National Peace Council (Great Britain) Collected Records

This group originated in 1905 (1904?) as the National Council of Peace Societies, but it was permanently established as the National Peace Council after the 17th Universal Peace Conference took place in London in 1908. Carl Heath was appointed General Secretary and was succeeded in 1919 by F.E. Pollard, who served until 1921 when J.H. Hudson assumed the position. Later Secretaries included Rennie Smith (M.P.) and Gerald Bailey. In 1923 [1924?] the group began using the name National Council for Prevention of War, but then resumed its previous name in 1931. The NPC brought together national groups and organizations that held a common interest in peace, disarmament, and internationalism in support of radical and constructive solutions to problems related to war and violence. Its affiliated groups included peace societies as well as religious, social, and industrial organizations. A major task in its early years was organizing the National Peace Congress; it also arranged conferences on specific issues. Many of the pamphlets the NPC produced are speeches given or findings made at such gatherings. The NPC was superceded by the Network for Peace in ca. 2001.