I recently had the opportunity to review an ARC of Simon Webb's "1919: Britain's Year of Revolution" to be published under the Pen and Sword imprint. My most immediate reaction to the text was fascination. There have been any number of books focusing on events in Europe and the world at the conclusion of the First World War. This one, however, is, in my experience, unique. The author examines the revolutionary tide that swept Europe, initially in the collapse of Tsarist Russia, but he focuses on the peculiarly British experience of this, one that contrasts wildly with, for example, the widespread mutinies in the French Army in the final years of the war. In the case of Great Britain, the principal factors in play were the Allied intervention in Russia as well as the government's initial, deeply flawed, plans for demobilization. These were the primary factors in the widespread unrest amongst the British Armed Forces at the conclusion of WWI. Worse, widespread social disparities, many of them deeply rooted in conditions which had been glossed over in the name of national unity during the war, suddenly became quite prominent in the growth of organized labor and its unprecedented willingness to use strikes, particularly general and sympathy strikes, as a means of effecting political, military and social reform. The focus in this text is not so much on the actual events that occurred as it is in the analysis of the political response to and planning for dealing with events on the ground. Lloyd George figures prominently as a central figure in his pragmatic approach to dealing with events as they occurred. I have never really encountered anything quite like this approach to what happened. It is, for example, clear that the principal figures in His Majesty's Government had paid close attention to the ways that Bolshevik and Soviet propaganda had been met by the Tsarist and later Kerensky governments. Specifically, the British noted the failure of loyal troops to come to the assistance of their respective national governments, be they Tsarist or Menshevik. British analysis of what had happened in St. .Petersburg is shown in this text to be clearly linked to their analysis of what had happened with a view towards how it might influence the British political response to similar events in Great Britain. As a direct consequence of their perceptions of events in Russia and later in Imperial Germany, as it collapsed, the British authorities reassessed their commitment to intervention in Russia with an eye towards preventing the kind of social disruption that both Russia and Germany had experienced. Anyone interested in assessing the British response to revolutionary events on the continent and the way in which they used their assessments and understandings, sometimes flawed, to shape and control events in Great Britain would be well advised to read this highly informative and well thought out text.

This is a really interesting book on a subject not covered much and it’s not really surprising why given that the British government sent tanks on its own people after they’d just won a war for them. Simon Webb much covers this year and how much happened in it and he has done so in a engaging and really interesting style, it’s informative and easy to follow. Thoroughly recommended for people who like history and those who mightn’t know about this period of uprising and how the public were treated.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

We all know the story. Or do we?
In 1917, Russia rose in revolution. The Tsar was overthrown and the Bolsheviks soon took over as Russia pulled out of the First World War. The following year, the German people rose up against the Tsar's cousin, the Kaiser Wilhelm II. Germany surrendered. Britain won the war and moved seamlessly into a graceful new post-war era of peace, right?
Well, no. As Simon Webb's book reminds us, while much of this narrative is true, in reality things were not quite so simple.. In 1919, there were widespread mutinies in the army. Tanks were deployed on British streets to crush workers' uprisings. Martial law was imposed in Luton. A police officer was beaten to death in a riot. The Royal Navy was engaged to occupy a British port as it came close to succumbing to mob rule.
Webb's' book is thorough about a frightening period during which the Coalition government of David Lloyd George became convinced Britain might be about to experience its own form of Bolshevik-style insurrection. Ironically, the determination of some members of the government - specifically an ambitious young Winston Churchill - to send already war-weary British troops to fight alongside White Russian armies clashing with Bolshevik forces in the Arctic made revolution at home far more likely, not less.
It couldn't happen here? Turns out, it very nearly did.

The facts about a year over a century ago that is both very much unknown and very little written about as a stand alone subject. The use of contemporary sources gave the author Simon Webb much to write about and he has done so in a style that should engage most if not all readers of the book. This would possibly not be classed as an out and out academic work but it is very informative and easy to read. My only caveat is that there is quite a lot of repetition where the facts are repeated . Nevertheless a good read. 4.5**.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Pen and Sword for granting my request for a copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.