial of knowledge of Japanese and his consequent re‐ to his professionalism as a historian and his sin‐ liance on English-language sources for his ac‐ cerity as a pacifist, sharing with the subjects of his count of the emergence of conscientious objection studies the principled rejection of war. The twen‐ in Japan! ty-five essays included in this volume reflect a se‐ The theme linking the different essays is the lection of his published research over the past various ways individuals and groups with a prin‐ three decades. They provide ample evidence of cipled objection to the use of lethal weapons have the chronological span and the cultural range of grappled with the conflicting demands of state his persistent uncovering of the history of what and conscience. Thus we read of Polish anti-trini‐ others have termed ‘troublesome people’. As in tarians of the 16th century debating whether or earlier volumes we fnd evidence of the astonish‐ not it was legitimate to act as ‘watchers’ ready to H-Net Reviews alert their fellow citizens at the approach of any In the twentieth century the British estab‐ hostile force. One argument raised was that it was lished Non-Combatant Corps to facilitate ‘weapon- as morally culpable to identify the location of the less’ alternatives for objectors in the two world enemy so that others might kill them as it was to wars. In similar fashion the German Democratic bear arms oneself. Another of their number sug‐ Republic introduced a non-combatant branch of gested that it was acceptable to carry arms, so the army in 1962, the members of which, accord‐ long as one made it absolutely clear to the rele‐ ing to Brock, acted as foci for the expanding peace vant authorities that you would never use them in and protest movement in the DDR. For many ob‐ lethal combat. Another debate current in such cir‐ jectors, however, the kind of work performed in cles fve hundred years ago, which still resonates such non-combatant units, such as servicing mili‐ to this day, was the question of ‘war taxes’. Should tary bases, was unacceptable. Pacifists and consci‐ one pay taxes to fund military force whilst refus‐ entious objectors, whether their stance resulted ing to bear arms oneself? This question does not from religious belief or secular doctrine, have in‐ seem to have troubled the Mennonites of the variably linked their refusal to kill with the com‐ Netherlands who, in 1572 at the outset of the war pulsion to relieve the suffering occasioned by for independence from Spain, handed over a con‐ war. One little known example of this is recorded siderable sum of money to William of Orange ‘for by Brock in his account of those objectors who the advancement of the common cause’, on the trained as medical auxiliaries and accompanied understanding that he would free draftees from British paratroopers who landed in Normandy as their ranks from the obligation to bear arms. For part of the D-Day assault. the Mennonites the payment of war taxes or spe‐ Conscientious objectors prepared to enlist in cial levies to excuse them from conscription was the military, albeit in non-combatant roles, consti‐ in full accordance with Christ’s injunction to ren‐ tute what must be considered the most moderate der unto Caesar things that are Caesar’s. This was of their breed. Historically Quakers have tended a view shared by a group of Quakers living in to be more ‘absolutist’ in their stance, particularly southern France during the revolutionary period when compared to other ‘peace churches’ such as at the end of the 18th century who hired substi‐ the Mennonites. Thus, in his review of the experi‐ tutes to take their place when they were drafted ences of Quakers who were ‘pressed’ into service for the militia. Such a stance was not shared by in the Royal Navy in the 17th century, Brock re‐ the main body of Quakers at that time and since. calls the nonviolent resistance offered by one Another debate that has exercised those who member of the Society of Friends who had been have been committed to the biblical injunction forcibly put on board a man of war. He refused to that ‘Thou shalt not kill’ has concerned whether cooperate with his captors, rejecting the offer of or not it is morally right to agree to perform alter‐ ‘alternative service’ as a doctor’s assistant and re‐ native service, thereby freeing someone else to fusing the offer of food. He recorded, ‘I was sensi‐ carry lethal weapons into combat. Brock records ble if I had eat of their victuals, they would have that it was in the province of North Holland in kept me.’ (p. 54) After a number of days the cap‐ 1575 that the frst legislation was passed allowing tain of the vessel relented and allowed him to re‐ conscientious objectors to perform alternative turn to shore. In the same essay Brock records the service. In exchange for not carrying weapons experiences of another Quaker who was prepared during their period of enlistment Mennonites to perform non-combatant duties in lieu of han‐ were to carry ‘a sharp spade and basket’ to help dling a weapon and who earned the congratula‐ dig defensive ditches and ramparts. (p. 46) tions of his commander for the manner in which 2 H-Net Reviews he cared for the wounded during a running sea- belling them as psychologically disturbed. In one battle with the Dutch in 1665. of the essays Brock reveals how a number of ob‐ Towards the end of the 19th century Tolstoy jectors in Germany during the First World War had begun to exercise a deep influence on war re‐ were confined to psychiatric clinics, after all those sisters and pacifists in many countries and in a who refused to defend their country in its hour of number of the essays Brock explores aspects of need must be psychotic! However, such a fate was the ‘Tolstoyan movement’ within Russia and be‐ relatively mild compared to the death sentences yond. Recording some of the suffering of Russian suffered by those objectors, many of them Jeho‐ conscientious objectors, Brock highlights the con‐ vah’s Witnesses, who refused to bear arms for cerns of Tolstoy who felt responsible for their Hitler’s Reich and were thereby deemed guilty of ‘conversion’ and his refusal to judge those who ‘undermining the country’s military strength [Zer‐ lacked the resolve to stand frm in their commit‐ setzung der Wehrkraft ]’. Their story is told in the ment to the ‘law of love’ in the face of the threat final essay of the book, and Brock concludes by of punishment and persecution. observing that ‘it deserves to be better known than it has been hitherto.’ (p. 442) The fact that it Amongst those influenced by Tolstoy was is known, along with the subterranean history of Gandhi. In his essay on the history of conscien‐ war resisters, pacifists and conscientious objec‐ tious objection in Japan Brock observes that con‐ tors in many parts of the world is due in large scientious objection was never an issue in India measure to the work of Peter Brock. Historians, because universal military service was never in‐ peace researchers and peace activists owe him a troduced. Therefore, whilst India produced Gand‐ great debt. hi it was Japan that produced the frst conscien‐ tious objectors in the oriental world. One of the significant fgures in the small band of Japanese pacifists during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5, Uchimura Kanzo, adopted a most idiosyncratic position with regard to conscription. He advised his fellow Christians who were facing conscrip‐ tion that they should serve in the armed forces, and carry arms, although they should refrain from using them for lethal purposes. His reason‐ ing was that if they refused the draft they would be branded as cowards and thereby give pacifism a bad name, whereas if they died in military ser‐ vice they would be excellent exemplars of self- sacrifice and thereby enhance pacifism’s reputa‐ tion.

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