Anti-Socialist Union
Encyclopedia
The Anti-Socialist Union was a British
political pressure group that supported free trade
economics and opposed socialism
. It was active from 1908 to 1948 with its heyday occurring before the First World War.
economic position as contemporaries such as the Liberty and Property Defence League
and the British Constitution Association
, the ASU was established in 1908 by Daily Express
editor R. D. Blumenfeld
. Avowedly non-political its main membership came from the Conservative Party
and the ASU campaigned against the social reforms enacted by the Liberal Party
governments of Henry Campbell-Bannerman
and Herbert Henry Asquith, denouncing these as socialist initiatives.
amongst its membership. Other leading members in the early years included William Hurrell Mallock
, Walter Long and Samuel Hoare.
The group went on hiatus during the First World War before being revived initially under the name Reconstruction Society before becoming the Anti-Socialist and Anti-Communist Union, attacking such figures as Harold Laski
and Maurice Dobb
whilst also attempting to prove links between the Labour Party
and the Soviet Union
. By this time however its role had largely been usurped by the British Empire Union
and with no local branch structure it struggled for influence.
Although avowedly a free trade movement the ASU found itself linked with the fascist
movements that began to emerge in the 1920s, largely due to their shared opposition to communism
. Under the presidency of Brigadier-General R.B.D. Blakeney
the British Fascists
(BF) forged links with the ASU with a number of ASU members from military backgrounds joining the BF. Leading ASU figures such as George Makgill
, John Baker White
and even Blumenfeld became associated with the BF. Nesta Webster
, a leading BF ideologue, was also a member of the ASU and wrote and researched a number of their publications. Also at this time the chairman of the ASU was Wilfrid Ashley, who would later also serve as the Chairman of the Anglo-German Fellowship
. Generally however the Union disavowed fascism
and did not formally work with any fascist groups.
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
political pressure group that supported free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
economics and opposed socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
. It was active from 1908 to 1948 with its heyday occurring before the First World War.
Formation
Coming from the same laissez-faireLaissez-faire
In economics, laissez-faire describes an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from state intervention, including restrictive regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies....
economic position as contemporaries such as the Liberty and Property Defence League
Liberty and Property Defence League
The Liberty and Property Defence League was a historic organization, founded in 1882 by Lord Elcho, for the support of laissez-faire trade...
and the British Constitution Association
British Constitution Association
The British Constitution Association, founded in 1905 as the British Constitutional Association, was a pressure group designed to oppose increasing state regulation, whether from the Liberal Party's New Liberalism or Joseph Chamberlain's proposals for Tariff Reform...
, the ASU was established in 1908 by Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
editor R. D. Blumenfeld
R. D. Blumenfeld
Ralph David Blumenfeld was an American-born journalist, writer and newspaper editor who is chiefly notable for having been in charge of the British newspaper Daily Express from 1902 to 1932....
. Avowedly non-political its main membership came from the Conservative Party
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 the ASU campaigned against the social reforms enacted by the 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...
governments of Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Henry Campbell-Bannerman
Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB was a British Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908. He also served as Secretary of State for War twice, in the Cabinets of Gladstone and Rosebery...
and Herbert Henry Asquith, denouncing these as socialist initiatives.
Activities
The group was active in the election campaigns of January and December 1910 when some of its rallies and meetings ended in violence. Enjoying a circulation of some 70,000 for its journal around that time, the ASU included a young Stanley BaldwinStanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
amongst its membership. Other leading members in the early years included William Hurrell Mallock
William Hurrell Mallock
William Hurrell Mallock was an English novelist and economics writer.-Biography:He was educated privately and then at Balliol College, Oxford. He won the Newdigate prize in 1872 and took a second class in the final classical schools in 1874, securing his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford...
, Walter Long and Samuel Hoare.
The group went on hiatus during the First World War before being revived initially under the name Reconstruction Society before becoming the Anti-Socialist and Anti-Communist Union, attacking such figures as Harold Laski
Harold Laski
Harold Joseph Laski was a British Marxist, political theorist, economist, author, and lecturer, who served as the chairman of the Labour Party during 1945-1946, and was a professor at the LSE from 1926 to 1950....
and Maurice Dobb
Maurice Dobb
Maurice Herbert Dobb , was a British Marxist economist, and a lecturer 1924-1959 and Reader 1959-1976 at Cambridge University and a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge 1948-1976.-Life:...
whilst also attempting to prove links between 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...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. By this time however its role had largely been usurped by the British Empire Union
British Empire Union
The British Empire Union was created in the United Kingdom during World War I, in 1916, after changing its name from the Anti-German Union, which had been founded in 1915...
and with no local branch structure it struggled for influence.
Although avowedly a free trade movement the ASU found itself linked with the 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...
movements that began to emerge in the 1920s, largely due to their shared opposition to communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. Under the presidency of Brigadier-General R.B.D. Blakeney
R.B.D. Blakeney
Brigadier-General Robert Byron Drury Blakeney, generally known as R.B.D. Blakeney, was a British Army general and fascist politician...
the British Fascists
British Fascists
The British Fascists were the first avowedly fascist organisation in the United Kingdom. William Joyce, Neil Francis Hawkins, Maxwell Knight and Arnold Leese were amongst those to have passed through the movement as members and activists.-Early years:...
(BF) forged links with the ASU with a number of ASU members from military backgrounds joining the BF. Leading ASU figures such as George Makgill
George Makgill
Sir George Makgill, 11th Baronet was a Scottish novelist and right-wing propagandist.George Makgill was the son of Captain John Makgill and Margaret Isabella Haldane, sister of Lord Haldane. Educated privately, Makgill lived for several years in New Zealand where his father had a station at Waiuku...
, John Baker White
John Baker White
John Baker White started his career as a political activist becoming a director of a private organisation dedicated to fighting left-wing subversion. He became an amateur spy in Nazi Germany before becoming a propaganda agent during World War II. In 1945, he was elected a Conservative politician...
and even Blumenfeld became associated with the BF. Nesta Webster
Nesta Webster
Nesta Helen Webster , was a controversial historian, occultist, and author who revived conspiracy theories about the Illuminati. She argued that the secret society's members were occultists, plotting communist world domination, using the idea of a Jewish cabal, the Masons and Jesuits as a...
, a leading BF ideologue, was also a member of the ASU and wrote and researched a number of their publications. Also at this time the chairman of the ASU was Wilfrid Ashley, who would later also serve as the Chairman of the Anglo-German Fellowship
Anglo-German Fellowship
The Anglo-German Fellowship was a group which existed from 1935 to 1939 and aimed to build up friendship between the United Kingdom and Germany; it was widely perceived as being allied to Nazism...
. Generally however the Union disavowed fascism
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...
and did not formally work with any fascist groups.
Dissolution
The group continued until 1948 when it was wound up, turning its assets over to the Economic LeagueEconomic League (UK)
The Economic League was an organisation in the United Kingdom dedicated to opposing what they saw as subversion and action against free enterprise....
.