20th
Century Scotland - An Introduction
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The
20th century was a period of huge upheaval in Scotland. Two world
wars, the decline of the British Empire, economic depression, the
political awakening of both women and the working classes, the prolonged
process of industrial decline, and struggle for urban regeneration
all took their toll on both the character and appearance of Scotland.
Scottish national identity was becoming ever more complex, pluralistic
and dependent on differences in race, gender and class. These colossal
changes are well demonstrated in the experience of Glasgow and Clydeside
down through the century.
World War I
The First
World War (1914-18) was a new experience for the people of Scotland,
as it was for all the nations involved in the conflict. Never before
had people seen mass destruction of such intensity, executed with
such highly mechanised precision. The initial reaction to the outbreak
of war, however, was one of enthusiasm generally. Scotland's military
status in the British Empire at the time was well established as
a source of hardy, front-line troops - a reputation which was cherished
and nurtured by the Scots Regiments - and this was perhaps instrumental
in the patriotism with which the nation met the call to arms. A
glut of young Scots signed up at the recruiting agencies, with friends,
families and communities being sent off to the trenches together
in groups in a bid to raise morale and comradeship. This enthusiasm,
however, was soon quelled when the scale of the slaughter on the
Western Front became apparent, and whole streets and communities
were suddenly fatherless after single battles. Scotland provided
more men in proportion to population than any other part of Britain,
and lost more men than any other country participating in the conflict
with the exception of Turkey and Serbia, whose death-toll was exacerbated
by disease.
The Great War
changed the face of Scotland in a number of ways and set in motion
social changes which reverberated down through the century. Warfare
on this scale was only possible when bolstered by a powerful industrial
sector, and in the early 20th century Clydeside was the 'workshop
of the world'. The shipyards along the Clyde answered the Navy's
call as submarine warfare in the Atlantic ravaged the British Fleet,
whilst engineering shops and metal plants met the enormous demand
for munitions. Labour shortages drew many more workers to the area
and encouraged the development of machine-power over man-power in
the factories. Besides this, the bulk of the population was being
concentrated in the west of the central belt, around Glasgow, bringing
about a huge working class populace living in inadequate and cramped
accommodation, and becoming increasingly unionised and politically
active. Scotland was also becoming perilously over-dependent on
heavy industry as the nation's provider. It is apparent, in hindsight,
how important the Great War was in influencing Scotland's path through
the 20th century, and how future economic discontent was being nurtured
at this time.
The Rise
of Red Clydeside
Although
socialist ideas were permeating through Scotland prior to the First
World War, there was scant representation in parliament and the
majority of the skilled working-class voters remained loyal to the
Liberal Party. Most working-class people were not entitled to vote
and the political agenda was vastly different before the war. 91热爆
Rule had been a major political issue since the 1880s, with devolution
motions gaining majorities in the parliaments of 1894 and 1895 before
being dismissed on the grounds of a lack of parliamentary time.
In the years immediately prior to the War, momentum had built on
this issue until a 91热爆 Rule Bill passed its second reading in the
House of Commons in 1914, only to be dropped when the country entered
into a state of war. It was the war which seemed to change the political
direction of Scotland.
Many Scots
were beginning to feel under-represented by the Liberals at the
time and this was aggravated by the Liberal government's handling
of the War. Prime Minister, Lloyd George, treated the Unions and
Socialist organisations on Clydeside with distrust: as subversive
elements which were a danger to the war effort, and this led many
Scots to dissociate with the Liberals as champions of the working
classes. This was demonstrated during the Glasgow Rent Strike of
1915, a popular protest against greedy landlords raising rents on
often sub-standard housing whilst many breadwinners were on the
Western Front dying for their country. The protest was supported
whole-heartedly by the Unions, Labour Party and the left-wing suffragettes,
but only grudgingly by a Liberal government who wanted to avoid
civil unrest and feared for their Clydeside munitions supply. Scottish
membership of the Independent Labour Party tripled during the Great
War and this figure is indicative of the mobilisation in political
allegiance at the time.
Several more
factors contributed to the rising tide of socialism as the war drew
to a close. In 1918 the size of the electorate tripled with the
enfranchisement of mainly working-class men. In 1920 Ireland was
split and Labour gained much of the Catholic vote from the Liberal
Party. Then the major world-wide economic depression of the 1920s
and 30s set in, particularly affecting the Scottish economy with
its dependence on heavy industry and international markets. The
rise of Red Clydeside was apparent by the 1922 election when Labour
became the biggest party in Scotland, gaining 29 MPs, who left Glasgow
for Westminster amidst triumphant scenes and glorious speeches.
It
was a time when Scottish politics became polarised and the middle
classes swung to the right-wing Unionist Party in reaction to the
'red menace'. These fears were perhaps accentuated by the recent
events of the Russian Revolution, but a demonstration of how seriously
the government took the situation was evident in 1919, with their
reaction to a 40-hour strike in Glasgow. The protest of 100,000
people quickly escalated to a riot, with the red flag being raised
in George Square and the police responding with baton charges. The
government's backlash to the riot was extreme: the protest was viewed
as a Bolshevist rising, with 12,000 troops, machine guns and tanks
called on the streets of Glasgow. What was seen by most workers
as a protest against unfair working conditions and rents was viewed
as imminent revolution by the government. The strikers' demands
were dismissed and the whole debacle obviously strengthened socialist
convictions in industrial Scotland. Red Clydeside, the Labour Party
and Trade Unionism were to be a major force in Scotland throughout
the rest of the century.
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