1919: Britain's Year of Revolution

1919; Britain's Year of Revolution tells the story of an almost unknown passage in British history, with the government in London dispatching warships to Liverpool and troops to suppress disorder on the streets. Industrial unrest and mutiny in the armed forces combined to produce the fear that Britain was facing the same situation which had led to the Russian Revolution two years earlier.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2022
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Britain's Year of Revolution, a largely overlooked chapter in British history, unfolds in 1919. During that year's August Bank Holiday, the government in London deployed warships to the northern city of Liverpool, showcasing an overwhelming display of force. Thousands of troops, supported by tanks, had been futilely attempting to quell the disorder on the streets. Earlier in the year, in London, a thousand soldiers had marched on Downing Street, only to be disarmed by a battalion of Grenadier Guards loyal to the government. In Luton that summer, rioters burned down the town hall, prompting the army's intervention to restore order. In Glasgow, artillery and tanks were positioned in the city center to deter what the Secretary of State for Scotland deemed a Bolshevik uprising.

Industrial unrest and mutiny within the armed forces converged, fueling fears that Britain was on the precipice of a similar situation that had preceded the Russian Revolution two years prior. This book, relying primarily on contemporary sources, chronicles the sequence of events that hinted at a potential revolution akin to those sweeping across Europe at the time. To some observers, it seemed inevitable that Britain would transition from a constitutional monarchy to a Soviet Republic.

Weight: 322g
Dimension: 156 x 235 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399011396