Remembering the Real WWI

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2014 is the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War. The British government plans to spend £55 million marking this occasion (and the centenary of other stages of the war). Comments from David Cameron calling for a ‘truly national commemoration’ stressing our ‘national spirit’ suggest what he has in mind. He has even compared the government’s plans with last year’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

For the majority of people in Europe, whether directly involved or not, the war was one of the greatest disasters of the twentieth century. A war fought for the interests of the European ruling elites whose price was paid by ordinary people. Already historians like Max Hastings have begun to argue that this was a war that had to be fought against German militarism and the costs in human life and destruction were worth paying. In contrast, radical historians have begun to uncover a multitude of both individual and mass forms of resistance to the war on all sides of the national divides.

Nationally there are plans to ensure that attention is given to the real causes and effects of the war, rather than an opportunity for our government to re-habilitate this war in particular or war in general. Bristol has long radical traditions and we know there are groups and individuals across the city who will want to ensure that there are events locally remembering the reality of World War One. We want to facilitate this. We want to encourage the widest possible range and number of events – meetings, music, theatre, film, exhibitions etc. What might be organised (and how) will largely be determined by the individuals and groups who get involved. The involvement of a wide spectrum of people and groups will ensure a greater cross-fertilisation of ideas; events can be publicised more widely; and they can reach a wider audience. So if you are interested in participating please come along to this meetings.

Date Time Title With


Remembering the Real WWI: Public meeting


Remembering the Real WWI: Public meeting #2


Remembering the Real WWI: Public meeting #3
No Glory: The Real History Of World War 1 Neil Faulkner (1958-2022)


WWI Resistance Roger Ball,
Colin Thomas


Remembering the Real WWI: Public meeting
Hidden Histories OF WWI Roger Ball
Should Britain Go To War with Germany?
1914-1918: The War within the War Adam Hochschild
World War One: Arming All Sides Arming All Sides


Echoes of the ‘Great War’


Hidden Histories of World War One Gee Vaucher
Women Resisting the Great War Sheila Rowbotham,
June Hannam


Opening the Archives
Deserters, Conchies and Reds Colin Thomas,
Geoff Woolfe
Trade Unions and Resistance to the Great War Ian Wright,
Kevin Morgan
The World’s War Dominic Rai
The Kaiser’s Black Guards Robert Griffiths


Justice For Alice Wheeldon! Sheila Rowbotham,
Chloe Mason
Unveiling of a Blue Plaque to Walter Ayles
Discovering British 1914-1918 War Resisters Cyril Pearce
Slaughter No Remedy
Battle Of The Somme
Smoke: Gas: Strikes: Metal: Slums Geoff Woolfe
Smoke, Gas, Strikes, Metal and Slums Geoff Woolfe


Deserters, Conchies and Mutineers Julian Putkowski,
Lois Bibbings,
People’s Histreh
Victims of the Somme Geoff Woolfe,
Lois Bibbings


Bristol – Opposition to the First World War Colin Thomas


Sylvia Pankhurst, The Dreadnought and the ‘Great War’ John Newsinger
Slaughter No Remedy Colin Thomas,
Lois Bibbings,
Ben Griffin,
Ben Pike
Slaughter No Remedy Colin Thomas
The Dings and World War One Geoff Woolfe


Spies and Trouble Makers Aled Eirug
Sylvia Pankhurst, ‘The Dreadnought’ and the ‘Great War’ John Newsinger
The Somme 1916: From Both Sides of the Wire
‘Refusing To Kill’


Studio 1: Women against World War One June Hannam,
Bernadette Hyland


Studio 1: Black Lives in A White Man’s War Silu Pascoe


Life Gallery, Level 1: ‘Taking a Holiday’ puppet show Otherstory


Studio 1: Refusing to fight Lois Bibbings,
Cyril Pearce


Studio 1: John Maclean and The War After The War Jim Slaven


Studio 1: Mutiny Julian Putkowski
A Conscientious Concert


History walk – ‘Canting Humbugs’: Resistance and reaction in Bristol during World War One Silu Pascoe,
Roger Ball,
Colin Thomas,
Jeremy Clarke
Otherstory puppet show: Taking a Holiday Otherstory,
Lois Bibbings
Film Screening: Niemandsland – No Man’s Land – Hell on Earth Humberto Perez-Blanco


How did World War One end? Mike Levine,
Julian Putkowski,
Roger Ball
Steps Against War Otherstory

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