The Connell Short Guide to The General Strike

For nine days in May 1926 more than two million British workers did not go into work. They were striking in support of the British coal miners who were in an acrimonious dispute with their private employers, the mine owners, over wages and working hours. The situation forced the government to respond with an unprecedented level of state intervention in the everyday lives of ordinary Britons. It is the only general strike there has ever been in Britain. Not surprisingly, its causes and conduct have been a source of fierce argument amongst historians, as has its place in our social and political history.

ISBN- paperback: 978-1-911187-36-3

Contents

Introduction

The aftermath of the First World War
How did the British economy fare after the First World War?
Was Britain in a state of "class warfare" between 1918 and 1926?

The Coal Problem
Why was the coal industry in crisis by the early 1920s?
How did the coal problem escalate into a national crisis?

The "nine days" 3rd-12th May 1926
How did the workers respond to the General Strike?
How did the government respond to the General Strike?

The Conclusion and Consequences of the General Strike?
How did the General Strike come to an end?
Did the TUC "betray" the working classes?

Everyday experiences of the General Strike
How have new historical approaches changed the way we look at the General Strike?
How did the strike affect community dynamics in Britain?

Conclusion

NOTES
Five Facts about the General Strike
Brief chronology
Further Reading