General secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions GAWAIN LITTLE calls for support and participation in the national partnership organised to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1926 general strike
After the revolution: the new Portugal takes shape
Covering the revolt for East German television 50 years ago, JOHN GREEN witnessed first-hand how the revolution blossomed and withered, as anti-worker and reformist forces aligned to keep the Communist Party from power

THE whole revolution had to be planned in such secrecy that only a few officers knew about it and no-one could be certain how far other regiments would support them.
It is amazing how small groups of soldiers, like these with their obsolete vehicles, were nevertheless able to frighten and scatter the dictatorship’s demoralised forces.
“We had strict instructions not to open fire unless absolutely necessary,” a major tells us. “We wanted to avoid the spilling of blood at all costs, so we spoke to the non-committed troops trying to win them over to our side. This we managed to do. Only one or two top-ranking officers refused to join us, and they were arrested.” It was a totally bloodless revolution.
More from this author

JOHN GREEN recommends an entertaining, if harsh and instructive, study of bullying, discipline and power dynamics in schools and at work

JOHN GREEN surveys the remarkable career of screenwriter Malcolm Hulke and the essential part played by his membership of the Communist Party

As climate change makes vast mineral deposits accessible, the island’s 56,000 residents face unprecedented pressure from Trump’s territorial ambitions while struggling to maintain their traditional way of life, writes JOHN GREEN

JOHN GREEN is dissatisfied with a book that fails to address the promotion of ignorance as a ruling-class strategy to maintain control