Transcript Red Clydeside - Saint Roch's Secondary School

Red Clydeside
End of the War and post war
Maclean
• At the beginning of January 1918 Maclean was
appointed by Lenin as the first Bolshevik consul for
Scotland.
• Maclean suffered a good deal of harassment through
police raids and interference with his postal services
• Maclean kept up a steady schedule of addressing
meetings in the west of Scotland attacking the war and
praising the success of the Bolsheviks
• Government tried to silence Maclean by arresting him
• Maclean had a reputation as a trouble maker
Unrest in Glasgow
• Glasgow witnessed a huge May Day
demonstration, attended by around 100,000
people calling for an end to the war
40 hour working week
• Growing support for a campaign to
reduce the working week of 54
hours partly to create jobs for
returning soldiers
• David Lloyd George promised a
‘land fit for heroes’
• Most soldiers became disillusioned
as they still faced bad housing and
unemployment
• Soldiers and workers wanted
change
CWC
• Suggested a 30 hour working week
• Compromised on a 40 hour working week
• Demanded though that the unemployed must
be absorbed or ‘further reduction of hours
must be demanded’
• By Jan 1919 huge support for a strike grew in
the area
• Monday 27/1/1919
• All the big factories came out on strike and
support grew
Battle of George Square
• Workers assembled in
George Square
• Estimated 90,000
people
• Support for the 40
hour working week
campaign and better
conditions
The red flag was raised
• Police read the Riot Act and strike leaders
were attacked
• The reading of the Riot Act was the traditional
method used by police authorities to disperse
crowds of protesters.
• Any persons left loitering with intent after the
reading of the Act was liable for arrest.
Gallacher & Kirkwood arrested
Government use of Military
• Tanks and English soldiers were brought into
Glasgow as the Government feared protests
would turn into revolution
• Feared that Scottish Soldiers would not obey
orders and join the protestors
• Running battles between police and
demonstrators
• 6 tanks were available for use stationed at the
Fruit Market in Glasgow Merchant City
• Machine gun posts were set up aswell at key
points
Aftermath of the battle
• Within a week of the Battle of George Square,
the strike was over
• 40 hour working week was not achieved
• Striking workers from the engineering and
shipbuilding industries returned to work with
an agreement for a 47 hour working week
• Victory in the short term for the workers