This powerful pioneering analysis of the birth of British Communism vividly portrays the precursive influence of the politics, personalities and struggles of the British working class through the Great Unrest, 1910–14, wartime militancy, and crucially the impact of the Russian Revolution and the Comintern in forging a new revolutionary movement.

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 4 The British Socialist Labour Party 5 The Russian Émigrés 6 War and the British Socialist Party 7 Clydeside in Wartime 8 The Shop Stewards’ Movement 9 The British Socialist Party after Hyndman Part 2 10 The British and European Scene 1918 to 1920 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 Federation–British Socialist Party Participation in General Elections Appendix 4: The Social Democratic Federation–British Socialist Party Conferences, Branches and Membership Appendix 5: The Socialist Labour Party Appendix 6: The Social Democratic Federation–British Socialist Party in Local Government Bibliography Index