Battle of George Square facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of George Square |
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| Part of Red Clydeside and the Revolutions of 1917–1923 |
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| Date | 31 January 1919 | ||
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| Many injured; one police constable died later of injuries received | |||
The Battle of George Square was a big clash in Glasgow, Scotland. It happened between the City of Glasgow Police and workers who were on strike. The main events took place around George Square. This "battle," also called "Bloody Friday" or "Black Friday," happened on Friday, January 31, 1919. This was soon after World War I ended.
During the riot, the main judge for the area, the Sheriff of Lanarkshire, asked for military help. So, government troops were sent to important spots in the city. They even had six tanks with them. The leaders of the strike were arrested because they were accused of causing the riot. Many people say no one died, but one police officer passed away months later from injuries he got during the fighting.
Contents
Why Workers Went on Strike
After the First World War, the United Kingdom changed its military and factories back to normal. This meant fewer jobs were available. Also, the country's money situation was getting worse. This led to fears of many people losing their jobs.
The Scottish TUC (a group representing workers) and the Clyde Workers' Committee (CWC) wanted to help. They wanted to create more jobs for soldiers returning from the war. Their idea was to make the working week shorter. It had just been set at 47 hours, and they wanted it to be 40 hours.
The Strike Begins
The strike started on Monday, January 27. About 3,000 workers met at the St. Andrew's Halls. By January 30, 40,000 workers had joined. These workers were from the shipbuilding and engineering industries along the River Clyde.
Other workers also joined in support. Power station workers and miners from nearby Lanarkshire and Stirlingshire coal pits went on strike too. The strike grew quickly because of "flying pickets." These were groups of strikers who moved around to encourage others to join. Many of them were soldiers who had just returned from the war. This was the biggest strike in Scotland since the Radical War of 1820, which happened after the Napoleonic Wars.
Government Gets Involved
On January 29, a group of strikers met with the Lord Provost of Glasgow. The Lord Provost is like the mayor of the city. They agreed that he would send a message to the Deputy Prime Minister, Bonar Law. The message would ask the government to step in and help. The strikers agreed to come back at noon on Friday, January 31, to hear the government's answer.
After this meeting, the Sheriff of Lanarkshire contacted the government. He asked if military help would be ready if there was trouble on Friday.
The message and the Sheriff's request made the War Cabinet discuss the "Strike Situation in Glasgow" on January 30. The meeting was led by Bonar Law, because the prime minister, Lloyd George, was not there. Important people like Winston Churchill, who was in charge of the army, and Robert Munro, who was in charge of Scotland, were at the meeting.
At the meeting, everyone was worried. There were many uprisings happening in other countries in Europe at the time. They feared the strike could spread across the whole country. Usually, the government did not get involved in worker disputes. But they decided to act to make sure there was "enough force" in Glasgow. This force would keep public order and make sure city services kept running.
The government decided to use the armed forces. They needed these forces to act for a "civil authority" (a local government official). This was because they had not declared "martial law" (when the military takes control). After the meeting, instructions were sent to Scottish Command. This group was told to be ready to send government troops if asked.
Military Arrives in Glasgow
The events of the day led the Sheriff of Lanarkshire to ask for military help. The Sheriff Principal, Alastair Oswald Morison Mackenzie, was the most senior local judge. The army had already started moving before the War Cabinet meeting at 3 PM.
During that meeting, Munro, the Secretary for Scotland, said the protest was like a "Bolshevist uprising." This meant he thought it was a serious rebellion. They decided to send troops from Scotland and Northern England. Troops from the local Maryhill barracks were not sent. This was because officials worried they might side with the people they knew in Glasgow.
General Sir Charles Harington said that six tanks and 100 lorries (trucks) were "going north that evening." It was said that up to 12,000 troops could be sent.
Some people think the War Cabinet ordered these troops. But this is not true. The government could not send troops against British citizens without declaring martial law. This was not declared. The War Cabinet discussed the issue, but the troops were sent because the Sheriff of Lanarkshire asked for them.
The first troops arrived that night. More soldiers came over the next few days. Three Medium Mark C and three Mark IV tanks arrived from Bovington on Monday, February 3.
The military arrived after the rioting had finished. They did not actively break up the protests. The troops guarded important places for the local government during the strike. The strike lasted until February 12. The troops and tanks stayed in Glasgow and nearby areas until February 18.
What Happened Next
The city became calm again by Sunday. Even though the military was there, no one died during the actual fighting.
The strike ended on February 12. When the strike was over, the workers gave up their demand for a 40-hour work week. This meant they accepted the 47-hour week that had been agreed upon before.
Some key people involved in the strike were arrested right after the events of January 31. Only two of them, William Gallacher and Emanuel Shinwell, were found guilty. William Gallacher was sentenced to five months in prison, and Emanuel Shinwell to three months.
Some people who were there believed it was almost a successful revolution. Gallacher said that if they had had more experienced leaders, they would have marched to the city's Maryhill Barracks instead of Glasgow Green. He thought they could have easily convinced the soldiers to join them, and then Glasgow would have been "in their hands."
Most historians today disagree with this idea. They argue that it was a protest for changes, not a revolution. Gallacher later regretted not taking a more revolutionary approach. He wrote that "We were carrying on a strike when we ought to have been making a revolution." Emanuel Shinwell later ran in local elections for the Glasgow Corporation after he was released from prison.
In the general election of 1922, Scotland elected 29 Labour Members of Parliament (MPs). This included Manny Shinwell and David Kirkwood, who had helped organize the 40-Hour Strike. The General Election of 1923 led to the first Labour government, led by Ramsay MacDonald. Because of its strong support for socialist ideas, the region became known as Red Clydeside.
See also
- Red Clydeside
