Five Tourniquets and a Ship's Bell: The Special Session at the 1931 Congress

Abstract

A mythology surrounds the 1931 Second International Congress of the History of Science and Technology. The event is portrayed as a calm and learned gathering where political dispassion and liberal tolerance towards the Soviet delegation were the order of the day. This is, in fact, a myth circulated by some of the participants who wanted to gloss over the conflict that actually characterized the congress. The notion finds its apex in the events surrounding the Special Session that is often positioned as the platform created for the Russians to deliver their papers. This was not the case. A persistent clash occurred between the Soviet delegation and Charles Singer throughout the congress, fuelled by Singer's attempts to generate publicity for the event and a powerful press reaction to the presence of the Soviets. The Congress became a significant focus for politics in Britain and Singer reacted by trying to silence the Soviets. The Special Session, far from being a platform for Marxist history of science, turned into a failed public relations exercise, and ultimately became the stage for the public humiliation of the Soviet delegates.