History

Anatomy of a scandal – Miguel Amorós

Submitted by Alias Recluse on Feb 19 2018 17:46

An account of the “Strasbourg Scandal” of 1966—widely recognized as a precursor to the greater scandal of May 1968—its background, its protagonists, the takeover of the local student union and the origins of the pamphlet, “The Poverty of Student Life…”, the role played by the members of the Situationist International in the affair, particularly Debord and Mustapha Khayati, the humiliating exclusion of the “Garnaultins” in January 1967, and the SI’s subsequent descent into an even more rigid and unapproachable sectarian existence until its dissolution in 1972.

Divide and conquer or divide and subdivide? How not to refight the First International – Mark Leier

Submitted by RobynK on Feb 18 2018 10:04

A pamphlet by labour historian Mark Leier (author of Bakunin: The Creative Passion) which looks at the similarities and differences of the two leading figures of the First International, Mikhail Bakunin and Karl Marx. Leier suggests that the differences are often exaggerated by anarchists and Marxists alike, and that revolutionaries today can learn a great deal from both figures' strengths and weaknesses.

The Memphis sanitation strike, 1968

Submitted by Steven. on Feb 9 2018 15:53
Memphis sanitation strike

A short history of the 1968 strike of 1300 African-American sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, during which Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

Kate Mullany and the Collar Laundry Union

Submitted by Working Class H... on Feb 1 2018 22:32
CLU commemorative graphic

A history of the Collar Laundry Union – the first female union in the United States – set up by Kate Mullany, Esther Keegan and others in Troy, New York in 1864.

Protest without illusions

Submitted by Anonymous on Feb 1 2018 16:54
CND march

Compilation of writings of British anarchist Vernon Richards from 1955 to 1964 on the anti-war movement and movement for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Workers' self-management in the Caribbean

Submitted by Anonymous on Feb 1 2018 16:25
Workers demonstrate in the Caribbean, 1951

A compilation of the writings of Joseph Edwards (a.k.a. George Myers or Fundi, the "Caribbean Situationist"), a Jamaican mechanic, worker organiser and wildcat strike leader. A constant critic of political parties and union hierarchies, this collection of articles give a glimpse at the struggle for workers' power in the factories, fields and offices of the Caribbean in the 20th century.

Lessons of the Spanish Revolution - Vernon Richards

Submitted by Anonymous on Feb 1 2018 16:14
Collectivised transport during the revolution

A critical account and assessment of the Spanish civil war and revolution, particularly focusing on the successes and failures of the anarchist organisations, written by Vernon Richards.

Monopoly capitalism and the rise of syndicalism – Mark Leier

Submitted by RobynK on Jan 27 2018 03:42

A portion of the first chapter of labour historian Mark Leier’s 1990 book Where the Fraser River Flows: The Industrial Workers of the World in British Columbia, which may serve as an introduction to the IWW’s syndicalist ideas and practices, as well as what conditions brought about the revolutionary union in the first place.

(Note: Besides the final paragraph, ~3,200 of the last words were left out for the sake of being concise. What was left out went further in depth about how "the essence of the new system of production was [...] in increasing the division of labour and in reducing the initiative of the workers over the work process," showing how some tried to achieve this.)

The general strike and Irish independence

Submitted by Anonymous on Jan 24 2018 22:17
The 1918 general strike

Interesting article by John Dorney on the syndicalist tactic of the general strike and its relationship with the struggle for Irish independence in the early 20th century.

The Iva Valley miners strike and massacre at Enugu colliery, 1949

Submitted by Mike Harman on Jan 24 2018 13:21

On the 18th November 1949, 21 striking miners and a bystander were shot dead at a British government-owned coal mine at Enugu, Nigeria; 51 were injured.