Wobblies Against War: The U.S. and Australian IWW Campaigns Against World War I

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), also known by the name “Wobblies,” founded in 1905 in the United States, spread around the world in an era when syndicalism became a significant organizing orientation for workers. However, the IWW was more than a radical trade union; it was also a revolutionary social movement. It was in its capacity as a social movement that the IWW mobilized against conscription and war, especially in Australia and the United States. Comparing and contrasting the national experiences of the IWW in their campaigns opposing World War I will be the focus of this chapter.