A Disunited Front for Peace: The Experiences of Canadian Mennonites in the Second World War
Date
2023-06
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Abstract
From 1939-1945, the traditionally pacifist Mennonites who called Canada their home were faced with difficult decisions when it came to their participation in the war effort. Their leadership was ill-prepared for the outbreak of hostilities and hurriedly began meeting in May 1939 to resolve the question of acceptable service. The inability to agree on what alternative to violence they were willing to offer their government created instability within the community. Through the efforts of some bishops, pastors and other representatives, a proposal for civilian-run alternative service work camps was accepted. Many embraced this tradition of non-resistance, appearing before judges to defend their people's centuries-old tradition of pacifism, by offering alternative service work. Others felt their call to participate in the military, through combative or non-violent means, such as the Restricted Medical Corps. While the latter may seem like the abandonment of their peace principles, both forms of service came with their own challenges and sacrifices for the community. This created challenges post-war, where some Mennonites were hailed as heroes for defending their faith position, whereas others who fought were ostracised for discrediting it. Regardless of the debate, their services throughout the conflict, both domestically and abroad, led the group, who already began to integrate into Canadian society, to dramatically accelerate their own assimilation.
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Mennonite, Alternative Service, Conference
Citation
Voegtlin, S. (2023). A disunited front for peace: the experiences of Canadian Mennonites in the Second World War (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.