Leon Trotsky On Britain

Trotsky's writings on Britain during the twenties, when labor militancy reached a peak in the nationwide general strike of 1926, are among his sharpest and wittiest polemics. Part I includes his 1925 book Where is Britain Going?, which examines the shifting position of British imperialism in the period between the two world wars; the role of revolutionists in the trade union movement; Fabian socialism, religion and pacifism; the role of force and violence in history; and the revolutionary traditions of the British people.

When this work appeared it was the centre of controversy in the world press, hailed by revolutionists, denounced by such figures as Bertrand Russell and J. Ramsay MacDonald. Part II consists of Trotsky's replies to some of his critics, with the original reviews and articles appended.

Part III contains his analysis of the Anglo-Russian Trade Union Unity Committee, which had been formed in 1925 by the leaders of the British and Soviet trade unions. When the British labor leaders betrayed the general strike in 1926, Trotsky recommended that the Soviets express their protest by withdrawing from the committee. This proposal became a touchstone of the Stalin-Trotsky dispute inside the Communist International.