February 1917: The fall of the Tsar
2017 marks the 100-year anniversary of the Russian revolution. Throughout the year, The Socialist will publish material to commemorate and celebrate this truly historic …
Russian Revolution centenary
The year 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution. The 1917 revolution stands out as the greatest event in history – so …
WW1 and the fight against conscription in Australia
In recent years there have been many commemorations to mark the 100-year anniversary of World War One (1914-1918). Very few however have noted the …
Five year anniversary: Occupy opens an era of struggle
Eight years ago, Wall Street bet against American families and caused the Great Recession, an economic collapse on a scale that hadn’t been seen …
25 years since the end of the Communist Party
The Communist Party of Australia (CPA) was founded in 1920 and dissolved 25 years ago, in 1991. There was a time when the Communist …
Fifty years since Gurindji walk off Wave Hill station
Fifty years ago, 200 Gurindji stock workers, domestic servants and their families withdrew their labour and walked off Baron Vesteys’ Wave Hill cattle station …
A socialist perspective on direct action
In recent times direct action tactics, like pickets and mass sit-ins, have been used with relative success in campaigns against fracking, the fight against …
The origins of capital and labour in Australia
In the Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Frederick Engels wrote: “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles”. There …
1936: Spain’s revolutionary promise
Eighty years ago, the working class and poor peasants of Spain rose up against capitalist exploitation, dire poverty and fascist forces – a high …
The life and times of William Lane
William Lane has been regarded as one of Australia’s most important early socialists. In his short life, Lane was to have a profound impact …
Womens’ and LGBTIQ liberation in revolutionary Russia
By Emma Quinn (Socialist Party, CWI in Ireland) Millions of people internationally are joining the fight against the oppression of women and LGBTIQ people, opening up debates as …
History: The Militant Women’s Group
The Militant Women’s Group (MWG) was formed in 1927 by women from the Communist Party of Australia. The women also set up a newspaper …
History: Australian trade unions in the 1930s depression
The great depression was like a ‘king-hit’ to the Australian trade unions. At first many union leaders did not even realise what was happening, …
The Balmain ironworkers’ strike of 1945
Remembering Australian working class history 70 years on The following two articles were published in Labour History in May and November 1972. They are …
Obituary: Gough Whitlam, 1916-2014
Former Labor Prime Minister Edward Gough Whitlam has died. He was 98. Whitlam served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia from 5 December …
History: The 1974 revolution in Portugal
On the 40th anniversary of the Portugese revolution we remember how half a century of fascist rule was swept aside in a day It …
Chile: 40th anniversary of bloody overthrow of Allende government
In re-building a socialist movement, lessons of coup need to be learnt By Tony Saunois, Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI) The terrorist attack …
Book: It doesn’t have to be like this
Women and the struggle for socialism By Christine Thomas Introduction At the turn of the millennium we were promised that women’s equality was just …