Are you saying there were no conscientious objectors? Are you saying that if the majority of people had followed their lead the government could have prosecuted an unnecessary war?
They made the punishment for conscientious terrible so that it was worse to object than to fight, you had to go through a long trail and even if you objected at first you still could be ordered to go and fight or sent to do horrible labour, so yes there were conscientious objectors yet the goverment made it so that they were punished badly and going to war seemed like a better option for men at the time
The figure of approx 58,000 actually applies to the number of British casualties (injured and dead) on day one.With approx a third (19,000) killed in action.
I agree with Med Dog on this one. Only an arsehole or a hypocritical spastic would stoop to personal attacks on a thread started so earnestly to remember those who gave their lives for those who died at the Somme.