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On Britain
The displacement of British industry, trade, finance, and diplomacy by its U.S. rival following World War I opened a period of social crisis and class battles across Britain, discussed in these articles by Trotsky. Includes an analysis of the 1926 general strike, betrayed by the labor officialdom. Introduction by George Novack, notes, other writings by Trotsky on Britain, index.
- GenresHistory
426 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
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About the author
Leon Trotsky
1,068 books801 followersSee also Лев Троцкий
Russian theoretician Leon Trotsky or Leon Trotski, originally Lev Davidovitch Bronstein, led the Bolshevik of 1917, wrote Literature and Revolution in 1924, opposed the authoritarianism of Joseph Stalin, and emphasized world; therefore later, the Communist party in 1927 expelled him and in 1929 banished him, but he included the autobiographical My Life in 1930, and the behest murdered him in exile in Mexico.
The exile of Leon Trotsky in 1929 marked rule of Joseph Stalin.
People better know this Marxist. In October 1917, he ranked second only to Vladimir Lenin. During the early days of the Soviet Union, he served first as commissar of people for foreign affairs and as the founder and commander of the Red Army and of war. He also ranked among the first members of the Politburo.
After a failed struggle of the left against the policies and rise in the 1920s, the increasing role of bureaucracy in the Soviet Union deported Trotsky. An early advocate of intervention of Army of Red against European fascism, Trotsky also agreed on peace with Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. As the head of the fourth International, Trotsky continued to the bureaucracy in the Soviet Union, and Ramón Mercader, a Soviet agent, eventually assassinated him. From Marxism, his separate ideas form the basis of Trotskyism, a term, coined as early as 1905. Ideas of Trotsky constitute a major school of Marxist. The Soviet administration never rehabilitated him and few other political figures.
Russian theoretician Leon Trotsky or Leon Trotski, originally Lev Davidovitch Bronstein, led the Bolshevik of 1917, wrote Literature and Revolution in 1924, opposed the authoritarianism of Joseph Stalin, and emphasized world; therefore later, the Communist party in 1927 expelled him and in 1929 banished him, but he included the autobiographical My Life in 1930, and the behest murdered him in exile in Mexico.
The exile of Leon Trotsky in 1929 marked rule of Joseph Stalin.
People better know this Marxist. In October 1917, he ranked second only to Vladimir Lenin. During the early days of the Soviet Union, he served first as commissar of people for foreign affairs and as the founder and commander of the Red Army and of war. He also ranked among the first members of the Politburo.
After a failed struggle of the left against the policies and rise in the 1920s, the increasing role of bureaucracy in the Soviet Union deported Trotsky. An early advocate of intervention of Army of Red against European fascism, Trotsky also agreed on peace with Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. As the head of the fourth International, Trotsky continued to the bureaucracy in the Soviet Union, and Ramón Mercader, a Soviet agent, eventually assassinated him. From Marxism, his separate ideas form the basis of Trotskyism, a term, coined as early as 1905. Ideas of Trotsky constitute a major school of Marxist. The Soviet administration never rehabilitated him and few other political figures.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 10, 2025
Where Is Britain Going? From Cromwell to Chartism to the 1926 General Strike
“Despite its errors of prognostication, ‘Where Is Britain Going’ is the most, or rather the only effective statement of the case for proletarian revolution and communism in Britain that has ever been made.”
—Isaac Deutscher, Trotsky’s biographer.
This Pathfinder book was titled 'Leon Trotsky on Britain' for more than the first 40 years of its publication. No changes to the text were made, but the return to the original title 'Where Is Britain Going?' (Despite the fact that it contains more than what was in that book), along with a better-looking cover is to be welcomed. Trotsky wrote a lot more about Britain, of course, but this contains his most important writings on that country, all from 1925–28.
(Note there are other books calling themselves 'Where Is Britain Going,' but I doubt if they contain all this content. If it has the introduction by George Novack, then it's the same book).
if you never read it, it'll be a real treat. In 1926, Trotsky traced the decline of Britain and the revolutionary possibilities opening up. He analyzed the union bureaucracy, the Labour Party, the ILP and the Fabians; all in both penetrating and witty ways.
The response of some of these figures and other reviews of his book are included (some of the unintentionally funniest parts of the book) Then he responded. The last part is a criticism of the Anglo-Russian Trade Union Unity Committee, one of the early examples of the Stalinists putting diplomatic needs above the need of the world revolution. Having a cozy relationship with the bureaucrats while they sold out the general strike was a disaster.
On China contains articles on British imperialism and China, as well as an account of the revolution of 1925–27.
Frederick Engels had the first chance to really acquaint himself with the working class in Britain, and his findings of it as a revolutionary class in The Condition of the Working Class in England played a big role in the development of Marx and Engels from Young Hegelians to Communists. A good collection of Marx and Engels writings on Britain will be found in Articles On Britain. There are larger volumes (some out of print dealing with Ireland and the Irish Question, with the First Indian War for Independence, and with the The Civil War in the United States, which Britain considered intervening in on the side of the Confederacy, but this is the one to start with. There’s a hard-to- find collection Lenin on Britain, but I haven’t read it.
George Novack, who wrote the introduction to this Trotsky work lived for some years in Britain after World War II, building the communist movement there. Of his many books, the ones most relevant to the history and politics of the United Kingdom are Democracy and Revolution and Empiricism and Its Evolution: A Marxist View by George Novack.
“Despite its errors of prognostication, ‘Where Is Britain Going’ is the most, or rather the only effective statement of the case for proletarian revolution and communism in Britain that has ever been made.”
—Isaac Deutscher, Trotsky’s biographer.
This Pathfinder book was titled 'Leon Trotsky on Britain' for more than the first 40 years of its publication. No changes to the text were made, but the return to the original title 'Where Is Britain Going?' (Despite the fact that it contains more than what was in that book), along with a better-looking cover is to be welcomed. Trotsky wrote a lot more about Britain, of course, but this contains his most important writings on that country, all from 1925–28.
(Note there are other books calling themselves 'Where Is Britain Going,' but I doubt if they contain all this content. If it has the introduction by George Novack, then it's the same book).
if you never read it, it'll be a real treat. In 1926, Trotsky traced the decline of Britain and the revolutionary possibilities opening up. He analyzed the union bureaucracy, the Labour Party, the ILP and the Fabians; all in both penetrating and witty ways.
The response of some of these figures and other reviews of his book are included (some of the unintentionally funniest parts of the book) Then he responded. The last part is a criticism of the Anglo-Russian Trade Union Unity Committee, one of the early examples of the Stalinists putting diplomatic needs above the need of the world revolution. Having a cozy relationship with the bureaucrats while they sold out the general strike was a disaster.
On China contains articles on British imperialism and China, as well as an account of the revolution of 1925–27.
Frederick Engels had the first chance to really acquaint himself with the working class in Britain, and his findings of it as a revolutionary class in The Condition of the Working Class in England played a big role in the development of Marx and Engels from Young Hegelians to Communists. A good collection of Marx and Engels writings on Britain will be found in Articles On Britain. There are larger volumes (some out of print dealing with Ireland and the Irish Question, with the First Indian War for Independence, and with the The Civil War in the United States, which Britain considered intervening in on the side of the Confederacy, but this is the one to start with. There’s a hard-to- find collection Lenin on Britain, but I haven’t read it.
George Novack, who wrote the introduction to this Trotsky work lived for some years in Britain after World War II, building the communist movement there. Of his many books, the ones most relevant to the history and politics of the United Kingdom are Democracy and Revolution and Empiricism and Its Evolution: A Marxist View by George Novack.
Displaying 1 of 1 review