A People's History of the Second World War

Donny Gluckstein

Description

This history reclaims the Second World War as a global fight 'from below'. The vast majority of historical accounts have focused on the regular armies of the allied powers, however, the often-neglected people's militias were crucial not only to the defeat of fascism, but also colonialism, imperialism and even capitalism.



Looking at militias in Yugoslavia, Greece, Poland and Latvia, as well as the Warsaw Uprising and anti-fascist movements in Germany, it presents a different battle, fought on different terms. Widening its scope to India – where an independence movement was shaking an already weak British Empire, and onto alternative anti-imperialist struggles in Indonesia and Vietnam, a global picture of people’s resistance is revealed.



Despite these radical elements, the allied governments were more interested in creating a new order to suit their interests, and many of these movements were ultimately betrayed. However, many shook the existing world order to its core.
Preface

1. Introduction

2. Spanish Prelude

PART 1: Yugoslavia, Greece, Poland and Latvia – Between the Blocs

3. Yugoslavia: Balancing Powers

4. Greece: Allies at War with the Resistance

5. Poland’s Warsaw Uprising

6. Latvia: Standing History on its Head

PART 2: France, Britain and the USA– Divisions Within the Allies

7. France: Imperial Glory Versus Resistance Ideology

8. Britain: The Myth of Unity

9. USA: Racism in the Arsenal of Democracy

PART 3: Germany, Austria and Italy – Under the Axis

10. Germany: Conservatives and Antifa

11. Austria: Resistance and Ruling Class Capitulation

12. Italy: The Working Class and the Two Wars

PART 4: India, Indonesia and Vietnam - Different Enemies

13. India: From Famine to Independence

14. Indonesia: Axis and Allies United Against the People

15. Vietnam: Anti-Imperialist Breakthrough

16. Conclusion

17. Chronology

Notes

Index

Sujets

• Histoire
• Modern warfare
• Military
• World War II
• History

Informations

• Publié par: Pluto Press
• Date de parution: 14 juin 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781849647199
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

A PEOpLE’s HIsTORY OF ThE SECOND WORLD WaR

A PeoPle’S HiStory of tHe Second World WAr

rEsIsTaNCE VERsus empIRE

Donny Gluckstein

fIRsT pubLIshED 2012 bY PLuTO PREss 345 ARChwaY rOaD, lONDON n6 5AA

www.pLuTObOOks.COm

dIsTRIbuTED IN ThE UNITED STaTEs OF AmERICa ExCLusIVELY bY PaLgRaVE MaCmILLaN, a DIVIsION OF ST. MaRTIN’s PREss llc, 175 fIFTh AVENuE, nEw yORk, ny 10010

cOpYRIghT © dONNY GLuCksTEIN 2012

thE RIghT OF dONNY GLuCksTEIN TO bE IDENTIfiED as ThE auThOR OF ThIs wORk has bEEN assERTED bY hIm IN aCCORDaNCE wITh ThE cOpYRIghT, dEsIgNs aND PaTENTs ACT 1988.

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cONTENTs

Acknowledgements Preface

Introduction  1. Spanish Prelude

PART I: YUGOSLAVIA, GREECE, POLAND AND LATVIA – BETWEEN THE BLOCS  2. Yugoslavia – Balancing Powers  3. Greece – Allies at War with the Resistance  4. Poland’s Warsaw Rising  5. Latvia – Standing History on its Head

PART II: FRANCE, BRITAIN AND THE USA – DIVISIONS WITHIN THE ALLIED CAMP  6. France – Imperial Glory versus Resistance Ideology  7. Britain – The Myth of Unity  8. USA – Racism in the Arsenal of Democracy

PART III: GERMANY, AUSTRIA AND ITALY – UNDER THE AXIS  9. Germany – Conservatives and Antifa 10. Austria – Resistance and RulingClass Capitulation 11. Italy – The Working Class and the Two Wars

PART IV: INDIA, INDONESIA AND VIETNAM – DIFFERENT ENEMIES 12. India – From Famine to Independence 13. Indonesia – Axis and Allies United Against the People 14. Vietnam – AntiImperialist Breakthrough

Conclusion Chronology

Notes Index

viii ix

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1 5

25 38 55 70

85 97 111

127 136 141

163 177 193

207 215

221 262

ACkNOwLEDgEmENTs

I am indebted to many people who helped so generously with this book. Special thanks are due to Nick Howard, Neil Davidson, Manfred Ecker, Owen Gower, Gordon Davie, Gajendra Singh, Nelly and David Bouttier, and Charlotte Bence.

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PREFaCE

There is an official version of the Second World War that is relatively easy to unearth. Alongside the paper record, the Allied establishment happily proclaims its triumph in public monuments like the Cenotaph in London. Public parades, lms, books and TV series likeBand of Brothers, also testify to Allied victory. Others are calmer. Westerplatte, where the Second World War began outside Gdansk, Poland has a sombre atmosphere, as does the ruined Kaiser Wilhelm church, which still bears witness to the power of aerial bombardment in the centre of Berlin. By contrast, the other war, the people’s war, is largely hidden. So unearthing it proved a challenge in time and space. It took as long as the Second World War itself to write this book and involved travel to the countries listed in the contents (as well as several excluded due to limitations of space). Sometimes concealment is deliberate, such as the resistance radio transmitter secreted in the roof of a warehouse in Bergen, Norway. Sometimes the motivation is more pernicious. At the Military Museum, Athens, there is absolutely no mention of the resistance movement that liberated Greece, because its politics was too radical. When it ts the ofcial narrative there are resistance museums, ranging from the spectacular Warsaw Uprising Museum, the futuristic Slovak National Uprising Museum in Banska Bystrica, to the Danish Resistance Museum in Copenhagen and the Vredeburg Museum’s diorama in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Most resistance museums are tiny, however, sometimes in one or two rooms in obscure towns and villages. More often simple plaques tell the story – from the one dedicated to the Indian National Army in a quiet park in Singapore, to the bustling main square in Bologna. Other evidence can range from cemeteries, to the direct memory of participants, or even workshops for the disabled descendants of those genetically damaged by Agent Orange during the long Vietnamese war. Anywhere that ghting occurred, and that is almost everywhere, there is something to be found if it is looked for. The difference between the two wars – the imperialist war and the people’s war – is well symbolised in my home town, Edinburgh. Towering above the streets on the Castle Rock stands Scotland’s

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