How will Covid-19’s political consequences compare to the aftermath of World War One?

The pandemic crisis is frequently compared to a war. Marxists agree there are parallels for many reasons - not least the political revolts that follow.

After the Great War, British capitalism entered a period of fast-changing economic and political crisis. Slump and mass unemployment; heroic strikes and mutinies; rapid advances for the new workers’ parties - Labour and the Communists.

What can we learn from Britain’s economic strife and political ructions after the First World War? How can these help prepare the workers’ movement for struggles in the era of coronavirus and a new depression?

This episode of Socialism looks at lessons from history: Britain’s revolts after World War One.

Further reading and listening

1920s Britain: A "country nearer Bolshevism than at any time since": https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/30818/27-05-2020/1920s-britain-a-country-nearer-bolshevism-than-at-any-time-since

Building the shop stewards' movement (2008): https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/3632/17-01-2008/feature-building-the-shop-stewards-movement

73. Globalisation and deglobalisation: https://soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast/73-globalisation-and-deglobalisation

64. World economic crisis: a Marxist analysis of the coronavirus crunch: https://soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast/64-world-economic-crisis-a-marxist-analysis-of-the-coronavirus-crunch

66. US imperialism in decline: https://soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast/66-us-imperialism-in-decline-coronavirus-trump-sanders-and-socialism

70. China's new role: https://soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast/70-chinas-new-role