Topic: Revolution

Marxism and the Arab revolutions

Revolution is back on the agenda. Sandra Bloodworth argues that the Arab revolutions confirm the relevance of Marxism as a guide to the fight for human liberation.

The Arab Spring: revolution and counter-revolution

The Arab revolutions continue. Sandra Bloodworth looks at the danger of counter-revolution and discusses the political questions and challenges for the left posed by these momentous events.

Lenin and a theory of revolution for the West

Sandra Bloodworth argues that Lenin and the other great revolutionaries of the early twentieth century provide us with a theory of revolution for advanced democracies.

US imperialism and the war for the Middle East

Corey Oakley analyses the counter-revolutions which have swept across the Arab world since the mass revolts of 2011.

Why you should read 'This Earth of Mankind'

Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s historical novel Bumi Manusia (This Earth of Mankind) was published by Penguin in 1983.  Max Lane, argues it should be read by anyone wanting to understand the history of Indonesia in the late twentieth century.

Indonesian independence and Australian imperialism

Sam Pietsch looks at the response of Australian governments, both Liberal and Labor, to the challenge of Indonesian independence in what they regard as their "backyard".

Nestor Makhno: the failure of anarchism

Mick Armstrong dismantles the romanticism surrounding Makhno in some anarchist circles today with a study of his activity during the Russian Civil War.

The 1968-9 Pakistan Revolution: a students’ and workers’ popular uprising

The images of the 1960s which dominate in Australia are those from the Western countries. Justen Bellingham’s account of the 1968-69 uprising in Pakistan is an important corrective to the Eurocentric view of the upheavals of the time.

Russia 1917: gender, class and the Bolsheviks

Sandra Bloodworth looks at the impact of identity politics on some of the best feminist and social historians of the Russian revolution.

Between Como and confinement: Gramsci’s early Leninism

Rjurik Davidson, winner of the Ditmar Award, author of Unwrapped Sky, The Stars Askew and other fiction, examines Antonio Gramsci’s political practice in his early years.

The lost workers' revolution: Finland 1917-18

Duncan Hart contributes to an ongoing debate on the international left about the significance of the little known revolution in Finland in 1917-1918.

Gilbert Achcar on the undying revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa

In this wide-ranging interview, Gilbert Achcar explores the issues raised by the inspirational return of revolution to the Middle East and North Africa.

Resisting barbarism: Contours of the global rebellion

Omar Hassan surveys world politics at the turn of the decade, with a focus on the exhilarating return of mass revolutionary struggle.

From revolutionary possibility to fascist defeat: The French Popular Front of 1936-38

Sandra Bloodworth draws on the French experience to refute reformist calls for a revival of Popular Front strategies.

China: Behind the massacre

David Lockwood analyses the social, political and economic factors that precipitated the heroic Tiananmen Square movement.

Nationalism and revolution in the Arab world

Sandra Bloodworth critiques the failures of Arab nationalism, putting a case for a socialist strategy for working class self-emancipation in the region.

The Comintern’s encounter with syndicalism

Ian Birchall examines how the Communist International engaged with syndicalists in an attempt to build an revolutionary working-class movement in the wake of the Russian Revolution.

Celebrating the Paris Commune of 1871: “Glorious harbinger of a new society”

Marxist historian Sandra Bloodworth commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Commune, recounting the breathtaking events and providing an assessment of their ongoing political significance.

The Italian left and the factory councils: 1919-1920

Luca Tavan reexamines the revolutionary upsurge in Italy following WW1, drawing out strategic errors made by Gramsci and the leadership of the Italian Communist Party.

“Until the end of the world”: Myanmar’s unfinished revolution

Robert Narai recounts the inspiring struggle against the military coup in Myanmar and analyses the forces involved.

East Germany 1953: Workers’ forgotten rebellion against Stalinism

Tess Lee Ack looks back at the workers’ uprising in June 1953, the first challenge to the Stalinist monolith in Eastern Europe.

Socialist alternatives: The Portuguese Revolution

Joel Geier revisits the inspiring revolution that took place in Portugal 50 years ago, toppling a fascist regime, but ultimately missing an opportunity to progress to workers’ power and socialism. His eye-witness account provides valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the revolutionary movement.

Review: The 1848 revolutions

Rowan Cahill reviews an important new book on the 1848 revolutions. Along with providing a detailed and meticulously researched account of each uprising, the author argues that, far from being total failures, the combined effect of the revolutions was historically transformative.