From Class War to Cold War

<EM>From Class War to Cold War</EM> traces George Orwell's political evolution from the mid-1930s to his death in 1950 through his engagement with three defining conflicts: the Spanish Civil War, the Second World War, and the Cold War. Although he died a socialist, disappointed that the Labour Party was not going far enough, Orwell's views had evolved as history unfolded—from apoliticism to commitment; from near-pacifism to support for the war against Hitler; from relativism to a fierce opposition to totalitarianism, notably the Soviet model. Drawing on his writings and influences, including Spain's post-Trotskyist POUM and the British Independent Labour Party, this book explores how Orwell's wartime experiences shaped his thinking and sharpened his political purpose. From <EM>Homage to Catalonia</EM> to <EM>The Lion and the Unicorn</EM> and <EM>Nineteen Eighty-Four</EM>, he grappled with the complexities of socialism, nationalism, imperialism, and propaganda. <EM>From Class War to Cold War</EM> examines the tensions between the author's anti-Soviet stance and his enduring commitment, not just to socialism but to democracy, equality, and common decency. The book reasserts his importance at a time when all of these are again under threat.