So, you say you want a Revolution…..?

I’ve been thinking a bit (OK, a lot) lately on where my R4 reading - Revolt, Rebellion, Resistance and Revolution – is taking me and felt it was about time to tighten things up and focus where I want to go rather than wandering in a revolting open-ended desert. So, here are my thoughts….

My future focus will be directed much more at Rebellion and Resistance rather than Revolt or Revolution. Such things as the American, French and Russian Revolutions will come up no doubt but will only form background or context reading rather than anything else. Another aspect of the new focus will be time. Rebellions and Revolutions have occurred across the globe throughout recorded history. That’s a lot of ground to cover along with everything else I’ll be reading. So, the focus will be on modern examples of Rebellion in the post-Industrial Revolution period and, generally, dating from the 19th Century onwards. I think that the General Strike in 1926 has more relevance to what I’m trying to achieve (or understand) than the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381. Likewise the focus will be much more on street level rather than Dynastic or Factional power struggles within ruling bodies. I’m much more interested in what happened to the people than their so-called masters. Naturally this leads onto a number of iconic Civil Wars throughout history. My focus would indicate that the later Spanish Civil War would draw much more of my attention than the American Civil War and definitely more than the English Civil Wars of the 17th Century although, no doubt, all three events will get some coverage in my reading to come.

With an increasing emphasis on the modern age it’s inevitable that I will be reading about Revolutionary and, most probably, Terrorist organisations that we have grown all too familiar with over the last 50 years. Some of this reading will, no doubt, be uncomfortable especially as we continue to exist in era not too dissimilar to the 1970’s in so many ways (though thankfully without the questionable fashion sense). So expect books about Urban Terrorism and gangs such as the Red Army Faction in Germany and the Red Brigades in Italy. Bringing it more up to date I’ll also be dipping my toes into the dangerous worlds of groups like FARC and the PKK. The Kurds in particular are exhibiting an interesting pull on my attentions presently so expect to hear much more of them over the next year or so. Closer to home I will be reading some more about the situation in Ireland over the past 100 years or so and might even be able to acquire something on that fascinating little group known as The Angry Brigade who so vexed the British authorities back in the early 70’s. Moving away from Europe I’ll also be looking at American radicalism in the 70’s with the SDS and the Weathermen Underground before bringing things up to date with Occupy and Black Lives Matter.

So where am I going with all this? To be honest I’m not completely sure yet. I have been fascinated with acts of rebellion for as long as I can remember. After all I AM a child of the 60’s! What I’m hoping for is that I discover something, a nugget, which I can delve into and build around enough to allow me to create a project for a PhD. At least that’s the longer term dream. I think I’m much more likely to find such a nugget if I narrow my focus in the way I’ve outlined above. I guess that we’ll see where I end up.