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Social-Imperialism in Britain
The Lancashire Working Class and Two World Wars
Series: - Historical Materialism Book Series, Volume: 171
Author:
In Social-Imperialism in Britain Neil Redfern examines the relationship between British labour and British capital in the two world wars of the twentieth century. He argues that the Second World War, the so-called âPeopleâs Warâ, no less than the First World War, was an imperialist war. He further argues that in both wars labour and capital entered into a social-imperialist contract in which labour would be rewarded for its support for war with such social and political reforms as votes for women and a health service, culminating in the âwelfare stateâ constructed after the Second World War. Concentrating on Lancashire, he examines the complex interaction between military successes and reverses, elite war aims, labour unrest and popular demands for reform.
Neil Redfern, Ph.D. (Manchester, 1998), is now retired. He has taught history at Manchester University and Manchester Metropolitan University. He has published a monograph Class or Nation Communists, Imperialism and Two World Wars (I.B. Tauris, 2005) and many articles on the communist movement.
"This book brings together a Marxist approach to the two World Wars and the British working class and a study of the regional history in the same period. This makes it both an unusual and interesting study of our region. [â¦] The book is one that all Lancashire libraries should have a copy of, it has added to our knowledge of labour in Lancashire during the two world wars whether you share or disagree with the author's approach to analysing the wars from a Marxist perspective." - Alan Fowler, in: North West Labour History 44 (2019-2020)
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1 Rallying Round the Flag
â1âThe Labour Movement and the War
â2âMustering the Masses for War
â3âThe End of the Road for Liberalism?
â4âThe Discontents and Demands of the Labour Movement
â5ââDilutionâ and the Mobilisation of Women
2 Labourâs Unrest and Capitalâs Promises
â1âConscriptions and âConchiesâ
â2âSocial Patriots and (a few) Internationalists
â3âLabour Unrest and (eventual) Government Response
â4âStrikes, Shop Stewards and Revolutionaries
â5âA Better World Coming?
â6âMore Strikes, More Shop Stewards and Some Revolutionaries
3 1919: A âRed Yearâ?
â1âA Revolutionary Situation in Britain?
â2âExpanding the Franchise: Suffragettes, Suffragists and the Labour Party
â3âLabourists, Feminists and Socialists: Labourâs New Platform
â4âThe Labour Movement in the General Election of 1918
â5â1919: A Tumultuous but not âRed Yearâ in Lancashire
â6âHousing Reform and the Municipal Elections of 1919
â7âThe Post-War Crisis, the Working Class, and the Empire
4 Rallying Round the Flag Again
â1âAn Imperialist War in Anti-Fascist Clothing
â2âThe Crisis of 1940
â3âBuilding a Labour-Capital Pact
â4âNever Again! The Early Growth of Popular Reform Sentiment
â5âDissent and Discontent in the Working Class and in the Labour Movement
â6âJoint Production Committees: A âNazi System of Labour Organisationâ?
â7âOut of the Kitchen Again: Mobilising Women to âdo their bitâ
â8âNot Counting the Colonies: The Labour Movement and the Empire
â9âA Social-Imperialist Surge for Reform
5 Building the Social-Imperialist Settlement
â1âBeveridge Promises a New World
â2âThe âOld Gangâ Takes an Ideological and Political Beating
â3âA Resurgence of Industrial Unrest
â4âA Touch on the Reform Accelerator
â5âMore Promises, More Unrest, More Discontent
â6âSocial Imperialism Triumphant: The Last Phase of the War
â7âLabour to Power: The End of the War and the General Election
Conclusion and Postscript
Bibliography
Index
Introduction
1 Rallying Round the Flag
â1âThe Labour Movement and the War
â2âMustering the Masses for War
â3âThe End of the Road for Liberalism?
â4âThe Discontents and Demands of the Labour Movement
â5ââDilutionâ and the Mobilisation of Women
2 Labourâs Unrest and Capitalâs Promises
â1âConscriptions and âConchiesâ
â2âSocial Patriots and (a few) Internationalists
â3âLabour Unrest and (eventual) Government Response
â4âStrikes, Shop Stewards and Revolutionaries
â5âA Better World Coming?
â6âMore Strikes, More Shop Stewards and Some Revolutionaries
3 1919: A âRed Yearâ?
â1âA Revolutionary Situation in Britain?
â2âExpanding the Franchise: Suffragettes, Suffragists and the Labour Party
â3âLabourists, Feminists and Socialists: Labourâs New Platform
â4âThe Labour Movement in the General Election of 1918
â5â1919: A Tumultuous but not âRed Yearâ in Lancashire
â6âHousing Reform and the Municipal Elections of 1919
â7âThe Post-War Crisis, the Working Class, and the Empire
4 Rallying Round the Flag Again
â1âAn Imperialist War in Anti-Fascist Clothing
â2âThe Crisis of 1940
â3âBuilding a Labour-Capital Pact
â4âNever Again! The Early Growth of Popular Reform Sentiment
â5âDissent and Discontent in the Working Class and in the Labour Movement
â6âJoint Production Committees: A âNazi System of Labour Organisationâ?
â7âOut of the Kitchen Again: Mobilising Women to âdo their bitâ
â8âNot Counting the Colonies: The Labour Movement and the Empire
â9âA Social-Imperialist Surge for Reform
5 Building the Social-Imperialist Settlement
â1âBeveridge Promises a New World
â2âThe âOld Gangâ Takes an Ideological and Political Beating
â3âA Resurgence of Industrial Unrest
â4âA Touch on the Reform Accelerator
â5âMore Promises, More Unrest, More Discontent
â6âSocial Imperialism Triumphant: The Last Phase of the War
â7âLabour to Power: The End of the War and the General Election
Conclusion and Postscript
Bibliography
Index
All interested in labour history, twentieth century history, social reform, imperialism, womenâs history and/or the two world wars.