Refusing to Kill: Conscientious Objection and Human Rights in the First World War (Book)

Refusing to Kill: Conscientious Objection and Human Rights in the First World War
by Oliver Haslam, with additional material by PPU Publications Group

While millions killed and died at the height of the First World War, some twenty thousand men in Britain stood up for the right to refuse to kill other human beings. Many suffered terrible human rights abuses for their beliefs.

Refusing to Kill follows the story of conscientious objectors through the First World War. From the moment they received call-up papers to the day they were released from prisons, army units and work camps they faced personal dilemmas, violence, humiliation and hardship. But they were admired by many.

Original letters, court-martial statements, diaries, documents and poetry bring their dramatic story of resistance to life. Ideal material for History, Citizenship and English at Key Stages 3 and 4.

Each chapter in Refusing to Kill includes a focus on human rights. These sections make the link between past and present human rights issues, including the right to life, the right to refuse to kill, the right to a fair trial and the human rights of prisoners.