Fascism Anti-fascism And Britain In The 1940S

The 1930s were the devil's decade, as unemployment rose, and communism and fascism fought each other on the streets. But the struggles did not end in 1939. Even in the years of the reforming 1945 - 51 Labour government, there was a revival of fascism. By autumn 1947, a confident fascist movement had been established, with a strong network of local organisers and public speakers.

The fascist movement was capable of sustaining large public meetings at sites across London. However, within a year, the fascists had collapsed, and were no more than a collection of sects. This book - the most comprehensive analysis of fascism and anti-fascism to date - explains how it was that fascism could grow so fast, and how it then went into decline.

The book includes a history of the fascist/anti-fascist conflict before 1945, new material on Oswald Mosely's Union Movement, and a critical evaluation of the role of the police. Review: 'This volume has the obvious merit of exactly fulfilling its title's promise...it has a clear focus, a number of interesting hypotheses and an impressive volume of evidence...This is an interesting study, very well-supported by extensive evidence...' - John R Howe, The Lecturer