One of the first cities of Europe to reach a population of one million, Glasgow has fallen from the heights it attained in the 19th century. In those days, new trades and sciences attracted immigration, and the greatest architectural masterpieces—such as the Subway, Mitchell Library, Kelvingrove Park, and Milngavie Water Treatment Plants—had their beginning.

This was not to last. Recession in the 1910s followed by the Great Depression in the 20s and 30s led to a rise of radical socialism, the "Red Clydeside" movement. The city's recovery by the outbreak of World War II was disrupted first by Luftwaffe bombing and then the imposition of the collaborationist régime in London.

In what is best called an unofficial modern-day ghetto, Glasgow is now a city where the only thing sent from the South, from London, is increasing numbers of police. The Clydebank Blitz did little harm, but the British government's deliberate choice not to support Glasgow has done much more to push the city into decline. With tensions in Britain threatening to boil over yet again, Clydeside may yet arise again—Red in tooth, maw, and claw.