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Harry Pollitt | |
|---|---|
.png) Pollitt in 1934 | |
| Born | 22 November 1890 Droylsden, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 27 June 1960 (aged 69) Great Australian Bight, aboard SS Orion |
| Nationality | British |
| Political orientation | Marxism-Leninism Revisionism |
| Political party | CPGB |
Harry Pollitt (22 November 1890 – 27 June 1960) was a British communist who served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) from July 1929 to September 1939 and again from 1941 to 1956. After being succeeded as General Secretary by John Gollan in 1956, he served as party chairman until his death in 1960. Pollitt spent most of his life as a Marxist-Leninist in support of the USSR and in particular Joseph Stalin, however, in 1951 he would help write the CPGB's revisionist party program, Britain’s Road to Socialism, which continues to distort the British communist movement to this day.
Early life[edit | edit source]
Pollitt was born on November 22, 1890 in the textile village of Droylsden in Lancashire. His father was a blacksmith's striker whilst his mother was a weaver, both of who were ardent trade unionists. At the age of 12 he started working with his mother at the mill as a half-timer. His experiences at the mill; witnessing the conditions his mother was subjected to, helped shape his views on socialism and his desire to bring down the ruling class. Consequently he was introduced to his local Independent Labour Party branch by his mother, which he would become an enthusiastic member of in 1909.[1]
Pollitt became a boilermaker’s apprentice at Gorton Tank railway locomotive building plant before becoming a first-class member of the Boilermakers’ Society in 1912. He retained this membership proudly all his life and was later elected London district secretary of the Boilermakers’ Society in 1919.[1]
Young militant[edit | edit source]
In 1912 he took part in the formation of the British Socialist Party with his local organisation and spoke firmly in favour of revolution instead of the reformism, producing his first leaflet, Socialism or Social Reform, arguing thus in 1911. His outlook made him an outspoken opponent of the First World War, regarding it as a war between rival imperialist groups in which the workers on both sides would suffer and gain nothing.[1] For the duration of the war he devoted his energy to strengthening working class organisation and improving working conditions, helping lead a 1915 strike of shipyard workers in Southampton.[2] His work led to his victimisation by the capitalist owners of big factories or shipyards who refused to give him employment forcing him to work in smaller workshops.[1]
When news of the success of the October Revolution in Russia arrived in 1917, Pollitt was overjoyed at his foreign comrades' success and subsequently became a steadfast supporter of the Soviet Union. When the young Socialist Republic was attacked by the armies of the imperialist powers, Pollitt immediately joined the Hands off Russia campaign to oppose the intervention, becoming a national organiser for the movement. When it was discovered in May 1920 that the British Government intended to ship arms on board the SS Jolly George for Poland to use in the Polish–Soviet War, Pollitt helped convince the London dockers to refuse to load the vessel. The British government retreated from the conflict soon after.[1]
In 1920 Pollitt took part in the foundation of the Communist Part of Great Britain before taking his first trip to the Soviet Union in 1921.[1] In 1922 he became a member of the CPGB Central Committee and of the Central Committee’s Politburo and from 1924 to 1943 he was a member of the Executive Committee of the Comintern. From 1921 to 1924 he was secretary of the London Bureau of the Red International of Trade Unions and between 1924 and 1929 he was general secretary of the National Minority movement opposing the reformism of other workers movements.[2]
In March 1925 Pollitt was kidnapped by a members of the British Fascists which prevented him speaking at a meeting in Liverpool. Later in the year, days after his marriage, he was arrested with eleven other leading members of the Communist Party. The charge was one of publishing seditious libel and inciting to commit breaches of the Incitement to Mutiny Act of 1797. The politically motivated charge resulted in Pollitt and others being sentenced to twelve months in prison enough to keep them conveniently locked up during the period of the 1926 General Strike.[1]
General Secretary[edit | edit source]
Pollitt was elected General Secretary in August 1929, replacing Albert Inkpin, and soon after in 1930 he played a leading role in launching party newspaper, the Daily Worker, which he regarded as essential for the interests of the working class. During the 1930’s he led great campaigns against unemployment and fascism, resulting in his temporary arrest in 1934 for speeches against the treatment of the unemployed. He also played a part in the organisation of the British section of the International Brigade and other forms of aid for the Republican Government of Spain in the Spanish Civil War against Franco's fascists supported by Hitler and Mussolini.[1]
In the leadup to the Second World War he consistently opposed Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasing and allowing the Nazi Germany to gain strength. He urged for an alliance between Britain, the Soviet Union and France to check fascism and achieve peace along with the opening up of a Second Front in the war and measures to produce a lasting peace. After the end of the war Pollitt became overly optimistic and began campaigning to abolish nuclear weapons and to end Statesian domination of Britain via an alliance between Britain and the USSR.[1]
Throughout his tenure as General Secretary he supported both the socialist nations and the people of colonised nations in their fights for independence. He visited many of these places on multiple occasions allowing him to see the progress being made in the Soviet Union, as well as in every socialist country in Europe and China. Pollitt made contributions to both Marxism and revisionism, most notably in his enthusiastic campaigning for the 1951 CPGB party program, Britain’s Road to Socialism, which distorted Marxism and called for a non-existent path to power via bourgeois democracy.[1]
Later life[edit | edit source]
In 1956 illness compelled him to retire from the position and instead accepted the post of chairman instead. His illness later became more serious and he sustained a stroke in March 1958 at the age of sixty-seven. His recovery was declared satisfactory enough to enable him to continue to do political campaigning and he was given medical clearance for his visit to Australia. However, on the way back to Britain from his tour of Australia, Pollitt died at the age of 69 on June 27, 1960. His funeral was held on July 9 and was attended by representatives from his own party as well as the PCF and CPSU, with numerous tributes pouring in from both Britain and the wider world.[1]