1945: Liberation, revolution and betrayal
About this episode
James Kilby discusses the revolutionary movements in Europe at the end of the Second World War and the betrayals that hindered their success.
A revolutionary wave swept through Europe towards the end of the Second World War. In France, communists formed the backbone of the armed resistance to fascism. In Italy, workers occupied the factories, peasants took over the land, and communists led a mass armed partisan force. In Greece, the communist party led the resistance movement, and was in a strong position to take power. But in all these countries, capitalism survived. In this session, leading member of the RCI James Kilby, will explain the revolutionary process that developed towards the end of the war. He will explore how and why the Stalinists in one country after another betrayed these incredible movements, thus setting back the world revolution by decades.
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