John Ross Campbell
Encyclopedia
John Ross "Johnny" Campbell (15 October 1894 – 18 September 1969), best known as "J.R. Campbell," was a British
communist activist and newspaper editor. Campbell is best remembered as the principal in the so-called Campbell Case
. In 1924, Campbell was charged under the Incitement to Mutiny Act for an article published in the paper Workers' Weekly
. The decision by the government of Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald
to withdraw prosecution of Campbell lead to the loss of a confidence vote
in the House of Commons, forcing the elections which ended the first Labour
government in October 1924. Campbell remained a top leader and leading public figure associated with the British Communist Party from the 1920s through the 1960s.
, Scotland
. Campbell joined the British Socialist Party
in 1912. During World War I
he served in the Royal Naval Division and was wounded in active service. He was awarded the Military Medal
for bravery in battle.
Following the war, Campbell returned to Scotland and was active in the Clyde Workers' Committee
. From 1921 to 1924 he edited its newspaper, The Worker. He followed the British Socialist Party
into the newly formed Communist Party of Great Britain
(CPGB), of which he was a foundation member, and frequently served on its Central Committee beginning with its reorganisation in August 1923.
In August 1923, Campbell along with his close associate Willie Gallacher
were named joint secretaries of the British Bureau of the Red International of Labour Unions, with Tom Mann
remaining as Chairman of the organisation.
, together with a similar article published on 1 August 1924, was the basis for Campbell being charged under the Incitement to Mutiny Act of 1797.
This became known as the "Campbell Case," and when the first Labour Government dropped the prosecution, the combined Conservative
and Liberal Party
opposition won a vote of no confidence, which in turn led to the 1924 UK general election.
Campbell defended the Communist Party's decision to publish the aggressive articles in a pamphlet published late in 1924:
under the Incitement to Mutiny Act. He was sentenced to six months in prison, but was released before the British general strike of May 1926.
Campbell was elected to the Executive Committee of the Communist International in 1928, and used the opportunity to argue against its hostility to joint work with the Labour Party
.
During the 1930s, Johnny Campbell was one of the public figures most closely identified with the CPGB in the public eye, along with Harry Pollitt
and Willie Gallacher
.
In 1932, Campbell became the Foreign Editor of the CPGB's Daily Worker newspaper, then later in the decade became its Assistant Editor, and in 1939 served briefly as its editor. In that same year, he published Soviet Policy and its Critics, largely a defence of the Moscow Trials
, having spent a year in Moscow
observing the events.
On 3 September 1939, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
spoke to the nation on the BBC
, announcing the declaration of war between Britain and Nazi Germany
. Along with CPGB leader Harry Pollitt
, Daily Worker editor Johnny Campbell sought to portray the conflict against Hitler as a continuation of the anti-fascist
fight. However, backed with the knowledge of the details of the Hitler-Stalin Pact and seeking to preserve the Soviet Union by turning Hitler's attention to Western Europe, the Comintern quickly signaled that the conflict was to be portrayed by the world communist movement as an "Imperialist War" between two more or less equally culpable blocs of capitalist nations.
Harry Pollitt and Johnny Campbell remained opposed to this interpretation of the conflict. On 2 and 3 October the governing Central Committee of the CPGB met and voted 21-3 in favor of the Communist International's "Imperialist War" thesis. Pollitt was removed from his position as General Secretary and Campbell as Daily Worker editor at that time, although the cashiering of the third member of the minority, Willie Gallacher, the CPGB's only Member of Parliament
, was considered unthinkable. Neither Pollitt nor Campbell publicly fought the party over its new Moscow-determined orientation and neither was expelled for their dissent. When the party line on the war changed once again following Hitler's invasion of the USSR in June 1941, both Pollitt and Campbell were restored to the party's good graces.
From 1949 until 1959, Campbell again served as editor of the Daily Worker. In 1956 he supported the Soviet invasion of Hungary, although in 1968 he condemned the similar Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia
.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
communist activist and newspaper editor. Campbell is best remembered as the principal in the so-called Campbell Case
Campbell Case
The Campbell Case of 1924 involved charges against a British Communist newspaper editor for alleged "incitement to mutiny" caused by his publication of a provocative open letter to members of the military...
. In 1924, Campbell was charged under the Incitement to Mutiny Act for an article published in the paper Workers' Weekly
Workers' Weekly
The Workers' Weekly was the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Great Britain, established in February of 1923. The publication was succeeded by The Daily Worker in 1930.-Forerunners:...
. The decision by the government of Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
to withdraw prosecution of Campbell lead to the loss of a confidence vote
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
in the House of Commons, forcing the elections which ended the first Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
government in October 1924. Campbell remained a top leader and leading public figure associated with the British Communist Party from the 1920s through the 1960s.
Early years
J.R. Campbell was born 15 October 1894 in PaisleyPaisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Campbell joined the British Socialist Party
British Socialist Party
The British Socialist Party was a Marxist political organisation established in Great Britain in 1911. Following a protracted period of factional struggle, in 1916 the party's anti-war forces gained decisive control of the party and saw the defection of its pro-war Right Wing...
in 1912. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he served in the Royal Naval Division and was wounded in active service. He was awarded the Military Medal
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
for bravery in battle.
Following the war, Campbell returned to Scotland and was active in the Clyde Workers' Committee
Clyde Workers' Committee
The Clyde Workers Committee was formed to campaign against the Munitions Act. The leader of the CWC was Willie Gallacher, who was jailed under the Defense of the Realm Act together with John Muir for an article in the CWC journal The Worker criticising World War I.-External links:**...
. From 1921 to 1924 he edited its newspaper, The Worker. He followed the British Socialist Party
British Socialist Party
The British Socialist Party was a Marxist political organisation established in Great Britain in 1911. Following a protracted period of factional struggle, in 1916 the party's anti-war forces gained decisive control of the party and saw the defection of its pro-war Right Wing...
into the newly formed Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
(CPGB), of which he was a foundation member, and frequently served on its Central Committee beginning with its reorganisation in August 1923.
In August 1923, Campbell along with his close associate Willie Gallacher
Willie Gallacher
William "Willie" Gallacher was a Scottish trade unionist, activist and communist. He was one of the leading figures of the Shop Stewards' Movement in wartime Glasgow and a founding member of the Communist Party of Great Britain...
were named joint secretaries of the British Bureau of the Red International of Labour Unions, with Tom Mann
Tom Mann
Tom Mann was a noted British trade unionist. Largely self-educated, Mann became a successful organiser and a popular public speaker in the labour movement.-Early years:...
remaining as Chairman of the organisation.
The Campbell Case of 1924
In 1924, Campbell moved to London to become acting editor of the CPGB's Workers' Weekly newspaper. On 25 July 1924, Campbell published an article entitled "An Open Letter to Fighting Forces," which called on the armed forces to unite to form "the nucleus of an organisation that will prepare the whole of the soldiers, sailors and airmen, not merely to refuse to go to war, or to refuse to shoot strikers during industrial conflicts, but will make it possible for the workers, peasants and soldiers and airmen to go forward in a common attack upon the capitalists and smash capitalism for ever, and institute the reign of the whole working class." The article, written anonymously by Harry PollittHarry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt was the head of the trade union department of the Communist Party of Great Britain and the General Secretary of the party for more than 20 years.- Early life :...
, together with a similar article published on 1 August 1924, was the basis for Campbell being charged under the Incitement to Mutiny Act of 1797.
This became known as the "Campbell Case," and when the first Labour Government dropped the prosecution, the combined Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
opposition won a vote of no confidence, which in turn led to the 1924 UK general election.
Campbell defended the Communist Party's decision to publish the aggressive articles in a pamphlet published late in 1924:
"...[T]he Communist Party of Great Britain had to call attention to the fact that the Labour Government, while talking of its attachment to the cause of peace, was continuing the policy of previous imperialist governments. We had to expose to the Labour movement the true nature of this policy and to ask the Labour movement, if it was sincerely opposed to war, to fight war by all the means in its power.
"On the question of armaments, we advocated the policy of no credits for capitalist armaments.
"On the question of empire, we advocated that the Labour movement should force the government to abandon the brutal and cowardly repression of the struggling colonial peoples.
"We asserted that the Labour Government could prove its attachment to peace in a practical fashion, by publishing the secret treaties and the secret war plans in the archives of the Foreign and War Offices."
Later political career
In 1925, Campbell was one of 12 members of the Communist Party convicted at the Old BaileyOld Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
under the Incitement to Mutiny Act. He was sentenced to six months in prison, but was released before the British general strike of May 1926.
Campbell was elected to the Executive Committee of the Communist International in 1928, and used the opportunity to argue against its hostility to joint work with the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.
During the 1930s, Johnny Campbell was one of the public figures most closely identified with the CPGB in the public eye, along with Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt was the head of the trade union department of the Communist Party of Great Britain and the General Secretary of the party for more than 20 years.- Early life :...
and Willie Gallacher
Willie Gallacher
William "Willie" Gallacher was a Scottish trade unionist, activist and communist. He was one of the leading figures of the Shop Stewards' Movement in wartime Glasgow and a founding member of the Communist Party of Great Britain...
.
In 1932, Campbell became the Foreign Editor of the CPGB's Daily Worker newspaper, then later in the decade became its Assistant Editor, and in 1939 served briefly as its editor. In that same year, he published Soviet Policy and its Critics, largely a defence of the Moscow Trials
Moscow Trials
The Moscow Trials were a series of show trials conducted in the Soviet Union and orchestrated by Joseph Stalin during the Great Purge of the 1930s. The victims included most of the surviving Old Bolsheviks, as well as the leadership of the Soviet secret police...
, having spent a year in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
observing the events.
On 3 September 1939, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...
spoke to the nation on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, announcing the declaration of war between Britain and Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. Along with CPGB leader Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt was the head of the trade union department of the Communist Party of Great Britain and the General Secretary of the party for more than 20 years.- Early life :...
, Daily Worker editor Johnny Campbell sought to portray the conflict against Hitler as a continuation of the anti-fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
fight. However, backed with the knowledge of the details of the Hitler-Stalin Pact and seeking to preserve the Soviet Union by turning Hitler's attention to Western Europe, the Comintern quickly signaled that the conflict was to be portrayed by the world communist movement as an "Imperialist War" between two more or less equally culpable blocs of capitalist nations.
Harry Pollitt and Johnny Campbell remained opposed to this interpretation of the conflict. On 2 and 3 October the governing Central Committee of the CPGB met and voted 21-3 in favor of the Communist International's "Imperialist War" thesis. Pollitt was removed from his position as General Secretary and Campbell as Daily Worker editor at that time, although the cashiering of the third member of the minority, Willie Gallacher, the CPGB's only Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, was considered unthinkable. Neither Pollitt nor Campbell publicly fought the party over its new Moscow-determined orientation and neither was expelled for their dissent. When the party line on the war changed once again following Hitler's invasion of the USSR in June 1941, both Pollitt and Campbell were restored to the party's good graces.
From 1949 until 1959, Campbell again served as editor of the Daily Worker. In 1956 he supported the Soviet invasion of Hungary, although in 1968 he condemned the similar Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
Publications by J.R. Campbell
- Direct Action: An Outline of Workshop and Social Organisation. With William Gallacher. Glasgow: Scottish Workers' Committees, 1919.
- My Case. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, n.d. [1924].
- What is the Use of Parliament? The Limitations of Parliamentary Democracy as Disclosed in the General Election, 1924. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, n.d. [c. 1925].
- The Communist Party on Trial: J.R. Campbell's Defence: The Speech for the Defence. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, n.d. [1925].
- Communism and Industrial Peace. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, 1928.
- Red Politics in the Trade Unions: Who Are the Disrupters? London: Communist Party of Great Britain, 1928.
- Is Labour Lost? The New Labour Party's Programme Examined. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, 1928.
- Rationalisation and British Industry. London: Trinity Trust, 1928.
- Preparing for Revolt. With N. Lenin. London: Modern Books, 1929.
- Only Communism Can Conquer Unemployment: A Reply to Lloyd George and Others. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, n.d. [1929].
- Arguments of the Opponents of the United Front in England. London: Modern Books, 1936.
- Peace — But How? A Workshop Talk. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, n.d. [c. 1936].
- Spain Organises for Victory: The Policy of the Communist Party of Spain. With Jesús Hernández and Joan Comorera. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, n.d. [1937].
- Spain's "Left" Critics. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, 1937.
- Questions and Answers on Communism. London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1938.
- Soviet Policy and Its Critics. London: Victor Gollancz, 1939.
- Doing Well Out of the War? London: Communist Party of Great Britain, 1941.
- Russia's Way to Victory. London: Modern Books, n.d. [1941].
- Socialism through Victory: A Reply to the Policy of the ILP. Glasgow: Scottish District Committee, Communist Party of Great Britain, n.d. [1942].
- Disquiet on the Home Front. London: Trinity Trust, 1943.
- The War Worker and the Second Front. London: Trinity Trust, 1944.
- Trotskyist Saboteurs. London: Daily Worker League, 1944.
- The Plan of British Socialism. London: Trinity Trust, 1944.
- Post War "Daily Worker" Conference, May 12: J.R. Campbell Reports. London: Daily Worker League, n.d. [1945].
- Over to Peace: Communist Policy for the Conversion of Industry. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, 1945.
- The Communist Answer to the Challenge of our Time: A Reprint of the Lectures. With John Lewis, J.D. Bernal, Randall Swingler, B. Farrington, and H. Levy. London: Thames, 1947.
- A Socialist Solution to the Crisis. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, n.d. [1948].
- William Rust, A Fighter for the People. With William Rust. London: Peoples' Press Printing Society, 1949.
- The Story of the Daily Worker. With William Rust and Allen Hunt. London: Peoples' Press Printing Society, 1949.
- Welfare State or Warfare State? An Appeal to Every Sincere Labour Man and Woman. With Harry Pollitt and R. Palme Dutt. London : People's Press Printing Society, n.d. [1950].
- Creative Marxism versus Vulgar "Marxism." New York: American Marxist Association, 1955.
- Some Economic Illusions in the Labour Movement. London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1959.
- Robert Burns "the Democrat" (1759-1959). Glasgow: Communist Party, Scottish Committee, n.d. [1959].
- 40 Fighting Years: The Communist Record, 1920 - 1960: Some Highlights in the Life of the Communist Party of Great Britain. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, 1960.
- The Case for Higher Wages: The Incomes Policy Racket Exposed. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, 1963.
- Hands Off the Trade Unions. London: Communist Party of Great Britain, 1965.