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As the international crisis intensified, issues of peace and war were pushed to the front of British politics and peace activists, or pacifists as they were increasingly known, increased in number. In the years prior to World War I, the peace movement passed into a new and more powerful phase. The existing peace associations welcomed this increase in activity and, by means of a series of National Peace Congresses and the recently founded National Peace Council, achieved some success in marshalling it into a united campaign. This chapter discusses the formation of the Rationalist Peace Society, the Church of England Peace League, the Associated Councils of Churches for Fostering Friendly Relations between the British and German Peoples, and the Anglo-German Friendship Society; the emergence of the Norman Angell movement or angellism; the International Arbitration and Peace Association; the International Arbitration League; the Peace Society; naval armaments; and anti-militarism. The pre-war peace movement's influence on British foreign policy is also considered.

In 1898, Russian Tsar Nicholas II, partly for reasons of his country's interest and partly from humanitarian impulse, invited the powers to a conference to discuss the worrying build-up of armaments and ‘the most effectual means of ensuring to all peoples the benefits of a real and durable peace’. The move was hailed by the peace associations as one of the most remarkable events of human history. W. T. Stead led a campaign in support of the Tsar, on a much bigger scale than the peace associations in Britain could have managed on their own. This chapter discusses the Hague conferences; the South African War, which presented the British peace movement with its greatest challenge since the Crimean War; how the Peace Society lost credibility within the peace movement because of its record on the South African War; and the International Arbitration League's position on the war.

On July 19, 1870, the Franco-Prussian War began. Rumours circulated that Napoleon III intended to invade Belgium, and the peace movement in Britain found itself having to counter a ‘strong, warlike feeling’ against the traditional enemy. The Peace Society responded to the crisis in a characteristically cautious manner; it circulated an address emphasising the fragility of ‘armed peace’. Artisan radicals, on the other hand, were eager to agitate for peace, expressing its opposition to the idea of British intervention against France. The Workmen's Peace Association, whose council members were all artisans, also opposed a British war against Russia. In August 1871, Henry Richard gave notice to the House of Commons of a motion in favour of international arbitration. Three months before, the Treaty of Washington had enlivened the campaign of peace activists and more optimistic international lawyers for a codification of international law and a permanent court to apply such a code.

Peace activism underwent a disappointing relapse during the intervention of Britain in Egypt and Sudan. The established primary movement faltered through difficulties in both financial and ideological aspects as one of the most conspicuous independent publicist W. T. Stead became one of the peace movement's biggest burdens as he did not take the peace cause until 1894. In order to mobilize support on particular issues, primary associations created ad hoc bodies one clear example of which is the Arbitration Alliance created in 1894 to win support from the churches on specific issues. This period is disappointing in the history of peace movement as primary associations left the goal of promoting ideas to rather focus on their own internal problems.

The optimism regarding Britain's peace movement waned by the time of the Crimean War as during the 18th century there were already changing attitudes towards both international relations and political activism. This geared the possibility of a peace association as suggested by the utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham in 1789 as the first peace campaign of the world began early in Britain's French wars of February 1793 to June 1815. The long conflict brought to establishment the first peace associations and the peace movement of Britain enjoyed favourable geographical and cultural conditions. It was an impressive first six decades for Britain's peace movement as it faced adversity both during and after the French war leading to the establishment of pacifism as significant minority viewpoint within the debate of war or peace.