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