| Summary: | This thesis examines the views and achievements of the British religious
pacifists agitating for peace prior to and during the Crimean War, 1854-1856.
Through a careful analysis of both primary and secondary documents, this
study focuses on a brief overview of the state and objectives of nineteenth century
British religious pacifism at the time of the Crimean War, with a particular
emphasis on the Quaker-inspired and -dominated London Peace Society.
Further, the attitudes and actions of the religious pacifists prior to and during
the Crimean War are juxtaposed against those in the Protestant religious
community who supported the war. Finally, the importance of the British
religious pacifists is assessed both in terms of their immediate impact and their
effect on the long-term direction of the peace movement in the latter part of the
nineteenth century.
The argument forwarded in this paper is that the religious pacifists, who
condemned war as incompatible with the teachings of Christ, not only
persevered in the face of passionate and hostile pro-war public opinion, but also
managed to survive the defection of their political allies, and at the close of the
war to emerge with several components of their mandate fulfilled.
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