Open Access

Susanne Kinnebrock

• This chapter elaborates on the social construction of fear by pacifist activists during World War I. The international feminist movement, especially its emerging pacifist branch, started a discourse on the horrors and futility of war that referred heavily to different forms of fear, including the fear of death, the fear of losing a loved one, the fear of acts of revenge, and the fear of losing the human achievements of civilization. The feminist pacifist’s fear-related anti-war discourse caused the authorities anxiety. In belligerent countries, military administrations feared pacifism, as they believed it promoted war fatigue and increased the pressure to give up the war. Consequently, they tried to silence pacifist voices and put heavy restrictions on promoting pacifism. As a result, also pacifists felt fear of the authorities. A kind of “fear-relation” connected the pacifist branch of the feminist movement with military administrations, which can be illustrated by describing theThis chapter elaborates on the social construction of fear by pacifist activists during World War I. The international feminist movement, especially its emerging pacifist branch, started a discourse on the horrors and futility of war that referred heavily to different forms of fear, including the fear of death, the fear of losing a loved one, the fear of acts of revenge, and the fear of losing the human achievements of civilization. The feminist pacifist’s fear-related anti-war discourse caused the authorities anxiety. In belligerent countries, military administrations feared pacifism, as they believed it promoted war fatigue and increased the pressure to give up the war. Consequently, they tried to silence pacifist voices and put heavy restrictions on promoting pacifism. As a result, also pacifists felt fear of the authorities. A kind of “fear-relation” connected the pacifist branch of the feminist movement with military administrations, which can be illustrated by describing the German case.…