The Mothers' Peace Movement:
How Women United at The Hague
in 1915 Changed History
This article is an excerpt
from RUSC Member's Area
As it was V-E Day this week, celebrating the end of World War II in Europe, there has been a lot of coverage on the TV and radio, so I've been reading, listening, and watching a lot about the World War conflicts of the past, and that's how I came across an incredible piece about the First World War and the women and mothers who were involved in bringing peace back to the world.
It all began over one hundred years ago, when the Germans Anita Augspurg and Lida Gustava Heymann, at the invitation of the Dutch pacifist Aletta Jacobs, organized the International Congress of Women in The Hague - the seat of government in the Netherlands. Nearly twelve hundred women of both belligerent and neutral nations - stood together resolutely to protest against World War I - led by the American, Jane Adamms, who had been invited to preside over the Congress.
The war had started because of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, of Austria - and once war was declared by one country on another, another country would declare war on them, to help their allies, and so on and so on.
Women were fed up with losing their sons, brothers, uncles, and fathers and hoped to save millions of lives by ending a war for which nobody seemed to really know what cause they were fighting for - other than being patriotic to their countries! Their boys weren't fighting for land or territory, nor were they fighting to liberate something oppressed - or even to right some wrong that had been committed.
It was the first significant international effort against the war, yet it would be another three years before the war would end, after the loss of more than 100,000 American lives.
These women and mothers, standing resolutely together and making sure their anguish was heard, were the beginning of the end of a war that could have continued for many more years had they not made that first step. Incredible!
Jane Addams went on to do more great things and was the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for her recognition as the founder of the social work profession in the United States. Cavalcade of America pays tribute to the work of Jane Addams, her work with the poor, the Peace Movement, and the founding of her great social institution, the Jane Adamms Hull House in a broadcast that you can listen to here on RUSC.
This coming Sunday, as well as visiting my own Mom's resting place, I'm going to remember those mothers whose sons came home because of the love of them standing up and making a difference.
And if you're lucky enough to still have your Mom around, make sure to let her know how special she is! You could even treat her to a gift subscription for RUSC so that she too, can enjoy listening to radio shows from times gone by...
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