Peacemongers, Australian Resistance to War and Military Conscription, 1885 to 1945

War has been a dominant theme in Australian history, but there is an alternative story. In every conflict, from the Sudan campaign of 1885 to Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War (1966–73), there have been war resisters and conscientious objectors to military service and conscription. Peacemongers tells their story. War resisters endured physical violence, prison, financial hardship, and emotional trauma. Many had a strong Christian faith that forbade killing fellow humans, while others objected to coercion and believed in freedom of choice. Originally, a small minority opposed conscription and war. This changed with the mass protests against the Vietnam War. Thousands took to the streets. Those who refused to enlist faced prison terms of up to two years but still they stood firm. Despite being branded as cowards, they showed that it took a special type of courage to resist war.