This session explores how revolutionary socialists confronted the Cold War and the Vietnam War, and a ruling class determined to suppress radical movements around the globe. We will examine how Marxists analysed the rise of U.S. imperialism, the dynamics of the Cold War consensus, and the brutal interventions used to crush struggles from Korea to Latin America. We will also look at the influence and distortions of Stalinism and why it was important for the revolutionary left to stand against the idea that Stalinist countries were socialist. Central to the session is the Vietnam War. Anti-war resistance dealt serious blows to Western imperialism In Australia, the anti-Vietnam War movement-including draft resisters, student radicals, unions and the revolutionary left- formed the backbone of a broader radicalisation.

This session is part of a stream exploring the role played by revolutionaries in standing up to war at key moments in history: WWI, WWII, Vietnam and the cold war. Often the anti-war movement is described as broad and pacifist but revolutionaries have always found themselves facing off against not only the ruling class but also would-be progressives, even socialists. Revolutionaries have made vital contributions in these moments but holding the line, providing a sharp critique and, crucially, agitating to turn imperialist wars on their head by replacing them with class war.