The Challenges of Labour: Central and Western Europe 1917-1920

This collection of essays, all published for the first time in English, provide a fresh look at the critical years of 1917-1920 when revolutionary activity and working-class unrest was rife in Europe. Written by leading authorities in the field, the collection gives wide European coverage, examining developments in the rural provinces and key cities of both Western and Central Europe in the period after the Great War. In-depth studies analyse the causes and extent of protest, the factors which contributed to its initial success and failure and the influence of the propertied classes and re-establishment of the old order. The introduction and conclusion draw the essays together, giving a clear account of the principal themes and establishing the comparative structure of the book. The essays provide major coverage of a crucial period of modern history and should raise many new questions about the events of those years. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Notes on contributors......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Introduction Chris Wrigley......Page 14 Revolutionary Berlin 1917 20 Dick Geary......Page 37 Munich in turmoil: social protest and the revolutionary movement 1918 19 Martin H.Geyer......Page 64 Budapest and the revolutions of 1918 and 1919 Zsuzsa L.Nagy......Page 85 Vienna: a city in the years of radical change 1917 20 Hans Hautmann......Page 100 The interregnum: Turin, Fiat and industrial conflict between war and Fascism Giuseppe Berta......Page 118 Paris 1917 20: labour protest and popular politics Roger Magraw......Page 138 Working-class mobilisation on the Clyde 1917 20 John Foster......Page 162 Demobilisation in Germany 1918 19: the gradual erosionof the powers of the soldiers' councils Wolfram Wette......Page 189 The Hungarian peasantry and the revolutions of 1918 19 Ignc Romsics......Page 209 The fear of revolution in rural Austria: the case of Tyrol Elisabeth Dietrich......Page 228 Lenin, Italy and fairy-tales 1919 20 Piero Melograni......Page 242 The state and the challenge of labour in France 1917 20 John Horne......Page 252 The state and the challenge of labour in Britain 1917 20 Chris Wrigley......Page 275 Conclusion Chris Wrigley......Page 302 Index......Page 310 From 1917-20 revolutionary activity and working-class unrest was rife in Europe, making this period a high-water mark for the European labour movements and socialists. Yet, except in Russia, the forces of order and property crushed revolutions with renewed strength, and succeeded in largely neutralising socialist governments. This collection of essays, all published for the first time in English, is by leading authorities in the field and provides a fresh look at these critical years. The book gives wide European coverage, examining developments in the rural provinces and key cities of both western and central Europe which were marked by revolutionary and labour protest in the period after the Great War. In-depth studies analyse the causes and extent of unrest, the factors which contributed to its initial success and failure and the influence of the propertied classes and re-establishment of the old order. The introduction draws together the individual contributions, giving a clear account of the principal themes and establishing the comparative structure of the book. The essays provide major insight into a crucial period of modern history and should raise many new questions about the events of those years Authors very well known in field: Wette, Geary leading authoritiesFirst book on Labour movement to cover all wide range of European countries, including HungaryTopical - examines key European cities experiencing labour unrest and in-depth analysis of re-establishment of the old order Much of Europe experienced or was on the verge of revolution in 1917-20. These essays written by renowned European scholars, provide a comprehensive survey of how the forces of order and property crushed most of the socialist forces The years 1917-20 can be seen as 'red years' - a high-water mark in European labour and socialist achievement.