Battle of Cable Street Flashcards
Who were they?
The British Union of Fascists (BUF) was a 1930s British political party with many views similar to those of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party in Germany. The leader was a man named Oswald Mosley, who had grown popular in the early 1930s because of his views on immigration.
What was common for the BUF to do?
Go on marches through city centres. These were followed by a speech by Mosley.
Why did they go on marches?
Marches were a way of showing the party’s strength and organisation, as well as a chance to get their message across to a wider audience.
What did Mosley plan to do on Sunday the 4th of October 1936?
He planned to send thousands of his supporters into the East end of London dressed in uniforms that mimicked those of Hitler’s Nazis. The area war full of poor workers- and has a large Jewish community.
What had been going on during the 1930s?
During this time many people in Britain were without jobs a d Mosley became well-known for his idea of limiting immigration. He argued that immigrants were taking jobs of English workers. He claimed that “England should be for English”, and like many others before him directed his hatred towards Jewish communities.
What had happened by 1948?
The BUF had around 40,000 members, and at meetings they gave the Nazi salute and chanted ‘Hail Mosley!’ and ‘Down with Jews!’.
What had happened at Cable Street?
When news gout out about the BUF’s march, a crowd of up to quarter of a million of people gathered to block the route. The police arrived too, and tried to clear the way for the BUF (because it was legal to do marches) and so they were just doing their job, but the crowd had other ideas.
At around 3pm the Fascists reached Cable Street, however were stopped. They waited for the police to clear a path through the crowd, but it was impossible. Soon the police and some members of the crowd clashed. Barricades of old mattresses, a broken-down lorry and broken paving stones appeared. Te police were bombarded with missiles from the crowd and banners appeared that read ‘they shall not pass ‘.
