First World War

Mutiny at the heart of empire—how soldiers rebelled at Etaples

Ripples of revolution spread across Europe and beyond in the wake of the February revolt in Russia in 1917—and the British Army was no exception

The horror of Passchendaele couldn’t stop rebellion

The Battle of Passchendaele, which began 100 years ago this week, could be seen as just another bloody episode in the slaughter of the First World War.

Mutiny and rebellion in the shadow of a world war

The brutality of the First World War and shortages at home meant Russian soldiers were ready to rise up in 1917

Slaughter at the Somme—100 years on

One of the most horrific battles of the First World War began 100 years ago this week. Michael Bradley looks back at the causes of the carnage

Kienthal - the small beginnings of the anti-war tradition

In 1916 socialists arguing against war were a minority, but change was coming. Alistair Farrow looks at how it started

Slaughter of Verdun haunted France

The First World War’s longest battle began 100 years ago this month in Verdun, northern France. By the time it ended in December more than 300,000 had died and many more were missing or wounded.

How does revolt end war?

10 November 2015
Imperialism and international competition lies behind wars the world over. But if capitalism causes war, what ends it? Dave Sewell looks at the revolts that stopped the slaughter

'Remember war resisters, not generals,' says campaigning author Adam Hochschild

04 November 2014
Millions around the world will remember the war dead on Sunday of this week, with special focus on the 100th anniversary of the First World War.

The Sensory War: Powerful exhibition showing there’s no glory in war

04 November 2014
This exhibition depicts the horrific and brutal history of warfare during the last 100 years.

The soldiers that Empire forgot

30 September 2014
Troops from Europe’s empires who fought in the First World War were quickly erased from official histories. They are remembered by John Siblon

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: war works put rulers to shame

12 August 2014
Every socialist will have been nauseated by the Commonwealth commemoration of the centenary of the First World War held in Glasgow on 4 August.

Anti-war comic author Pat Mills talks about new book To End All Wars

12 August 2014
Veteran comic strip writer Pat Mills talks to Ken Olende about First World War mutinies and war resisters as a new collection of graphic stories, To End All Wars, is published

Only workers can end our rulers’ barbaric world of war

05 August 2014
The news has been dominated by the outbreak of the First World War and Israel’s assault on Gaza.

War set out to build empires—but ended with revolutions

01 July 2014
Dave Sherry tells Tomáš Tengely-Evans he wants his new book Empire and Revolution to take on the elite’s attempt to whitewash the First World War

Women, work and the First World War

04 March 2014
How women got a taste of their power during the First World War by Judith Orr

The First World War: Those who refused

28 January 2014
The First World War was a imperialist bloodbath—yet the establishment wants to rehabilitate it as a struggle for freedom. Adam Hochschild has written a book on the brutal reality of the conflict. In a recent talk he discussed people who rejected the call to war from the outset