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20th Century Wars

On the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, we republish here Alan Woods' analysis of the Vietnam War, which highlights the significance of the Tet Offensive in bringing about the defeat of US imperialism.

The Vietnam War - a 17-hour documentary recently broadcast on the BBC - may well be the best such film yet produced on this still-controversial subject. Steve Jones reviews this incredible new documentary and the graphic account it provides of one of imperialism's most brutal wars.

Last week, on 6th and 9th August respectively, marked the 72nd anniversary of the dropping of two nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Stephen Agnew looks at the real history and factors behind the use of nuclear weapons at the end of World War Two.

In the final part in his series on World War One, Alan Woods looks at how the war was brought to an end by revolutionary upheavals across Europe, beginning with Russia in 1917 - a fact that has been buried under a mountain of myths, pacifist sentimentality, and lying patriotic propaganda.

The frontiers of the Arab world today are the product of a secret plan drawn in pencil on a map of the Levant in May 1916 in a deal struck between British and French imperialism at the height of the First World War. Worked out one hundred years ago, the Sykes-Picot agreement is now synonymous with imperial deceit, cynicism and treachery.

More Articles ...

  1. WWI – Part Thirteen: 1916–17 - the turning of the tide
  2. WWI – Part Twelve: Under Fire – the real face of war
  3. World War One: The Great Slaughter
  4. WWI – Part Eleven: Wilfred Owen and the Muse of War
  5. The Greek Revolution and Civil War: the Battle of Athens – Part Two
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Socialist Appeal are proud to publish this education guide to help focus your studies of Marxist theory and practice. Visit the various tabs below to find links to introductory articles, classic texts, videos and audio talks for different topics. Read More
Check out this selection of writings for an excellent introduction to many of the fundamentals of Marxist theory, providing a strong basis for those wishing to equip themselves with the ideas necessary in order to fight for socialism. Read More
Dialectical materialism is the philosophy or methodology of Marxism. We must seek to understand the laws of society and nature in order to change them. Read More
Historical materialism is the general theory of how and why society develops in the way it does. Each social system has its inherent laws of motion. If we want to overthrow capitalist society, we must understand how capitalism works. Read More
Marxist economics is the study of the laws of motion of capitalist society, allowing us to understand why capitalism perpetually goes into crisis, where inequality comes from, and what the alternative is. Read More
The Russian Revolution is the greatest event in world history for Marxists. Studying the events of 1917, and understanding why the Revolution degenerated into Stalinism, provides vital lessons for revolutionaries today. Read More
For Marxists, the state is not at all neutral. We must understand the state’s real basis and strip away its mysticism by treating it historically - taking in its origins, rise, and eventual fall. Read More
Anarchism is naturally attractive for those wanting to abolish capitalism. But only Marxist ideas can explain why bureaucracy and oppression exist - and how to overthrow the exploitative capitalist system. Read More
Marxists are irreconcilably opposed to the oppression of women and fight determinedly for liberation and against discrimination. We believe this will be achieved through the class struggle - to abolish the oppressive capitalist system. Read More
The madness of fascism expresses the historic crisis and dead-end of capitalism. But it could have been avoided if the working class had a united revolutionary leadership, prepared to take power. Read More
Nations have not always existed, nor will they always exist in the future. Marxists are internationalists, fighting for world socialist revolution as the only way forward for humanity and our planet. Read More
Wars represent the sharp extreme of capitalism’s impasse. Imperialism, Lenin said, was the "highest stage of capitalism". As long as the profit system exists, there will be wars over markets and spheres of influence. Read More
All written history, Marx stated, is the history of class struggle. Our task is to learn the lessons from history in order to prepare for the revolutionary events taking place today and in the future. Read More
Our aim is to spread the ideas of Marxism, in an organised fashion, amongst workers and youth. In order to do this, we must study the history and traditions of the working class. Read More
  • Educate Yourself
  • The Fundamentals of Marxism: suggested reading
  • Dialectical Materialism and Science
  • Historical Materialism
  • Marxist Economics
  • Russia, Lenin, Trotsky and Stalinism
  • The State
  • Anarchism
  • Women's liberation
  • Fascism
  • The National Question
  • Imperialism and War
  • Revolutionary History
  • Revolutionary Strategy