Mobilization Day

Sound Bite

America has a fine tradition, mostly forgotten, of opposition to military values and large military forces. This study of the debate from 1914-1924 documents major events of the period and shows how militarists and anti-militarists contended to persuade Americans which policies were best to preserve national security.

About the Book

Unlimited military spending is presented as America's only option when the world is depicted as full of threats. Yet 100 years ago, that notion was the subject of heated debates. Questions about relying on force to solve the world's problems were asked in ways that no longer seem possible. The book is a non-technological chronological narrative that shows how the militarism issue influenced battles over political power, war, peace and national purpose. Major events of the period are documented, with the arguments used by anti-militarists and their opponents. The history of anti-war and anti-militarist movements did not stop when World War I ended;quite the contrary. Organizations like the American Union Against Militarism and the Committee on Militarism in Education continued to oppose the political and social effects of large military forces and readiness to use them.Anti-militarists were not pacifists nor were they isolationists. They fought the expansion of military forces and the encouragement of military values because they thought national security was better served by peaceful engagement with the world, and because there was no nation or movement capable of defeating us. Readers may wonder if their reading of the world situation is a lesson for today.The book is well and professionally researched and is suitable for academic and public libraries as well as individual readers.