Shostakovich: The musical voice of the Russian Revolution
From this year’s Revolution Festival, Peter Kwasiborski, introduces Shostakovich.
History
Marxists must study the history of the class struggle, so that we can apply the lessons in the struggle for communism today. Here, you can find our most recent historical articles. For theoretical articles, click here.
You can also visit our education hub to find a selection of articles, books, talks and reading guides.
A brief history of the East India Company
425 years ago this month, the East India Company was founded in London. This “empire within an empire” soon ruled almost the entirety of the Indian subcontinent, bleeding its people dry – and laying down the foundations for the development of British imperialism.
How the British monarchy brought down Australia’s most progressive government
Fifty years ago, Australia’s democratically-elected, left-reformist Labor government was forcibly dissolved – by the British monarchy. This detail, which remained hidden for decades, demonstrates the necessity of breaking with these oppressive ruling class institutions once and for all.
Here to fight, here to stay: Grunwick Strike – “We are the lions”
We continue our series on anti-racist struggles with an article from the late Steve Jones. In the 1970s, an unimposing Gujarati woman, Jayaben Desai, led one of the longest and most violent strikes in the post-war period, transforming the British labour movement.
What we can learn from Lenin
108 years ago today, Lenin and the Bolsheviks achieved the impossible: they led millions of workers and peasants in a successful socialist revolution. But which events, struggles, and ideas led to that victory? How did Lenin become Lenin?
When British workers stopped the war machine: Lessons of the Jolly George incident
Militancy and international solidarity, as seen across Europe recently, is not alien to the labour movement here in Britain. British workers have taken strike action to halt the imperialists’ war machine before: in the 1920 Jolly George cargo vessel incident.
Lessons of the Spanish Revolution
The Spanish Civil War holds many important lessons for revolutionaries today. In this Marxist Voice, Joe Russell draws out these lessons.
‘Iron Ladies’: The working women who outlived Thatcher
‘Iron Ladies’ is a new documentary billed as “a celebration of the iron-willed women who maintained the 1984/85 Miners’ Strike as they fought for the future of their communities”. In selected cinemas now, this is a must-watch for budding revolutionaries.
Shostakovich’s ‘Anti-formalist Rayok’: A scathing satire of Stalin’s cultural crimes
Stalin’s bureaucracy waged a campaign of hate against artists who defied their narrow doctrine of ‘Socialist Realism’. Dmitri Shostakovich’s ‘Anti-formalist Rayok’ lambasts these cultural crimes, and defends the spirit of cultural freedom unleashed by the October Revolution.
Here to fight, here to stay: Imperial Typewriters strike
We continue our series ‘Here to fight, here to stay’ illustrating how black and Asian workers and youth fought racism and the far-right. In 1974, a titanic showdown between an American multinational corporation and Asian workers shook the city of Leicester to its core!
Here to fight, here to stay: Mansfield Hosiery – “We will not go back like dogs”
We continue our series ‘Here to fight, here to stay’ illustrating how black and Asian workers and youth fought racism and the far-right. We now turn to Loughborough where, against all odds, saw the first successful immigrant strike!
Why you should read Ted Grant’s ‘History of British Trotskyism’
‘History of British Trotskyism’, by Ted Grant, is a treasure trove of Marxist theory, rich with lessons from the turbulent interwar/postwar period. This new edition, published by Wellred Books, has been expanded and updated, order your copy today!