Another aspect of the WW1 home front that's little-known outside Scotland- "The migration of thousands of workers into munitions districts in the early months of the First World War put strains on available housing and led very quickly to acute housing shortages. These shortages were concentrated in areas of Glasgow such as Govan and Partick where there was a high concentration of firms producing munitions. A number of landlords with properties in these areas saw this demand for housing as an opportune moment to increase rents in these districts. The increases in rents, in a period of already steep rises in the cost of living for many working class families, were deeply unpopular throughout the munitions districts and were seen by many as a blatant example of war-time profiteering by the landlords. Women began to organise tenants' strike committees in munitions areas where landlords had increased rents. These strike committees, inspired by a strong sense of injustice, helped organise a campaign of non-payment of rents, and brought the issue of fair rents into the national political arena. The actions of the landlords in increasing rents, and then in many cases pursuing court action to evict tenants deeply angered many within the Labour movement and became the spur for many to fight for the abolishment of unfair and antiquated housing laws. These laws allowed landlords to summarily evict tenants in arrears of rent, and allowed the confiscation of possessions by landlords in lieu of arrears. These events were increasingly commonplace throughout 1915, even when many of the female tenants had husbands fighting and dying for their country. The actions of the landlords in pursuing court action to evict tenants was used to great effect as an example of the unpatriotic actions of the landlords, and was one of the main factors in the rent strikes gaining widespread public support. The rent strikers captured the political support of the Independent Labour Party (ILP), whose leaders became actively involved in the campaign. Industrial support for the rent strikers came from workers in the munitions factories and shipyards. Workers in factories and shipyards formed emergency committees to lend active support to the campaign, and threatened a wave of sympathy strikes in opposition to the imposition of rent increases." http://sites.scran.ac.uk/redclyde/redclyde/rceve5.htm
I think that research into Clydeside in both World War 1 and World War 2 needs wider coverage. I've read one or two claims that The Glasgow mayday march of 1918 had participants who were voicing opposition to the War itself, but never quite sure of the primary sources. I have an interest in World War 2 pacifism and the overlap between some Scottish Nationalists and Conscientious Objection has been really highlighted by a pal of mine. The idea of Clydeside being a hotbed of anti-war activity is raised in John Buchan's novel 'Mr. Standfast' (1919) .
Yes, I remember from my student days being shocked to find out that "Red Clydeside" only really applied to workers at about six firms. Great soundbite though.
Yes of course we have to be aware of political agendas of those who want to promote 'Red Clydeside' , either to validate their own idealism or to create a 'Red scare'. With regard to World War 1 , I am constantly surprised how little resistance there was at the time , and how compliant the population seemed to be-Ireland of course being an exception. Especially taking into account how popular the 'Disenchantment' view - either that Britain should have remained neutral or that the cost of victory was too high in terms of the losses incurred - became in future decades. As World War 2 is viewed in very different terms, I personally find World War 2 Conscientious Objection and other dissent more interesting. Remember hearing a speaker recently who gives talks on Conscientious Objectors stating that he finds that the wider public tend to over estimate the numbers of World War 1 C.O.'s and underestimate the number in World War 2. In fact there were considerably more C.O's in World War 2.
