Pacifism (1) - The Peace Pledge Union and the VBCW

There was a significant pacifist movement in 1930's Britain, driven by the horrors and losses of the First World War and the fear that such might be repeated. In 1934, the Rev. Dick Shepherd, Canon of St. Paul's Cathedral, published a letter in the "Manchester Guardian" and other newspapers, inviting men (but not women, curiously) to send postcards to him pledging never to support war. Out of this initiative - for 135,000 men responded to the Canon's call - emerged the "Peace Pledge Union", which by 1936 had opened its ranks to women and was publishing a weekly newspaper, "Peace News". The Peace Pledge Union attracted a wide variety of members, including Christian pacifists, socialists, anarchists and in the words of a PPU member, Derek Savage, "an amorphous mass of ordinary well-meaning but fluffy peace-lovers". In 1937, the Peace Pledge Union merged with the No More War Movement, and George Lansbury, the Chairman of the NMW and former Leader of the Labour Party (and of the Opposition), became President of the PPU. As Labour leader, Lansbury had adopted a position of Christian pacifism, unilateral disarmament and the dismantling of the British Empire, publicly stating in late 1933: "I would close every recruiting station, disband the Army and disarm the Air Force. I would abolish the whole dreadful equipment of war and say to the world : 'Do your worst'". In the "alternative timeline" (of reality), the PPU opposed the Second World War and argued for a negotiated peace with Germany. PPU membership reached a peak of around 140,000 in 1940. In contrast, it seems that membership of the BUF peaked in 1934 at 40,000 (and arguably declined to about 9,000 by 1940) and that the Communist Party of Great Britain had only 17,756 members in July 1939. [note1]

Canon Dick Shepphard preaching

Rt.Hon. George Lansbury MP
Leader of the Labour Party and Opposition 1932-1935

The Canon advertising a Peace Pledge Union meeting (or "Mass Protest")
at which he and George Lansbury will be the principal speakers in
favour of the controversial(?) proposal "War - We Say No!"

Given the strong pacifist tendencies of Britain during the 1930s, together with Edward VIII's decision to refuse the prospect of Abdication, dismiss his Government and co-operate with Mosley's BUF, the first issue for VBCW gamers is: what would the PPU have done, not in fear of a general European war and repeat of WW1, but in the face of a Very British Civil War? [note2]

Note1: see the article by Andrew Thorpe of the University of Exeter HERE

Note2: a partial but immediate answer to this issue may perhaps be gleaned from Canon Dick Shepphard's 1931 proposal in response to the Sino-Japanese War, namely that a "Peace Army" of unarmed peacemakers should stand between the Chinese and Japanese armies in Shanghai.

Note3: this blogpost draws in part upon these sources: HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE