14.radicalism Of Youth

A Sixties Social Revolution? British Society, 1959-1975 Lesson 12

The radicalism of youth LO: To measure the impact and extent of student radicalism

Poster presentations • Research and create a poster and presentation that you will feedback to the class about either Sixties Fashion or Sixties Music. • You can use the information in the textbook as a starting point. • Make them colourful and interesting. • Include sections on key individuals and their contribution, new trends, and essential facts • I will scan them to use for revision and distribute copies of the best ones for your notes.

Poster presentations

What was all the fuss about?

Draw your own diagrams and add labels to show the difference between the Mods and Rockers

CND “ The British often seem to be waiting for something better than party squabbles and appeals to their narrow self interest, something great and noble in its intention that would make them feel good again. This might well be a declaration to the world that one power able to engage in nuclear warfare will reject the evil thing forever. ” David Childs, 1997 “ I particularly remember how passionately everyone felt about CND. There was something special about it. We were going to change the world- or so we thought. I remember my mother and two elder sisters, wrapped up in their duffel coats, going on the first Aldermaston marches. They really thought they were part of an exceptional movement.” Sally Carewe

Why do you think the CND movement was so attractive to middle- class youth?

Vietnam “It’s going, it’s going. The police are being pushed backwards. The police are just holding, but they can’t hold any more. The column, I gather is about a mile long. There are about three lines of policemen three or four deep and they are just managing to hold it. There are several smoke bombs. Now they’re through – yes, the first are through now, the first are through. The horses are moving in- they’re screaming now, absolute hysteria, and the horses are moving them back. Now the fire crackers are being thrown at the police horses. There’s a horse I see down there with stain all up its legs. Yes there gores another one right in front of the police horses, but they’re standing their ground. Now you can see the banners being used as clubs and flags hurled at the police …” ITV report, March 1968

“The movement was on the increase and in subsequent demonstration doubled and trebled as did the violence. Our violence was defensive- a response to the oppressive violence of the State machine. Moreover we were not going to be told how to demonstrate. We would occupy the streets, march with lined arms and not let our comrades be arrested.” Tariq Ali

Explain how far these views differ in relation to the anti-war protests of 1968 What do these sources reveal about public attitudes to protest?

The Battle of Grosvenor Square

Rock and Roll

Celebrity / Drugs

Vietnam and Devaluation

Race / Immigration

Industrial relations

1970: Wilson v Heath

Northern Ireland

Harold, Ted and Jim, 1964 - 1979 The events of 1964 to 1979 are chronicled in Harold, Ted and Jim: When the Modern Failed which describes the British desire for technology and advancement that was bogged down in a Wilson government beset with industrial conflict and decline.

Talking Point “The youth protests of the 1960s demonstrated that a new spirit of confrontation and violence had entered society.” Do you agree or disagree? What influence do you think the media had on radicalism? “Is it right to break the law to ‘protect the world’?”