Donny Gluckstein

The Russian Revolution brought to power the most radical form of democracy ever seen, the rule of workers' councils, better known by their Russian name, soviets. But these bodies were not a uniquely Russian phenomenon. In this study, Gluckstein traces the development of various forms of working-class power in Britain, Germany, and Italy during and after World War I. In each case, radical institutions of workers' democracy emerged and began to challenge capitalist power over society. Suddenly, the question of which class should rule was posed. Tragically, reformists within the workers' movement successfully argued to wind down these experiments in working-class power, preferring to maintain the fake democracy of capitalist institutions. Gluckstein shows how these arguments let slip historic opportunities for social transformation. This book offers a history of some of the most exciting moments in the workers' movement, but also a guide for those of us hoping to abolish capitalism once and for all.

Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party has given hope to millions of Labour supporters who were deeply disillusioned by Blair's New Labour. Corbyn stands for opposition to war and neo-liberalism but the Labour Party itself is deeply divided, with many in its parliamentary leadership openly opposed to the hopes of its new mass membership. Can the Labour Party become the vehicle for socialism in Britain? This path breaking Marxist history of the British Labour Party was first published in 1988. This new and updated third edition contains additional chapters on New Labour and Labour Under Corbyn.

The rise of the Third Reich remains one of the most widely debated and discussed events of the twentieth century. Gluckstein sets out to place Nazism in the context of the economic crisis and the failed workers' revolution, seeking to draw lessons for those interested in preventing fascism's return.

This history reclaims the Second World War as a global fight 'from below'. The vast majority of historical accounts have focused on the regular armies of the allied powers, however, the often-neglected people's militias were crucial not only to the defeat of fascism, but also colonialism, imperialism and even capitalism. Looking at militias in Yugoslavia, Greece, Poland and Latvia, as well as the Warsaw Uprising and anti-fascist movements in Germany, it presents a different battle, fought on different terms. Widening its scope to India – where an independence movement was shaking an already weak British Empire, and onto alternative anti-imperialist struggles in Indonesia and Vietnam, a global picture of people’s resistance is revealed. Despite these radical elements, the allied governments were more interested in creating a new order to suit their interests, and many of these movements were ultimately betrayed. However, many shook the existing world order to its core.

In 1871, the workers of Paris took control of the city. When they established the world's first workers' democracy, they found no blueprints or precedents for how to run their city without princes or politicians. As they built new institutions of collective power to overturn social and economic inequality, their former rulers sought to thwart their efforts. By noting the historic problems of the Commune, debates over its implications and the glimpse of a better world it provided, Gluckstein reveals its enduring lessons and inspiration for today's struggles.