Workers' Dreadnought

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title: "Workers' Dreadnought" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["newspapers-established-in-1914", "publications-disestablished-in-1924", "political-newspapers-published-in-the-united-kingdom", "women's-suffrage-in-the-united-kingdom", "left-communism", "defunct-newspapers-published-in-the-united-kingdom", "1914-establishments-in-the-united-kingdom", "1924-disestablishments-in-the-united-kingdom", "london-newspapers", "socialist-newspapers-published-in-the-united-kingdom"] topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workers'_Dreadnought" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox newspaper"]

FieldValue
nameWorkers' Dreadnought
logoWorkers' Dreadnought masthead.png
mottoFor International Socialism
typeWeekly newspaper
formatBroadsheet
ownerWorkers' Socialist Federation
founderSylvia Pankhurst
publisherDreadnought Publications
editorSylvia Pankhurst
general_managerHarold Burgess
founded
political_position
ceased_publication
headquarters152 Fleet Street, London
publishing_countryUnited Kingdom
circulation10,000
circulation_date1917
circulation_ref
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| name = Workers' Dreadnought | logo = Workers' Dreadnought masthead.png | logo_size = | logo_alt = | image = | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = | motto = For International Socialism | type = Weekly newspaper | format = Broadsheet | owner = Workers' Socialist Federation | founder = Sylvia Pankhurst | publisher = Dreadnought Publications | editor = Sylvia Pankhurst | general_manager = Harold Burgess | founded = | political_position = | ceased_publication = | headquarters = 152 Fleet Street, London | publishing_country = United Kingdom | circulation = 10,000 | circulation_date = 1917 | circulation_ref = | sister_newspapers = Workers' Dreadnought was a communist newspaper based in London and led by Sylvia Pankhurst.

The paper was started by Pankhurst at the suggestion of Zelie Emerson, after Pankhurst had been expelled from the Women's Social and Political Union by her mother and sister. The paper was published on behalf of the newly formed East London Federation of Suffragettes.

Provisionally titled Workers' Mate, the newspaper first appeared on 8 March 1914, as The Woman's Dreadnought, with a circulation of 20,000 stated.

When the editor was imprisoned, Norah Smyth alternated as acting editor with Jack O'Sullivan. For many years, Smyth had used her skills as a photographer to provide pictures for the newspaper of East End life, particularly of women and children living in poverty.

On 28 July 1917, the name was changed to Workers' Dreadnought, which initially had a circulation of 10,000. Its slogan changed to "Socialism, Internationalism, Votes for All", and then in July 1918 to "For International Socialism", reflecting increasing opposition to Parliamentarism in the party.

The paper took a strong stance against the First World War, calling for Britain to begin peace negotiations, and speaking positively of Russia's exit from the war. The paper's first issue for October 1917 advocated for a peace referendum among the British Army, but before it could enter circulation the Metropolitan Police raided offices of Workers Dreadnought and destroyed the copies of the issue.

On 19 June 1920,* Workers' Dreadnought* was adopted as the official weekly organ of the Communist Party (British Section of the Third International).

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| source = Claude McKay, "A Black Man Replies" in Workers' Dreadnought (24 April 1920) | width = 22em|I write because I feel that the ultimate result of your propaganda will be further strife and blood-spilling between whites and the many members of my race... who have been dumped down on the English docks since the ending of the European war... Bourbons of the United States will thank you, and the proletarian underworld of London will certainly gloat over the scoop of the Christian-Socialist pacifist Daily Herald.

The paper warned of fascism in Italy, condemned the white labourism in South Africa's Rand Rebellion.

Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested under the Defence of the Realm Act for publishing articles "calculated and likely to cause sedition among His Majesty's forces, in the Navy, and among the civilian population". Claude McKay had his rooms searched. He is likely to have been the author of "The Yellow Peril and the Dockers" attributed to "Leon Lopez", which was one of the articles cited by the government in its case against Workers' Dreadnought.

On 14 June 1924, Workers' Dreadnought ceased publication.

References

References

  1. (1999). "Sylvia Pankhurst: A Life in Radical Politics". Pluto Press.
  2. "Workers' Dreadnought".
  3. ["Date: 8 March 1914 (1) Newspaper: Woman's Dreadnought]"](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1914-03-08?NewspaperTitle=Woman%2527s%2BDreadnought&IssueId=BL%2F0002235%2F19140308%2F&County=London%2C%20England).
  4. Ian Bullock. "Romancing the Revolution: The Myth of Soviet Democracy and the British Left".
  5. Rosemary Betterton. "An Intimate Distance: Women, Artists and the Body".
  6. M. A. S. Shipway, ''Anti-Parliamentary Communism in Britain 1917-1945'', vol.1, p.26
  7. Pankhurst, Sylvia. (21 July 1917). "The Woman's Dreadnought. Jul 21 1917".
  8. M. A. S. Shipway. "Anti-Parliamentary Communism in Britain 1917-1945".
  9. Taylor, J. H.. (2021). "The Fight to a Finish: War-resisters in South London and Beyond 1917-19".
  10. "SYLVIA PANKHURST".
  11. (18 October 1917). "The Women's Peace Crusade". [[Labour Leader]].
  12. (26 June 1919). "Communist Party (British Section of the Third International". Workers' Dreadnought.
  13. Reinders, Robert C.. (April 1968). "Racialism on the Left E.D. Morel and the "Black Horror on the Rhine"". International Review of Social History.
  14. Nickels, Joel. (2014). "Claude Mckay and Dissident Internationalism". Cultural Critique.
  15. McKay, Claude. (1985). "A Long Way From Home". Pluto Press.
  16. James, Winston. (2017). "In the Nest of Extreme Radicalism: Radical Networks and the Bolshevization of Claude McKay in London". Comparative American Studies.
  17. (2016). "'A Black Man Replies': Claude McKay's Challenge to the British Left". Lateral.
  18. Béliard, Yann. (2016). "A "Labour War" in South Africa: the 1922 Rand Revolution in Sylvia Pankhurst's Workers' Dreadnought". Labor History.
  19. Cooper, Wayne F.. (1996). "Claude McKay, Rebel Sojourner in the Harlem Renaissance: A Biography". LSU Press.
  20. M. A. S. Shipway. "Anti-Parliamentary Communism in Britain 1917-1945".

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newspapers-established-in-1914publications-disestablished-in-1924political-newspapers-published-in-the-united-kingdomwomen's-suffrage-in-the-united-kingdomleft-communismdefunct-newspapers-published-in-the-united-kingdom1914-establishments-in-the-united-kingdom1924-disestablishments-in-the-united-kingdomlondon-newspaperssocialist-newspapers-published-in-the-united-kingdom