The Militant Group was an early British Trotskyist group, formed in 1935 by Denzil Dean Harber, former leader of the Marxist Group, as an entrist group inside the Labour Party.
Over the next couple of years, the group was strengthened by an influx of South African Trotskyists, including Ted Grant and Ralph Lee. However, rumours concerning the activity of Lee prompted around ten members, including Grant, Lee, Jock Haston and Gerry Healy to split in 1937 and form the Workers International League.
In 1938, the Militant Group merged with the Revolutionary Socialist League, Revolutionary Socialist Party and the Marxist Group to form a new Revolutionary Socialist League, the official section of the Fourth International in Britain.
Famous quotes containing the words militant and/or group:
“Let us pray for the whole state of Christ’s Church Militant here in earth.”
—Book Of Common Prayer, The. Holy Communion, “Prayer for the Church Militant,” (1662)
“Laughing at someone else is an excellent way of learning how to laugh at oneself; and questioning what seem to be the absurd beliefs of another group is a good way of recognizing the potential absurdity of many of one’s own cherished beliefs.”
—Gore Vidal (b. 1925)