Kendallâs classic work has been widely appreciated for its rich contextualisation of the events and forensic examination of both the national and international factors influencing the nativity of the British Communist Party. It imaginatively recuperates and critically evaluates the politics of the partyâs predecessors, notably the British Socialist Party and the Socialist Labour Party, the radical upsurge of 1910â14, the wartime shop-stewards movement, the resonance of the Russian Revolution, and the role of the Comintern in moulding the form that British Communism took. Vivid portraits of the human actors â H M Hyndman, John Maclean, Arthur MacManus and Theodore Rothstein â illuminate the text. First published in 1969, The Revolutionary Movement in Britain has stood the test of time. It remains indispensable reading for everyone interested in understanding socialist history. John McIlroy has provided a detailed Introduction to this republication.
Walter Kendall (1926â2003), PhD Oxon 1966, author The Revolutionary Movement in Britain 1900â21 (1969), The Labour Movement in Europe (1975), and many papers and articles.
Paul Flewers, PhD London 2003, author The New Civilisation? Understanding Stalinâs Soviet Union 1929â41 (2008).
John McIlroy has taught at the Universities of Oxford and Keele. He is a visiting professor of employment relations at Middlesex University and has written extensively on labour history, industrial relations and labour law.
Acknowledgements Preface: Walter Kendall and The Revolutionary Movement in Britain Abbreviations
Introduction: The Origins of British Communism
Part 1
1 Stress and Strain in the Social Democratic Federation
2 The Radical Upsurge
3 Nationalism and Chauvinism in the Social Democratic Federation
11 The Unity Negotiations, Easter 1918 to August 1920
12 The Communist International and the Communist Party of Great Britain
13 The Russian Influence
14 Unity and Consolidation, August 1920 to January 1921
15 The Independent Labour Party and the Communist International
16 Guild Socialism and the Labour Research Department
17 John Maclean and the Communist Party of Great Britain
18 Conclusion
Appendix 1: The Membership of the Communist Party of Great Britain Appendix 2: The Executives of the Social Democratic Federation, the British Socialist Party and the Communist Party of Great Britain Appendix 3: The Social Democratic FederationâBritish Socialist Party Participation in General Elections Appendix 4: The Social Democratic FederationâBritish Socialist Party Conferences, Branches and Membership Appendix 5: The Socialist Labour Party Appendix 6: The Social Democratic FederationâBritish Socialist Party in Local Government Bibliography Index
This book is especially relevant for academics and postgraduate students of politics, political and labor history, communist studies, and anyone interested in radical history, including academics, students, and activists.