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Victory in the Battle of Warsaw in the summer of 1920 did not only save Poland from the Bolsheviks. It quite possibly saved Britain from revolution too.
Here is the story in a thread from my book.
Labour leaders were calling for strikes in support of Russia 1/
Here is the story in a thread from my book.
Labour leaders were calling for strikes in support of Russia 1/
London dockers refused to load munitions on ships bound for Poland. The Labour Party demanded full recognition of the Bolshevik government. A delegation sent to Moscow had red carpet treatment to get them to pressure HMG not to support Poland 2/
Lenin got what he wanted. British labour leaders threatened outright revolution at home. “(We) will cause them to abdicate (and) take the country into our own hands for our own people” 3/
On 31st July 1920, with £2.2m of Russian gold (today’s value) and active encouragement from Bolshevik agents liaising with union and labour leaders, the Communist Party of Great Britain was formed. Just when Russia needed to bolster its propaganda and support in Britain. 4/
By early August 1920 the threat was escalating. Russian disinfo duped British workers and their leaders that HMG was about to go war on Poland’s behalf, that they would be conscripted to fight and that the Bolsheviks were the noble innocents. 5/
So deceived were they that Trades Union leaders coordinated reports from their members around the country of all shipments of munitions that might be destined for Poland& passed them to the Sovs. Thus the British trade union movement became a tool of Russian intelligence. 6/
On Aug 10 Labour leaders went to Downing Street, threatened PM Lloyd George. One claimed they were “the Provional Government” in waiting. “Soviets” were formed to take over local government. Calls were made for an “assault on Capitalism” and “assumption of power” 7/
Lenin believed that a British Communist Revolution was coming. One union leader declared “We are trying to overthrow our government”. If Poland had begun to fall & Britain come to their aid, revolution wd have been launched. Then the Miracle of the Vistula & the Soviet rout. 8/
The radicals lost their nerve and wiser heads prevailed. Preventing war might justify revolution but not refusal to grant diplomatic recognition.
Did Polish victory save Britain from Revolution? We certainly came close to one. 9/
Did Polish victory save Britain from Revolution? We certainly came close to one. 9/
My book 'Labour and the Gulag', from which this is taken, is currently out of print. There will be a paperback reprint later this year.
I'm currently writing a book on Marx and Marxism. Unlike most other books on that subject, it's not going to be very complimentary...
10/
I'm currently writing a book on Marx and Marxism. Unlike most other books on that subject, it's not going to be very complimentary...
10/
Missed the page to go with 8/ here it is with the Lenin quote that revolution was about to break out in Britain.
Like a lot of predictions, he was wrong.
Like a lot of predictions, he was wrong.
