View source for Stop the War Committee

The '''Stop the War Committee''' was an [[anti-war]] organisation that [[Opposition to the Second Boer War|opposed]] the [[Second Boer War]]. It was formed by [[William Thomas Stead]] in 1899.<ref>[http://www.attackingthedevil.co.uk/worksabout/bairns.php Biography of W.T. Stead], W.T. Stead and his "Books for the Bairns", Sally Wood-Lamont, Salvia Books, Edinburgh, 1987</ref> Its president was [[John Clifford (minister)|John Clifford]]<ref>[http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/REclifford.htm John Clifford] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071230223817/http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/REclifford.htm |date=2007-12-30 }}, in A Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland, John Vickers</ref> and prominent members included [[David Lloyd George|Lloyd George]] and [[Keir Hardie]]. The group was generally seen as pro-[[Boer]].<ref name=pro-boer>{{cite book|last=Davey|first=Arthur|title=The British pro-Boers, 1877-1902|year=1978|publisher=Tafelberg|location=South Africa|isbn=0-624-01200-X|pages=220|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sXF0AAAAMAAJ&q=Stop-the-War+Committee}}</ref>

Against the background of political campaigning for the [[khaki election]] of [[1900 United Kingdom general election|1900]], Stop-The-War distributed millions of posters, cartoons and broadsheets, handing out leaflets to [[commuter]]s on trains.<ref name=pro-boer/>

Its resolutions were religiously-inspired and utopian in their approach. The Committee united various [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|Nonconformist]]s who held different views in relation to [[socialism]]. However, the high moral tone of its pronouncements failed to achieve support from the working class, and provoked stronger antagonism than the more rational approach of the [[South African Conciliation Committee]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Lowry|first=Donal|title=The South African War reappraised|year=2000|publisher=Manchester University Press|isbn=0-7190-5825-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hOrnAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA174|page=174}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Anti-war]]
*[[Opposition to the Second Boer War]]
*[[List of anti-war organizations]]
*[[List of peace activists]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{anti-war}}

[[Category:Peace organisations based in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Second Boer War]]
[[Category:South Africa–United Kingdom relations]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1899]]
[[Category:Anti-war movement]]


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