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Anarchism has historically gained the most support and influence in Spain, especially before Francisco Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Anarchism is a Political philosophy with many heterogeneous and diverse schools of thought, united by a common opposition to compulsory Some observers believe certain Buddhist teachings form a philosophical ground for Anarchism. Anarcho-capitalism (also known as Free-market anarchism) is an individualist anarchist Political philosophy that advocates the elimination Christian anarchism is any of several traditions which combine Anarchism with Christianity. Collectivist anarchism (also known as anarcho-collectivism) is an umbrella term embracing two Anarchist schools of thought the first school is Socialist Crypto-anarchism is an Ideology that expounds the use of strong Public-key cryptography to enforce Privacy and individual freedom. Anarcha-feminism (also called anarchist feminism and anarcho-feminism) combines Anarchism with Feminism. Green anarchism is a school of thought within Anarchism which puts an emphasis on Environmental issues. Individualist anarchism refers to any of several traditions that hold that "individual conscience and the pursuit of self-interest should not be constrained by any collective Infoanarchism is an Umbrella term for various groups of people who are opposed to forms of Intellectual property, such as Copyright and Patents Insurrectionary anarchism is a revolutionary theory practice and tendency within the Anarchist movement which opposes formal anarchist organizations such as labor unions and Left anarchism or left-wing anarchism refers to forms of anarchism that are seen by some on the ' left of politics ' Anarcho-pacifism (also pacifist anarchism or anarchist pacifism) is a form of Anarchism which completely rejects the use of Violence in Philosophical anarchism is an Anarchist school of thought which contends that the State lacks moral legitimacy but does not advocate revolution to eliminate Platformism is a tendency within the wider Anarchist movement which shares an affinity with organising in the tradition of Dielo Truda's Organizational Platform Post-anarchism or postanarchism is the term used to represent anarchist philosophies developed since the 1980s using post-structuralist and Post-left anarchy is a recent current in Anarchist thought that promotes a critique of anarchism's relationship to traditional leftism. Anarcho-primitivism is an anarchist critique of the origins and progress of Civilization. Social anarchism, socialist anarchism, anarcho-socialism, anarchist socialism or Communitarian anarchism,(sometimes used interchangeably with Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of Anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. Anarchism without adjectives (from the Spanish " anarquismo sin adjetivos " in the words of historian George Richard Esenwein "referred to an An Anarch is a Conservative Revolutionary ideal of a sovereign individual, conceived by Ernst Jünger. Anarchy (from αναρχία anarchía, "without ruler " may refer to any of the following "Absence of government a state of lawlessness A black bloc is made up largely of anarchists or autonomists, anti-capitalist individuals or groups that gather for protests demonstrations or other event Traditionally the revolutionary left sees the commune as a populist replacement for the elitist parliament Consensus democracy is the application of Consensus decision making to the process of legislation in a Democracy. __FORCETOC__ Decentralization or Decentralisation (see Spelling differences) is the process of dispersing Decision-making governance closer to the people Deep ecology is a recent branch of ecological Philosophy ( Ecosophy) that considers Humankind an integral part of its environment. Direct action is political action which happens outside normal political channels via indirect actions such as electing representatives. Direct Democracy is a movement within the British Conservative Party dedicated to localism and Constitutional reform as a means of reviving public Dual power is a concept first articulated in an article by Lenin, "The Dual Power" ( dvoevlastie) which described a situation in the wake of the February Especifismo (English specifism is one of the two main forms of anarchist activism championed by FARJ (Federação Anarquista do Rio de Janeiro and other South American anarchist organizations Horizontalidad ( Eng: horizontality or horizontalism) is a theory or system that advocates the creation development and maintenance of social structures Not to be confused with the concept of "popular illegalisms" created by Michel Foucault in Discipline and Punish. Individual reclamation ( Fr: reprise individuelle) is a form of the Direct action, characterized by the individual theft of resources from the rich by the Anarchist law refers to a series of ongoing debates within the various branches of Anarchist theory regarding if and how norms of individual and/or collective behavior Participatory Politics or Parpolity is a theoretical political system proposed by Stephen R A Permanent autonomous zone (or a PAZ) is a Community that is autonomous from the generally recognized Government or authority structure in which The term prefigurative politics is widespread within various activist movements and in short it describes modes of organization and tactics undertaken that accurately reflect the future Propaganda of the deed (or propaganda by the deed, from the French propagande par le fait) is a Concept that promotes physical violence against Refusal of work is a concept that has been advocated at various times by many social activist groups mostly located on the Libertarian left. Pleistocene Rewilding Rewilding is the process of creating a lifestyle that is beyond Domestication. Social Ecology is a philosophy developed by French geographer and anarchist Élisée Reclus and revived by Murray Bookchin in the 1960s See also the closely related articles Emergence and Self-organization. Anarchism is a heterogeneous philosophy with many different tendencies and schools of thought; differences on questions of ideology values and tactics are common This article discusses similarities and differences between Anarcho-capitalism and other types of Anarchism. The anarchist philosophical and political movement has some connections to elements of the Animal liberation movement. Though some Anarchists advocate free-market, Laissez-faire Capitalism, other anarchists oppose capitalism to varying degrees Criticisms of anarchism originate from the interest groups it opposes as well as related theories such as Marxism. Although anarchists commonly reject Organized religion (see Anarchism and religion) there have been numerous traditions within Islam (often associated with Sufism Anarchism and Marxism are related political philosophies which emerged in the nineteenth century Anarchism and nationalism both emerged in Europe following the French Revolution and have a long and complicated While there is no organized Orthodox Jewish anarchist movement, various anarchistic ideas are common in the works of many Kabbalists and Hasidic teachers Anarchists have traditionally been skeptical of and opposed to Organized religion. Anarchism and violence have become closely connected in popular thought in part because of a concept of " Propaganda of the deed " Originating in the Greek language ( αρχή "arche" means "beginning origin outset prime principle start threshold" the term "anarchy" The Amakasu Incident occurred on September 16, 1923, in the chaos immediately following the Great Kantō earthquake. Anarchist Catalonia ( July 21, 1936 – February 10, 1939) was the self-proclaimed Stateless territory and Anarchist The Anarchist Exclusion Act refers to two different acts passed by the United States Congress intended to keep immigrants that subscribed to anarchist ideas Somalia, from 1991 to present is cited as a real-world example of a Stateless society and legal system The Australian Anarchist Centenary Celebrations occurred on the 1st to the 4th of May 1986 in Melbourne, Australia. Barcelona May Days is a term covering the events between May 3 and May 8 1937, when factions on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil The Global Carnival Against Capital took place on Friday June 18, 1999. La Escuela Moderna ( Spanish for "The Modern School" was a progressive school that existed briefly at the start of the 20th century in Catalonia ( The Hague Congress was the Fifth congress of the International Workingmen's Association (IWA held in (September 1872) in The Hague Holland which anarchists consider The, also known as the, was a Socialist - Anarchist plot to assassinate the Japanese Emperor Meiji in 1910 leading to a mass arrest of leftists and the execution The International Anarchist Congress of Amsterdam took place from 24 August to 31 August, 1907. The Kate Sharpley Library (or KSL) is a Library dedicated to anarchist texts and History. This article is about the historical event known as the Kronstadt rebellion The Labadie Collection at the University of Michigan is recognized as one of the world’s most complete collections of materials documenting the history of Anarchism LIP is a French clock company whose turmoil became emblematic of the conflicts between workers and management in France For other events in May 1968 see 1968. May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several Public holidays In many countries May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour The Paris Commune (La Commune de Paris was a Government that briefly ruled Paris from 18 March (more formally from 26 March) to 28 May Provo was a Dutch Counterculture movement in the mid-1960s that focused on provoking violent responses from authorities using non-violent bait The Red inverted triangle was the badge that political prisoners in Nazi Concentration camps had to wear The Spanish Revolution of 1936 began during the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Third Russian Revolution (also know as the Left Wing Rebellions Against the Bolsheviks) was a series of Rebellions and uprisings against the Bolsheviks Tragic Week (in Catalan la Setmana Tràgica, in Spanish la Semana Trágica) ( July 25 - August 2, 1909) is the Protest activity surrounding the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999, which was to be the launch of a new millennial round of Trade negotiations occurred Anarcho-punk is a faction of the Punk subculture that consists of bands groups and individuals promoting anarchist politics Anarchism has long had an association with the Arts, particularly in music and literature Black anarchism opposes the existence of the State and the subjugation and domination of people of color and favors a non-hierarchical organization of society Celtic anarchism is a new tendency within the larger Anarchist movement A precise definition of culture jamming is elusive It has been called a Resistance movement to Cultural hegemony, whereas some say the defining theme of culture jamming DIY (or Do It Yourself culture is a broad term that refers to a wide range of Grassroots political activism Freeganism is an anti-consumerist lifestyle whereby people employ alternative living strategies based on "limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption The Independent Media Center (aka Indymedia or IMC) is a global participatory network of journalists that reports on political and social issues An infoshop is a storefront or Social center that serves as a node for the distribution of Anarchist information typically in the form of books Zines, The Internationale ( L'Internationale in French) is a famous socialist, communist, and Social-democratic Jewish anarchism is a general term encompassing various expressions of Anarchism within the Jewish community Lifestyle anarchism is a term derived from Murray Bookchin 's polemical essay " Social Anarchism Or Lifestyle Anarchism An Unbridgeable Chasm. Popular education is at the crossroads between Politics and Pedagogy, and strongly relies on the democratic ideal of the Enlightenment, which considered Radical cheerleading is a form of Cheerleading that originated in Florida, but has now spread across the United States as well as Canada Radical environmentalism, is a grassroots branch of the larger Environmental movement that emerged out of an Ecocentrism -based frustration with the co-option of mainstream Squatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or Building that the squatter does not own rent or otherwise have permission to use While anarchists have historically largely denied the importance of Symbols to political movement anarchists have embraced certain symbols for their cause " To The Barricades " ( A Las Barricadas) was one of the most popular songs of the Spanish anarchists during the Spanish Civil War. Anarchist economics is the set of theories and practices of economic activity within the political philosophy of Anarchism. Agorism is an anarchist Political philosophy founded by Samuel Edward Konkin III that holds the ultimate goal as bringing about a society in which Anarcho-capitalism (also known as Free-market anarchism) is an individualist anarchist Political philosophy that advocates the elimination Collectivist anarchism (also known as anarcho-collectivism) is an umbrella term embracing two Anarchist schools of thought the first school is Socialist Counter-economics is a term originally coined by Samuel Edward Konkin III, a radical Libertarian activist and theorist who defined it as " the study and/or Free-market anarchism (sometimes called market anarchism) refers to an Individualist anarchist Philosophy that harmonizes the abolition of the state with A free school, sometimes intentionally spelled free skool, is a decentralized network in which skills information and knowledge are shared without Hierarchy or the Give-away shops, freeshops, or free stores are second-hand stores where all goods are free "Georgist" redirects here For the Romanian political group see National Liberal Party-Brătianu. A gift economy is a Social theory in which goods and services are given without any explicit agreement for immediate or future Quid pro quo. Market abolitionism is a belief that the market, in the economic sense should be completely eliminated from society Mutual aid is a term in Political economy used to signify the economic concept of voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources and services for mutual benefit Mutualism, is an Anarchist school of thought, can be traced to the writings of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon that envisioned a society where each person might possess a Participatory economics, often abbreviated parecon, is a proposed Economic system that uses participatory decision making as an economic mechanism The Really Really Free Market ( RRFM) movement is a non- hierarchical collective of individuals who form a temporary Market based on an alternative Self-ownership (or sovereignty of the individual, individual sovereignty or individual autonomy) is the moral or natural right (aka Freedom of a person Social anarchism, socialist anarchism, anarcho-socialism, anarchist socialism or Communitarian anarchism,(sometimes used interchangeably with Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of Anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. Wage slavery is a term first coined by the Lowell Mill Girls in 1836 though articulated as a concept at least as early as Cicero and elaborated by subsequent thinkers Worker self-management (or autogestion) is a form of workplace decision-making in which the workers themselves agree on choices (for issues like customer care general production This is a list of anarchist movements by region, both geographical and/or political Anarchism in Africa refers both to purported anarchic political organization of some traditional African societies and to modern Anarchist movements in Africa The powerful Radical faction of Austria-Hungary 's Social Democratic Party was anarchist in all but name until 1884 and anarchist ideas penetrated deeply Anarchism was an influential contributor to the social politics of '''Brazil''''s Old Republic. Anarchism in Canada spans a range of anarchist philosophy including Anarcho-syndicalism, Individualist anarchism, green anarchy and Anarchist The origins of Chinese Anarchism are traceable to the early Chinese Nationalist movement Anarchism as a social movement in Cuba held great influence with the Working classes during the 19th and early 20th century Anarchism in France dates from the 18th century Many Anarchists such as the Egalitarians took part in the French Revolution. evolution of Anarchism in Greece has shown a series of historical paradoxes which have to do with both the insufficient historical coverage of such events as well as the distortion In India, Anarchism never took the form of formally named "anarchism" Irish Anarchism has little historical tradition before the 1970s and as a movement it only really developed from the late 1990s - although one organisation the Workers Anarchism has been an undercurrent in the politics of Palestine and Israel for over a century Italy, in particular at the turn of the 20th century had a strong Anarcho-syndicalist movement Anarchism was an influential movement in Japan in the 19th and 20th centuries Anarchism in Korea began in 1894 when Japan invaded Korea with the stated intention of protecting it from China. Pre-conquest some of the indigenous peoples of what is today Mexico had decisionmaking structures based on participation discussion and consensus hallmarks of modern anarchism The Anarchist movement in Poland developed at the end of the 19th century under the influence of anarchist ideas from Western Europe and Russia Russian anarchism is Anarchism in Russia or among Russians. Bakunin and the anarchists' exile See also Exile In 1848 One of the first Swedish anarchists was the Swedish artist Ivan Aguéli who in 1884 was arrested and sentenced in the " Trial of the thirty " in Paris Anarchism came to the political scene in Turkey only after the publication of Kara, a monthly magazine Anarchism in Ukraine dates to the 20th century though it has roots in the peasant uprisings of Stenka Razin and Yemelyan Pugachev as well as the Zaporozhian Anarchism in the United States spans a wide range of Anarchist Philosophy, from Individualist anarchism to Anarchist communism and other less Anarchism as a Political movement in Vietnam started in the early twentieth century This is a list of Anarcho-punk bands The following is a list of notable or influential books on or relating to Anarchism, in alphabetical order by author This is a list of anarchist communities, past and present Throughout history anarchists have been involved in a wide variety of communities This is a list of Fictional anarchists; the source material in which they are found their creator(s the individual(s who interpreted them as anarchists during This is a list of Jewish Anarchists. A Yehuda Ashlag Paul Avrich B The following is a list of anarchist musicians, which details instruments such musicians utilize musical genres they perform and if applicable bands which they are members of This list uses the word Organization in its loosest sense Some of the following groups would be better categorized as networks. The following is a chronological list of noteworthy anarchist periodicals This is a list of anarchists poets, examples of their published work and the source material in which their poetry is found Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements ideas and attitudes which oppose Capitalism. Anti-communism refers to opposition to Communism. Historically the word "communism" has been used to refer to several types of communal social organization and Anti-consumerism refers to the socio-political movement against Consumerism. Anti-corporate activists (see Activism) believe that the rise of large business Corporations is posing a threat to the legitimate authority of the public good " Anti-globalization " is a term that encompasses a number of related ideas Antimilitarism is a doctrine commonly found in the Anarchist and more globally in the Socialist movement which may be both characterized as Internationalist Anti- Statism refers to opposition to state intervention into personal social or economic affairs The term anti-war usually refers to the opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. Autarchism (from Greek, "belief in self rule" is a Political philosophy that upholds the principle of Individual liberty, rejects compulsory Autonomism refers to a set of Left-wing political and social movements and theories close to the socialist movement. The labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better Left communism is the range of communist viewpoints held by the Communist Left, which opposes the political ideas of the Bolsheviks Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Libertarian Marxism is a school of Marxism that describes itself as taking a less Authoritarian view of Marxist theory than conventional currents such as Stalinism Libertarian socialism is a group of political philosophies that aim to create a society without political economic or social hierarchies – a society in which all violent The Situationist International ( SI) was a small group of international political and artistic Agitators with roots in Marxism, Lettrism and the Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (born December 4, 1892 in Ferrol, died November 20, 1975 in Madrid The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of
There were several variants of anarchism in Spain: the peasant anarchism in the countryside of Andalusia; urban anarcho-syndicalism in Catalonia, particularly its capital Barcelona; and what is sometimes called "pure" anarchism in other cities such as Zaragoza. Andalusia (Andalucía is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest in terms of land area Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of Anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Zaragoza, also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza province and of the autonomous community and former However, these were complementary trajectories, and shared a great deal of ideological similarities.
Early on, the success of the anarchist movement was sporadic. Anarchists would organize a strike and ranks would swell. Strike action, often simply called a strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal by Employees to perform work. Usually, repression by police reduced the numbers again, but at the same time further radicalized many members. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force Political radicalism or simply radicalism is adherence to radical views and principles in Politics. This cycle helped lead to an era of mutual violence at the beginning of the 20th century, in which armed anarchists and pistoleros, armed men paid by company owners, were both responsible for political assassinations. AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media.
In the 20th century, this violence began to fade, and the movement gained speed with the rise of anarcho-syndicalism and the creation of the huge libertarian union, the CNT. Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of Anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo ( CNT; English General strikes became common, and large portions of the Spanish working class adopted anarchist ideas. A general strike is a Strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city region or country The FAI was created as a purely anarchist association, with the intention of keeping the CNT focused on the principles of anarchism. The Federación Anarquista Ibérica ( FAI, Iberian Anarchist Federation) is a Spanish organization of Anarchist ( Anarcho-Syndicalist
Anarchists played a central role in the fight against Franco during the Spanish Civil War. At the same time, a far-reaching social revolution spread throughout Spain, where land and factories were collectivized and controlled by the workers. The term social revolution may have different connotations depending on the speaker The revolution was virtually snuffed out towards the end of the civil war, by the communist/Stalinist controlled forces who wanted to ensure that the social model adopted in the Spanish Republic would be of their own choosing whilst proving to the western liberal democracies that communist Russia would not sponsor social revolutions unfriendly to the established social order. All remaining social reforms ended in 1939 with the victory of Franco, who had thousands of anarchists executed. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. Resistance to his rule never entirely died, with resilient militants participating in acts of sabotage and other direct action, and making several attempts on the ruler's life. Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening an enemy oppressor or employer through subversion obstruction disruption and/or destruction Direct action is political action which happens outside normal political channels via indirect actions such as electing representatives.
Their legacy remains important to this day, particularly to anarchists who look at their achievements as a historical precedent of anarchism's validity. This is a list of anarchist communities, past and present Throughout history anarchists have been involved in a wide variety of communities
Contents
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History
Beginning
In the mid-19th century, revolutionary ideas were generally unknown in Spain. A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, "a turnaround" is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The closest thing to a radical movement was found amongst the followers of Pierre Joseph Proudhon, known as federalists, the most famous of whom was Francesc Pi i Margall (named, upon his death, "the wisest of the federalists, almost an anarchist" by anarchist thinker Ricardo Mella). Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (ˈpruːd ɒn in British English, dɔ̃ in French) ( 15 January 1809 – 19 January 1865) was Political federalism is a Political philosophy in which a group of members are bound together (Latin foedus, covenant) with a governing Francesc Pi y Margall (April 29 1824 &ndash November 29 1901 was a liberal Spanish statesman and Catalan romanticist writer Feelings later associated with anarchism, like anti-clericalism and distrust of government, were widespread but part of no focused worldview. There was a history of peasant unrest in some parts of the country, but this was not related to any political movement, but rather borne out of circumstances. The same was true in the cities; long before workers were familiar with anarcho-syndicalism, there were general strikes and other conflicts between workers and their employers.
The earliest successful attempt to introduce anarchism to the Spanish masses came in 1868. A middle-aged revolutionary named Giuseppi Fanelli came to Spain on a journey planned by Mikhail Bakunin in order to recruit members for the First International, an international organization that aimed to unify groups working for the benefit of the working class, which later came to be dominated by Marxists. Giuseppe Fanelli (1827-1877 was a nineteenth century Italian Revolutionary Anarchist. Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin ( - July 1 1876) was a well-known Russian Revolutionary and theorist of Collectivist anarchism. The International Workingmen's Association (IWA, sometimes called the First International, was an international socialist organization which aimed at uniting a variety International Organization is a peer-reviewed Academic journal that covers the entire field of International affairs. Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types
Fanelli spoke in French and Italian, so those present could only understand bits of what he was saying, except for one man, Tomás González Morago, who knew French. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. The effect, however, was the same. Anselmo Lorenzo gives an account of his oratory: "His voice had a metallic tone and was susceptible to all the inflexions appropriate to what he was saying, passing rapidly from accents of anger and menace against tyrants and exploiters to take on those of suffering, regret and consolation. Anselmo Lorenzo, sometimes called "the grandfather of Spanish anarchism," was one of the original Spanish Anarchists. . . we could understand his expressive mimicry and follow his speech. " These workers, longing for something more than the mild radicalism of the day, became the core of the Spanish Anarchist movement, quickly spreading "the Idea" across Spain. The oppressed and marginalized working classes were very susceptible to an ideology attacking institutions they perceived to be oppressive, namely: the State with its corruption and brutality, capitalism with its gross divide between wretched poverty and grand wealth, and the supremely powerful and coercive institution of organized religion. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos
A chapter of the First International was soon set up in Madrid. Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. A few dedicated anarchists, first introduced to "the Idea" by Fanelli, began holding meetings, giving speeches, and attracting new followers. By 1870, the Madrid chapter of the International had gained roughly 2,000 members.
Anarchism gained a much larger following in Barcelona, already a bastion of proletarian rebellion, Luddism, and trade unionism. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia The proletariat (from Latin la ''proles'' "offspring" is a term used to identify a lower Social class; a member of such a class is proletarian The Luddites were a Social movement of British Textile artisans in the early Nineteenth century who protested&mdashoften by destroying mechanized A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming The already militant working class was, as in Madrid, introduced to the philosophy of anarchism in the late 1860s. In 1869, a section of the International was formed in Barcelona.
These centers of revolutionary activity continued to spread ideas, through speeches, discussions, meetings, and their newspaper, La Solidaridad (English translation: Solidarity). La Solidaridad was the name of a society of Filipino Intellectuals ( Ilustrados) in Spain who sought to create an adequate representation for the Philippines Anarchism had soon taken root throughout Spain, in villages and in cities, and in scores of autonomous organizations. Many of the rural pueblos were already anarchic in structure prior to the spread of "anarchist" ideas.
An important event in these years was the Congress of 1870 in Barcelona, where delegates from 150 workers' associations met, along with thousands of common workers observing ("occupying every seat, filling the hallways, and spilling out beyond the entrance," according to Murray Bookchin). Murray Bookchin ( January 14, 1921 – July 30, 2006) was an American libertarian socialist, political and social The Spanish section of the International was here renamed the Spanish Regional Federation (also known as simply the Spanish Federation), and outlines for future organization were discussed. The Congress had a clear anarchist flavor despite the presence of non-anarchist members of the International from other European nations. It was looked upon with disdain by the mainstream press and the existing political parties, for the Congress openly attacked the political process as an illegitimate means of change and foreshadowed the future power of syndicalist trade unions such as the CNT. "Popular press" redirects here note that the University of Wisconsin Press publishes under the imprint "The Popular Press" A political party is a Political organization that seeks to attain and maintain political power within Government, usually by participating in electoral Syndicalism is a type of movement which aims to degrade capitalist societies through action by the Working class on the industrial front Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo ( CNT; English
Socialists and liberals within the Spanish Federation sought to reorganize Spain in 1871 into five trade sections with various committees and councils. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal Many anarchists within the group felt that this was contrary to their belief in decentralization. __FORCETOC__ Decentralization or Decentralisation (see Spelling differences) is the process of dispersing Decision-making governance closer to the people A year of conflict ensued, in which the anarchists fought the "Authoritarians" within the Federation and eventually expelled them in 1872. In the same year, Mikhail Bakunin was expelled from the International by the Marxists, who were the majority. Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin ( - July 1 1876) was a well-known Russian Revolutionary and theorist of Collectivist anarchism. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Anarchists, seeing the hostility from previous allies on the Left, reshaped the nature of their movement in Spain. The Spanish Federation became decentralized, now dependent on action from rank-and-file workers rather than bureaucratic councils; that is, a group structured according to anarchist principles. Bureaucracy is the structure and set of regulations in place to control activity usually in large organizations and government
Early turmoil, 1873 to 1900
In the region of Alcoy, workers struck in 1873 for the eight hour day following much agitation from the anarchists. Alcoy may stand for Alcoy ( Alcoi in Valencian a municipality in the province of Alicante Spain Alcoy, province of Cebu Philippines The 8-hour day movement or 40-hour week movement (aka the Short-time movement) had its origins in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, where The conflict turned to violence when police fired on an unarmed crowd, which caused workers to storm City Hall in response. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force Dozens were dead on each side when the violence ended. Sensational stories were made up by the press about atrocities that never took place: priests crucified, men doused in gasoline and set on fire, etc.
The government quickly moved to suppress the Spanish Federation. Meeting halls were shut down, members jailed, publications banned. Until the turn of the 20th century, proletarian anarchism remained relatively fallow in Spain. The proletariat (from Latin la ''proles'' "offspring" is a term used to identify a lower Social class; a member of such a class is proletarian
However, anarchist ideas still remained popular in the rural countryside, where destitute peasants waged a lengthy series of unsuccessful rebellions in attempts to create "libertarian communism". Rebellion is a refusal of obedienceIt may therefore be seen as encompassing a range of Behaviours from Civil disobedience and mass Nonviolent resistance Throughout the 1870s, the Spanish Federation drew most of its members from the peasant areas of Andalusia after the decline of its urban following. Andalusia (Andalucía is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest in terms of land area In the early 1870s, a section of the International was formed in Córdoba, forming a necessary link between the urban and rural movements. ||-||-||} Córdoba ( Cordova in English is a City in Andalusia, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba.
These small gains were largely destroyed by State repression, which by the mid-1870s had forced the entire movement underground. The Spanish Federation faded away, and conventional trade unionism for a while began to replace revolutionary action, although anarchists remained abundant and their ideas not forgotten; the liberal nature of this period was perhaps borne out of despair rather than disagreement with revolutionary ideas. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Anarchists were left to act as tigres solitarios (roughly "lone wolves"); attempts at mass organization, as in the Pact of Union and Solidarity, had some ephemeral success but were destined to failure.
The lack of revolutionary organization led many anarchists to commit acts of violence as a form of direct action, and occasional uprisings broke out, as in Jerez, with no success. The government came to equate anarchism with terrorism and responded in kind. Anarchists were met with the severest repression; a famous example is the mass arrest and resulting torture of anarchist prisoners at the castle of Montjuich in Barcelona in 1892. Montjuïc (ˌmɔntˈdʒuik alternatively spelled Montjuic or Montjuich) is a hill located in Barcelona, As many as 400 people were brought to the dungeons following a bombing (the guilty party was never found). International outrage followed reports that the prisoners were brutally tortured: men hanged from ceilings, genitals twisted and burned, fingernails ripped out. Several died before being brought to trial, and five were eventually executed.
The rise of anarcho-syndicalism
Terrorism by extremists became less common around the turn of the century. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion Anarchists saw the obvious need for a form of direct action capable of overthrowing the State and capitalism. The idea of syndicalism became popular (or anarcho-syndicalism to differentiate from the reformist syndicalism in other parts of Europe). Syndicalism is a type of movement which aims to degrade capitalist societies through action by the Working class on the industrial front Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of Anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. Socialist Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a Society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures Purist "Anarchist Communists" were unwilling to adopt syndicalist ideas and became marginalized, although the two groups soon became indistinguishable. Libertarian socialism is a group of political philosophies that aim to create a society without political economic or social hierarchies – a society in which all violent
A new organization, the Federation of Workers' Societies of the Spanish Region, was formed in 1900. The organization adopted syndicalism on libertarian principles. Its success was immediate: general strikes swept across Spain within a year. A general strike is a Strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city region or country Many of these strikes had no visible leadership but were initiated purely by the working class. As opposed to reformist strikes, many of these strikers made no clear demands (or intentionally absurd demands; for example, the demand to be given seven and a half rest hours in an eight hour day); in some cases workers demanded no less than the end of capitalism. The Spanish government responded harshly to these developments, and the Federation of Workers' Societies was suppressed. But the decentralized nature of anarcho-syndicalism made it impossible to completely destroy and attempts to do so only emboldened the spirit of resistance.
"The Tragic Week"
Two events in 1909 bolstered support for another general strike in Barcelona. Tragic Week (in Catalan la Setmana Tràgica, in Spanish la Semana Trágica) ( July 25 - August 2, 1909) is the Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia ( January 10 1859 - October 12 1909) (known as Francisco Ferrer y Guardia in Spanish and often A textile factory was shut down, with 800 workers fired. Across the industry, wages were being cut. Workers, even outside the textile industry, began to plan for a general strike. At around the same time, the government announced that military reserves would be called up to fight in Morocco, where tribesmen were skirmishing with Spanish troops. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa The reservists, mostly workingmen, were not keen to risk their lives or kill others to protect what they characterised as the interests of Spanish capitalists (the fighting was blocking routes to mines and slowing business). Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Anti-war rallies sprang up across the country, and talk of a general strike could be heard. The term anti-war usually refers to the opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause.
The strike began in Barcelona on July 26, a few weeks after the call for reserves was made. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus It quickly developed into a widespread uprising. Anselmo Lorenzo wrote in a letter: "A social revolution has broken out in Barcelona and it has been started by the people. Anselmo Lorenzo, sometimes called "the grandfather of Spanish anarchism," was one of the original Spanish Anarchists. No one has led it. Neither the Liberals nor Catalan Nationalists, nor Republicans, nor Socialists, nor Anarchists. " Police stations were attacked. Railroad lines leading into Barcelona were destroyed. Barricades sprang up in the streets. Eighty churches and monasteries were destroyed by members of the Radical Party (who, it should be noted, were generally much less "radical" than anarchists or socialists), and six individuals were killed during the disturbances. The Radical Republican Party (Partido Republicano Radical sometimes shortened to the Radical Party was a Spanish political party founded in 1908 by Alejandro Lerroux After the revolt, about 1,700 individuals were indicted on various charges. Most were let go, but 450 were sentenced. Twelve were given life imprisonment and five were executed, including Francisco Ferrer, who was not even in Barcelona at the time of the insurrection. Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia ( January 10 1859 - October 12 1909) (known as Francisco Ferrer y Guardia in Spanish and often
Following this "Tragic Week," the government began repressing dissidents on a larger scale. Unions were suppressed, newspapers were shut down, and libertarian schools were closed. Catalonia was put under martial law until November. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice Rather than giving up, the Spanish working class became emboldened and more revolutionary than before, as workers adopted syndicalism as a revolutionary strategy.
The rise of the CNT
The anarchist movement lacked a stable national organization in its early years. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo ( CNT; English The Federación Anarquista Ibérica ( FAI, Iberian Anarchist Federation) is a Spanish organization of Anarchist ( Anarcho-Syndicalist While anarchists have historically largely denied the importance of Symbols to political movement anarchists have embraced certain symbols for their cause Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of Anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. Anarchist Juan Gómez Casas discusses the evolution of anarchist organization before the creation of the CNT: "After a period of dispersion, the Workers Federation of the Spanish Region disappeared, to be replaced by the Anarchist Organization of the Spanish Region. . . This organization then changed, in 1890, into the Solidarity and Assistance Pact, which was itself dissolved in 1896 because of repressive legislation against anarchism and broke into many nuclei and autonomous workers' societies. . . The scattered remains of the FRE gave rise to Solidaridad Obrera in 1907, the immediate antecedent of the [CNT]. Solidaridad Obrera ( Spanish, meaning " Workers' Solidarity " originally in Catalan, Solidaritat Obrera) "
There was a general consensus amongst anarchists in the early 20th century that a new, national labor organization was needed to bring coherency and strength to their movement. This organization, named the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) was formed in October of 1910 during a congress of Solidaridad Obrera. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo ( CNT; English During this congress, a resolution was passed declaring that the purpose of the CNT would be to "hasten the integral economic emancipation of the entire working class through the revolutionary expropriation of the bourgeoisie. . . . " The CNT started off fairly small, with about 30,000 members across various unions and confederations.
The national confederation was split into smaller regional ones, which were again broken down into smaller trade unions. Despite this many-tiered structure, bureaucracy was consciously avoided. Initiatives for decisions came largely from the individual unions. There were no paid officials; all positions were staffed by common workers. Decisions made by the national delegations did not have to be followed. The CNT was in these respects much different from the comparatively rigid socialist unions.
A general strike was called a mere five days after its founding by triumphant, and perhaps overzealous, workers. A general strike is a Strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city region or country It spread across several cities throughout Spain; in one city, workers took over the community and killed the mayor. Troops moved into all major cities and the strike was quickly crushed. The CNT was declared an illegal organization, and thus went underground only a week after its founding. A few years later it continued with overt strike actions, as in the general strike organized in tandem with the Socialist dominated UGT (a rare occurrence, as the two groups were usually at odds) to protest the rising cost of living.
General Strike of 1917
A general strike broke out in 1917, mostly organized by socialists but with notable anarchist activity, particularly in Barcelona. A general strike is a Strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city region or country Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia There barricades were built, and strikers tried to stop trolleys from running. The government responded by filling the streets with machine guns. Fighting left seventy people dead. In spite of the violence, the strike's demands were moderate, typical of a socialist strike of the time.
The CNT Following World War I
Spain's economy suffered upon the decline of the wartime economy. Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Factories closed, unemployment soared and wages declined. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. Expecting class conflict, especially in light of the then recent Russian Revolution, much of the capitalist class began a bitter war against unions, particularly the CNT. See also Russian Revolution (1905 The Russian Revolution of 1916 refers to a series of popular revolutions in Russia, and the events surrounding them Lockouts became more frequent. A lockout is a Work stoppage in which an Employer prevents employees from working Known militants were blacklisted. Pistoleros, or assassins, were hired to kill union leaders. AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media. Scores, perhaps hundreds, of anarchists were murdered during this time period. Anarchists responded in turn with a number of assassinations, the most famous of which is the murder of Prime Minister Eduardo Dato Iradier.
The CNT, by this time, had as many as a million members. It retained its focus on direct action and syndicalism; this meant that revolutionary currents in Spain were no longer on the fringe, but very much in the mainstream. While it would be false to say that the CNT was entirely anarchist, the prevailing sentiment undoubtedly leaned in that direction. Every member elected to the "National Committee" was an overt anarchist. Most rank and file members espoused anarchist ideas. Indeed, much of Spain seemed to be radiant with revolutionary fervor; along with waves of general strikes (as well as mostly successful strikes with specific demands), it was not uncommon to see anarchist literature floating around ordinary places or common workers discussing revolutionary ideas. One powerful opponent from the upper classes (Diaz del Moral) claims that "the total working population" was overcome with the spirit of revolt, that "all were agitators. "
Whereas anarchism in Spain was previously disjointed and ephemeral, even the smallest of towns now had organizations and took part in the movement. Different parts of the CNT (unions, regions, etc. ) were autonomous and yet inextricably linked. A strike by workers in one field would often lead to solidarity strikes by workers in an entire city. This way, general strikes often were not "called", they simply happened organically.
General Strike of 1919
In 1919, employers at a Barcelona hydroelectric plant cut wages, triggering a 44 day long and hugely successful general strike with over 100,000 participants. Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water Employers immediately attempted to respond militantly, but the strike had spread much too rapidly. Employees at another plant staged a sit-in in support of their fellow workers. About a week later, all textile employees walked out. A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. Soon after, almost all electrical workers went on strike as well.
Barcelona was placed under martial law, yet the strike continued in full force. Martial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice The union of newspaper printers warned the newspaper owners in Barcelona that they would not print anything critical of the strikers. The Government in Madrid tried to destroy the strike by calling up all workers for military service, but this call was not heeded, as it was not even printed in the paper. Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority When the call got to Barcelona by word of mouth, the response was yet another strike by all railway and trolley workers.
The Government in Barcelona finally managed to settle the strike, which had effectively crippled the Catalan economy. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. All of the striking workers demanded an eight hour day, union recognition, and the rehiring of fired workers. All demands were granted. It was also demanded that all political prisoners be released. A political prisoner is someone held in Prison or otherwise detained perhaps under House arrest, for his or her involvement in political activity The government agreed, but refused to release those currently on trial. Workers responded with shouts of "Free everybody!" and warned that the strike would continue in three days if this demand was not met. Sure enough, this is what occurred. However, members of the Strike Committee and many others were immediately arrested and police effectively stopped the second strike from reaching great proportions.
The Government tried to appease the workers, who were clearly on the verge of insurrection. Rebellion is a refusal of obedienceIt may therefore be seen as encompassing a range of Behaviours from Civil disobedience and mass Nonviolent resistance Tens of thousands of unemployed workers were returned to their jobs. The eight hour day was declared for all workers. Thus, Spain became the first country in the world to pass a national eight hour day law, as a result of 1919's general strike.
After the 1919 general strike, increasing violence against CNT organizers, combined with the rise of the Primo de Rivera dictatorship (which banned all anarchist organizations and publications), created a lull in anarchist activity. Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja 2 Marqués de Estella ( Jerez de la Frontera, January 8, 1870 - Paris, A dictatorship is usually defined as an autocratic Form of government in which the Government is ruled by a Dictator. Many anarchists responded to police violence by becoming pistoleros themselves. This was a period of mutual violence, in which anarchist groups including Los Solidarios assassinated political opponents. Many anarchists were killed by gunmen of the other side.
The FAI
During the Primo de Rivera years, much of the CNT leadership began to espouse "moderate" views, ostensibly holding an anarchist outlook but holding that the fulfilment of anarchist hopes would not come immediately. The Federación Anarquista Ibérica ( FAI, Iberian Anarchist Federation) is a Spanish organization of Anarchist ( Anarcho-Syndicalist Juan García Oliver (1901 Reus, Tarragona Province &mdash1980 was a Spanish Anarcho-syndicalist revolutionary and a leading figure of Buenaventura Durruti Dumange ( July 14, 1896 &ndash November 20, 1936) was a central figure of Spanish anarchism during the period Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo ( CNT; English The Federación Anarquista Ibérica (FAI) was formed in 1927 to combat this tendency. The Federación Anarquista Ibérica ( FAI, Iberian Anarchist Federation) is a Spanish organization of Anarchist ( Anarcho-Syndicalist
Its organization was based on autonomous affinity groups. An affinity group is usually a small group of left-wing political Activists (usually from 3-20 who work together on Direct action. The FAI remained a very secretive organization, even after acknowledging its existence two years after its formation. Its surreptitious nature makes it difficult to judge the extent of its membership. Estimates of FAI membership at the time immediately preceding the revolution range from 5,000 to 30,000. Membership dramatically increased during the first few months of the Civil War.
The FAI was not ideally libertarian, being dominated by very aggressive militants such as Juan García Oliver and Buenaventura Durruti. Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the Juan García Oliver (1901 Reus, Tarragona Province &mdash1980 was a Spanish Anarcho-syndicalist revolutionary and a leading figure of Buenaventura Durruti Dumange ( July 14, 1896 &ndash November 20, 1936) was a central figure of Spanish anarchism during the period However, it was not authoritarian in its actual methods; it allowed freedom of dissent to its members. Authoritarianism describes a Form of government characterized by an emphasis on the Authority of the State in a republic or union In fact the overall organization of the FAI was very loose, unlike Bakunin's "Alliance" which was, however, an important precedent in creating an organization for pushing forward anarchist ideology.
The FAI was militantly revolutionary, with actions including bank robberies to acquire funds, and the organization of general strikes, but at times became more opportunist. It supported moderate efforts against the Rivera dictatorship, and in 1936, contributed to establishment of the Popular Front. The Popular Front (Frente Popular in Spain 's Second Republic was an electoral Coalition and pact signed in January 1936 by various By the time the anarchist organizations began cooperating with the Republican government, the FAI essentially became a de facto political party and the affinity group model was dropped, not uncontroversially.
The Fall of Rivera and the New Republic
The CNT initially welcomed the Republic as a preferable alternative to dictatorship, while still holding on to the principle that all States are inherently deleterious, if perhaps to varying degrees of severity. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its A dictatorship is usually defined as an autocratic Form of government in which the Government is ruled by a Dictator. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population.
This relationship did not last long, though. A strike by telephone workers led to street fighting between CNT and government forces; the army used machine guns against the workers. A similar strike broke out a few weeks later in Seville; twenty anarchists were killed and one hundred were wounded after the army besieged a CNT meeting place and destroyed it with artillery. Seville ( Spanish: Sevilla, see also different names) is the artistic cultural and financial capital of southern Spain. An insurrection occurred in Alto Llobregat, where miners took over the town and raised red and black flags in town halls.
These actions provoked harsh government repression and achieved little tangible success. Political repression is the Persecution of an individual or group for political reasons particularly for the purpose of restricting or preventing their ability to take part Some of the most active anarchists, including Durruti and Ascaso, were deported to Spanish territory in Africa. Buenaventura Durruti Dumange ( July 14, 1896 &ndash November 20, 1936) was a central figure of Spanish anarchism during the period Francisco Ascaso Budría ( April 1 1901 &mdash July 20 1936) was a prominent Anarcho-syndicalist figure in Spain. This provoked protest and an insurrection in Tarassa, where, like in Alto Llobregat, workers stormed town halls and raised their flags. Another failed insurrection took place in 1933, when anarchist groups attacked military barracks with the hope that those inside would support them. The government had already learned of these plans, however, and quickly suppressed the revolt.
None of these actions had any success. They resulted in thousands of jailed anarchists and a wounded movement. At the same time, infighting (largely instigated by so-called treintistas) hurt the unity of the anarchist struggle.
Prelude to Revolution
The national focus on Republic and reform led the anarchists to cry "Before the ballot boxes, social revolution!" In their view, liberal electoral reforms were futile and undesirable, and impeded the total liberation of the working classes. For other uses see Reform (disambiguation Reform means beneficial change or sometimes more specifically reversion to a pure original
An uprising took place in December of 1933. Aside from a prison break in Barcelona, no gains were made by revolutionaries before the police quelled the revolt in Catalonia and most of the rest of the country. Zaragoza saw ephemeral insurrection in the form of street fighting and the occupation of certain buildings.
In Casas Viejas, militants quickly surrendered when they were outnumbered by police forces. Casas Viejas is a city located in the province of Cádiz, Spain. However, one old anarchist called "Six fingers" barricaded himself in his home with his family and vowed to resist arrest. His house was burned down, his family was killed, and the anarchists who previously surrendered peacefully were shot. This massacre provoked torrents of condemnation, even from conservative Republicans.
An important strike took place in April, again in Zaragoza. It lasted five weeks, shutting down most of Zaragoza's economy. Other parts of the country were supportive; anarchists in Barcelona took care of the strikers' children (about 13,000 of them).
Asturias
Perhaps the clearest prequel to revolution (and civil war) came in 1934, in the mining districts of Asturias. The Principality of Asturias ( Spanish: Principado de Asturias, Asturian: Principáu d'Asturies or Asturies) is an The strike here was a cooperative effort of communists and anarchists, with the former having more representation, but with events mirroring more closely an anarchist mindset. Communists had some influence, but their numbers were small; the Communist Party had perhaps 1,000 members in 1934 compared with the UGT's 1. 44 million and the CNT's 1. 58 million.
The miners' strike began with attacks on barracks of the Civil Guard. In the town of Mieres, police barracks and the town hall were taken over. Mieres is a municipality of Asturias, Spain with approximately 45000 inhabitants Strikers moved on, continuing to occupy towns, even the capital of Asturias in Oviedo. Oviedo ( Asturian: Uviéu is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. Workers had control over most of Asturias, under chants of "Unity, Proletarian brothers!" The ports of Gijon and Aviles remained open. Gijón ( Asturian: Xixón) is a coastal industrial city Avilés is the name of the third most important city of Asturias, Spain. Anarchist militants defending against the imminent arrival of government troops were denied sufficient arms by suspicious communists. So fell the uprising, with great violence upon the rebels, but also with great unity and revolutionary fervor amongst the working classes.
The crushing of the revolt was led by General Francisco Franco, who would later lead a rebellion against the republic and become dictator of Spain. Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (born December 4, 1892 in Ferrol, died November 20, 1975 in Madrid The use of the Foreign Legion and the Moorish Regulares to kill Spaniards caused public outrage. The Spanish Legion ( Spanish: Legión Española or simply La Legión) formerly Spanish Foreign Legion, is an elite unit of the Spanish Regulares (Spanish for "Regulars" officially called the Fuerzas Regulares Indígenas) was the name commonly used to designate the volunteer Infantry Captured miners faced torture, rape, mutilation, and execution. Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental is intentionally This foreshadowed the same brutality seen two years later in the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of
The Popular Front
With the growth of right-wing political parties (Gil Robles' ultra-conservative, Catholic CEDA, for example), leftist parties felt the need to join together in a "Popular Front. The Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right ( Spanish: Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas, CEDA) was a Spanish Political " This included Republicans, Socialists, Communists, and other left parties; Anarchists were not willing to support it but refused to attack it, either, thus helping it get into power.
The more radical elements of the CNT-FAI were not satisfied with electoral politics. In the months after the Popular Front's rise to power, strikes, demonstrations, and rebellions broke out throughout Spain. Throughout the countryside, almost 5 km² of land were taken over by squatters. Squatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or Building that the squatter does not own rent or otherwise have permission to use The Popular Front parties began to lose control. Anarchists would continue to strike even when prudent socialists called it off, taking food from stores when strike funds ran out. Strike pay (or strike fund) is the name of payments made by a Trade union to Workers who are on strike.
The CNT's national congress in May of 1936 had an overtly revolutionary tone. Among the topics discussed were sexual freedom, plans for agrarian communes, and the elimination of social hierarchy. A commune is an Intentional community of people living together sharing common interests Property, possessions Resources, work and Income @@@ main@@@ - title Hierarchy@@@ keywords structure; sociology; information@@@ review@@@ -
Anarchist presence in the Spanish Civil War
The Republican government responded to the threat of a military uprising with remarkable timidity and inaction. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo ( CNT; English The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The CNT had warned Madrid of a rising based in Morocco months earlier and even gave the exact date and time of 5 A. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa M. on July 19, which it had learned through its impressive espionage apparatus. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Yet, the Popular Front did nothing, and refused to give arms to the CNT. Tired of begging for weapons and being denied, CNT militants raided an arsenal and doled out arms to the unions. Militias were placed on alert days before the planned rising. The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary Citizens to provide defense emergency law enforcement or Paramilitary service
The rising was actually moved forward two days to July 17, and was crushed in areas heavily defended by anarchist militants, such as Barcelona. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Some anarchist strongholds, such as Zaragoza, fell, to the great dismay of those in Catalonia; this is possibly due to the fact that they were being told that there was no "desperate situation" by Madrid and thus did not prepare. The Government still remained in a state of denial, even saying that the "Nationalist" forces had been crushed in places where it had not been. It is largely because of the militancy on the part of the unions, both anarchist and communist, that the Rebel forces did not win the war immediately.
Anarchist militias were remarkably libertarian within themselves, particularly in the early part of the war before being partially absorbed into the regular army. They had no rank system, no hierarchy, no salutes, and those called "Commanders" were elected by the troops. Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in Armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines
The most effective anarchist unit was the Durruti Column (which inspired the name of the band The Durutti Column), led by already legendary militant Buenaventura Durruti. The Durruti Column was the most famous column of anarchist fighters during the Spanish Civil War. See Durruti Column for the anarchist column during the Spanish Civil War. It was the only anarchist unit which managed to gain respect from otherwise fiercely hostile political opponents. In a section of her memoirs which otherwise lambastes the anarchists, Dolores Ibarruri states: "The war developed with minimal participation from the anarchists in its fundamental operations. Dolores Ibárruri Gómez, also known as La Pasionaria (the Passion flower) ( December 9, 1895 &ndash November 12, One exception was Durruti. . . " (Memorias de Dolores Ibarruri, p. 382). The column began with 3,000 troops, but at its peak was made up of about 8,000 men. They had a difficult time getting arms from a fearful Republican government, so Durruti and his men compensated by seizing unused arms from government stockpiles. Durruti's death on November 20, 1936 weakened the Column in spirit and tactical ability; they were eventually incorporated, by decree, into the regular army. Over a quarter of the population of Barcelona attended Durruti's funeral. It is still uncertain how Durruti died; modern historians tend to agree that it was an accident, perhaps a malfunction with his own gun or a result of friendly fire, but widespread rumors at the time claimed treachery by his men; anarchists tended to claim that he died heroically and was shot by a fascist sniper.
Another famous unit was the Iron Column, made up of ex-convicts and other "disinherited" Spaniards sympathetic to the Revolution. The Iron Column was a Spanish anarchist Militia column formed during the Spanish Civil War to fight the military forces of Francisco Franco The Republican government denounced them as "uncontrollables" and "bandits," but they had a fair amount of success in battle. In March of 1937 they were incorporated into the regular army.
CNT-FAI collaboration with government during the war
In 1936, the CNT decided, after several refusals, to collaborate with the government of Largo Cabellero. Juan García Oliver became Minister of Justice (where he abolished legal fees and had all criminal dossiers destroyed), Diego Abad de Santillán became Minister of the Economy, and Federica Montseny became Minister of Health, to name a few instances. Juan García Oliver (1901 Reus, Tarragona Province &mdash1980 was a Spanish Anarcho-syndicalist revolutionary and a leading figure of Diego Abad de Santillán (1897&ndash1983 born Sinesio Vaudilio García Fernández, was an Author, Economist and leading figure in the Spanish Federica Montseny i Mañé ( February 12 1905, Madrid &mdash January 14 1994) was a Spanish anarchist, intellectual and Minister
During the Spanish Civil War, many anarchists outside of Spain criticized the CNT leadership for entering into government and compromising with communist elements on the Republican side. Those in Spain felt that this was a temporary adjustment, and that once Franco was defeated, they would continue in their libertarian ways. There was also concern with the growing power of authoritarian communists within the government. Montseny later explained: "At that time we only saw the reality of the situation created for us: the communists in the government and ourselves outside, the manifold possibilities, and all our achievements endangered. "
Indeed, some anarchists outside of Spain viewed their concessions as necessary considering the grim possibility of losing everything should the fascists win the war. Emma Goldman said, "With Franco at the gate of Madrid, I could hardly blame the CNT-FAI for choosing a lesser evil: participation in government rather than dictatorship, the most deadly evil. Emma Goldman (June 27 1869 – May 14 1940 was an anarchist known for her political activism writing and speeches " [1]
To this day, the issue remains controversial among anarchists.
1936 Revolution
Along with the fight against fascism was a profound anarchist revolution throughout Spain. The Spanish Revolution of 1936 began during the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology
Much of Spain's economy was put under worker control; in anarchist strongholds like Catalonia, the figure was as high as 75%, but lower in areas with heavy socialist influence. Factories were run through worker committees, agrarian areas became collectivized and run as libertarian communes. A commune is an Intentional community of people living together sharing common interests Property, possessions Resources, work and Income Even places like hotels, barber shops, and restaurants were collectivized and managed by their workers. George Orwell describes a scene in Aragon during this time period, in his book, Homage to Catalonia:
- I had dropped more or less by chance into the only community of any size in Western Europe where political consciousness and disbelief in capitalism were more normal than their opposites. Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950 who used the Pseudonym George Orwell, was an English writer Aragon ( Spanish: "Aragón") is an autonomous community of Spain. Homage to Catalonia is political journalist and Novelist George Orwell 's personal account of his experiences and observations in the Up here in Aragon one was among tens of thousands of people, mainly though not entirely of working-class origin, all living at the same level and mingling on terms of equality. In theory it was perfect equality, and even in practice it was not far from it. There is a sense in which it would be true to say that one was experiencing a foretaste of Socialism, by which I mean that the prevailing mental atmosphere was that of Socialism. Many of the normal motives of civilized life--snobbishness, money-grubbing, fear of the boss, etc. --had simply ceased to exist. The ordinary class-division of society had disappeared to an extent that is almost unthinkable in the money-tainted air of England; there was no one there except the peasants and ourselves, and no one owned anyone else as his master.
The anarchist held areas were run according to the basic principle of "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need. From each according to his ability to each according to his need (or needs) is a Slogan popularized by Karl Marx in his 1875 Critique " In some places, money was entirely eliminated, to be replaced with vouchers. Money is anything that is generally accepted as Payment for Goods and services and repayment of Debts. Under this system, goods were often up to a quarter of their previous cost.
Despite the critics clamoring for maximum efficiency, anarchic communes often produced more than before the collectivization. The newly liberated zones worked on entirely libertarian principles; decisions were made through councils of ordinary citizens without any sort of bureaucracy. (It should be noted that the CNT-FAI leadership was at this time not nearly as radical as the rank and file members responsible for these sweeping changes. )
In addition to the economic revolution, there was a spirit of cultural revolution. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Oppressive traditions were done away with. For instance, women were allowed to have abortions, and the idea of "free love" became popular. An The term free love has been used since at least the nineteenth century to describe a Social movement that rejects Marriage, which is seen as a form In many ways, this spirit of cultural liberation was similar to that of the "New Left" movements of the 1960s. The New Left were the Left-wing movements in different countries in the 1960s and 1970s that unlike the earlier leftist focus on union activism instead adopted a
Counter-revolution
During the Civil War, a reactionary Communist Party gained considerable influence due to the necessity of aid from the Soviet Union. A Political party described as a communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of Communism through a communist form of Communists and "liberals" on the Republican side gave considerable effort to crush the anarchist revolution, ostensibly to bolster the anti-Fascist effort (the response was, "The revolution and the war are inseparable"). Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Pravda announced in December of 1936 that ". Pravda (Правда "The Truth" was a leading Newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the . . the mopping up of Trotskyists and anarcho-syndicalists has already begun. Leon Trotsky ( Russian:, Lev Davidovich Trotsky, also transliterated Leo, Lyev, Trotskii, Trotski, Trotskij It will be carried out with the same vigor as in the USSR. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 " Another communist boldly proclaimed in an interview that they would "make short work of the anarchists after the defeat of Franco. " Their efforts to weaken the revolution were ultimately successful: hierarchy was eventually restored in many of the collectivized areas, and power was taken away from workers and unions, to be monopolized by the Popular Front. The Popular Front (Frente Popular in Spain 's Second Republic was an electoral Coalition and pact signed in January 1936 by various
Most important, perhaps, were the measures to destroy the militias, who were arguably leading the war effort in spirit as well as in action. The militias were eventually declared illegal and technically merged with the Popular Army. This had the effect of demoralizing the soldiers and taking away what they had ultimately been fighting for: not for the Soviet Union, but for themselves and for freedom. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko, working in Spain for Stalin, had predicted this in 1936: "Without the participation of the CNT, it will not, of course, be possible to create the appropriate enthusiasm and discipline in the people's militia/Republican militia. Vladimir Alexandrovich Antonov-Ovseenko (actual surname Ovseenko) (Владимир Александрович Антонов(-Овсеенко Володимир Антонов-Овсєєнко Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party "
Indeed, the counter-revolutionary fervor often served to weaken the anti-Fascist war effort. A counter-revolutionary is anyone who opposes a Revolution, particularly those who act after a revolution to try to overturn or reverse it in full or in part For example, a huge cache of arms was allowed to fall to Francoist forces for fear that it otherwise would end up in the hands of the anarchists. Troops were pulled off the front lines to crush anarchist collectives. Many able soldiers were assassinated for their political ideology; a leader of the repressive efforts, Enrique Lister, said that he would "shoot all the anarchists [he] had to. Enrique Líster Forján ( April 21 1907, Ameneiro A Coruña &mdash December 8 1995, Madrid) was a Spanish " It was revealed that many anarchists were being held in prisons under Communist orders, rather than fighting on the front, and that furthermore many of these prisoners were tortured and shot.
In what became known as the "Barcelona May Days", the most dramatic repressive effort against the anarchists came in May of 1937. Barcelona May Days is a term covering the events between May 3 and May 8 1937, when factions on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil Communist-led police forces attempted to take over a CNT-run telephone building in Barcelona. The telephone workers fought back, setting up barricades and surrounding the Communist "Lenin Barracks. " Five days of street fighting ensued, causing over 500 deaths. This tragic series of events greatly demoralized the workers of Barcelona.
Afterwards, the government sent in 6,000 men to disarm the workers, and the FAI was outlawed. However, the Communist workers were allowed to keep their weapons; only the anarchists were forced to turn them in. This is not surprising considering that the Police and government in Barcelona were overtly Communist-run by this point. The militant Friends of Durruti group encouraged the fighting to continue, feeling that defeat by the Communists would ruin the strength of the anarchist movement. Friends of Durruti Group (in Spanish Agrupación de los Amigos de Durruti) was an Anarchist group in Spain, founded in 1937, on 15 March by Their call was not heeded.
Throughout the Civil War, the various Communist newspapers engaged in a massive propaganda campaign against the anarchists and the POUM. A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people POUM Campesinosjpg|thumb|A POUM poster appeals to peasants "Peasants the land is yours"]]The Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM Spanish: Partido Obrero They were often called "Hitlerites" and "fascists" in the pay of Franco, as George Orwell notes in Homage to Catalonia: "Just imagine how odious it must be to see a young 15-year old Spaniard brought back from the front lines on a stretcher, to see, poking out from under the blanket an anemic, bewildered face and to think that in London and Paris there are gentlemen dressed to the nines, blithely engaged in writing pamphlets to show this little lad is a covert fascist. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately " The unreliability of these newspapers peaked when not even one reported the events of May 1937. Barcelona May Days is a term covering the events between May 3 and May 8 1937, when factions on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil
The Franco Years
When Francisco Franco took power in 1939, he had tens of thousands of political dissidents executed. Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (born December 4, 1892 in Ferrol, died November 20, 1975 in Madrid A dissident, broadly defined is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine policy or institution The total number of politically motivated killings between 1939 and 1943 is estimated to be around 200,000. Political prisoners filled the jails, which were twenty times more populous than before the war. Forced labor camps were opened up, where, according to historian Antony Beevor, "the system was probably as bad as in Germany or Russia. Antony James Beevor (born 14 December 1946) is a British Historian, educated at Winchester College and Sandhurst. " Despite these actions, underground resistance to Franco's rule lingered for decades. Actions by the Resistance included, among other things, sabotage, releasing prisoners, underground organizing of workers, aiding fugitives and refugees, and assassinations of government officials.
Little attention was paid to the Spaniards who refused to accept Franco's rule, even by those who had been against him during the War. Miguel Garcia, an anarchist jailed for 22 years, describes their circumstances in his 1972 book: "When we lost the war, those who fought on became the Resistance. Miguel García (1908-1981 was a Spanish anarchist activist forger and writer and was a Political prisoner under the regime of Francisco Franco. But to the world, the Resistance had become criminals, for Franco made the laws, even if, when dealing with political opponents, he chose to break the laws established by the constitution; and the world still regards us as criminals. When we are imprisoned, liberals are not interested, for we are "terrorists". . . . "
The guerilla resistance (referred to in Spain as Maquis) was effectively ended around 1960 with the death of many of its more experienced militants. The Spanish Maquis were Spanish Guerrillas exiled in France after the Spanish Civil War who continued to fight against the Franco regime In the period from the end of the war until 1960, according to government sources, there were 1,866 clashes with security forces and 535 acts of sabotage. 2,173 guerillas were killed and 420 were wounded, while the figures for government forces lost amount to only 307 killed and 372 wounded. 19,340 resistance fighters were arrested over this time interval. Those who aided the guerillas were met with similar brutality; as many as 20,000 were arrested over the years on this charge, with many facing torture during interrogation.
The Spanish government under Franco continued to persecute "criminals" until its demise. In the earlier years, some prisons were filled up to fourteen times their capacity, with prisoners hardly able to move about. People were often locked up simply for carrying a union card. Active militants were often less fortunate; thousands were shot or hanged. Two of the most able Resistance fighters, Jose Luis Facerias and Francisco Sabater Llopart (often called "Sabaté"), were simply shot by police forces; many anarchists met a similar fate. Josep Lluís i Facerias (1920 - 1957 was born in Barcelona, Spain, on January 6 1920. Francesc Sabaté Llopart ( March 30, 1915 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain &ndash January 5, 1960
During World War II, Spanish anarchists worked with the French Resistance, engaging in actions both on the homefront and abroad. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including They worked especially to smuggle Jewish families into Spain, forging passes for them and helping them find safety, in order to protect them from Nazi oppression. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German
During his dictatorship, there were at least 30 different plots to kill Franco, mostly made by anarchists. In 1964, anarchist Stuart Christie travelled from Scotland to attempt to kill Franco; he failed, and was then imprisoned, later to write the book General Franco Made Me A Terrorist. Stuart Christie (born July 10, 1946 in the Partick area of Glasgow, Scotland) is a Glaswegian Anarchist writer and publisher Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.
The then-underground CNT was also involved: in 1962, a secret "Interior Defense" section was formed to coordinate actions of the resistance.
The Anarchist Black Cross was re-activated in the late 1960s by Albert Meltzer and Stuart Christie to help anarchist prisoners during Franco's reign[2] . The Anarchist Black Cross ("ABC" is an anarchist politics support organization Albert Meltzer ( January 7, 1920 – May 7, 1996) was an Anarcho-communist activist Stuart Christie (born July 10, 1946 in the Partick area of Glasgow, Scotland) is a Glaswegian Anarchist writer and publisher In 1969, Miguel Garcia (see above) became International Secretary of the ABC.
Today
The CNT is still active today. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Their influence, however, is limited. The CNT, in 1979, split into two factions: CNT/AIT and CNT/U. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The International Workers' Association ( IWA) ( Spanish: The CNT/AIT claimed the original "CNT" name, which led the CNT/U to change its name to Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT) in 1989, which retains most of the CNT's principles. The CGT is much larger, with perhaps 50,000 members (although it represents as many as two million workers), and is currently the third largest union in Spain. An important cause for the split and the main practical difference between the two trade unions today is that the CGT participates, just like any other Spanish trade union, in elecciones sindicales, where workers choose their representatives who sign their collective bargaining agreements. CGT has an important number of representatives in, for example, SEAT, the Spanish car manufacturer and still the largest enterprise in Catalonia and also in the public railroad system, e. SEAT SA ( English pronunciation:, "say-at" Spanish pronunciation:) is a Spanish automobile g. : it holds the majority in Barcelona's underground. The Barcelona Metro ( Catalan and Spanish: Metro de Barcelona) part of the Mass transit Public transport system of CNT does not participate in elecciones sindicales and criticizes this model. The CNT-CGT split has made it impossible for the government to give back the unions' important facilities that belonged to them before Franco's regime seized them and used them for their only legal trade union, a devolution also still pending in part for some of the other historical political parties and worker organizations. The Spanish Trade Union Organisation ( Spanish: Organización Sindical Española) commonly known as Vertical Syndicate ( Sindicato Vertical) [3]
Anarchist ideas enjoy a considerable popularity in parts of Spain, as they have throughout the world in the last few decades. Large May Day demonstrations occur annually. May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several Public holidays In many countries May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour
In Barcelona, squatting is widespread; many of these squatters hold anarchist views. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Squatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or Building that the squatter does not own rent or otherwise have permission to use Anarchists produce a local calendar called Info Usurpa [4] that lists around forty explicitly anarchist squats that are organized as social centers (Centros Sociales). Squatting is the act of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or Building that the squatter does not own rent or otherwise have permission to use Social Centers are Community spaces They are buildings which are used for a range of disparate activities which can be linked only by virtue of being Not-for-profit These social centers put on events ranging from concerts, community dinners, and workshops to language courses and free internet cafés. They have faced strong opposition from the authorities, including raids and evictions. In 2004, following the eviction of the squat L'Hamsa, squatters smashed the windows of banks and real estate offices, set dumpsters on fire, attacked police cars, and spray painted slogans on the city's walls.
Relationship with socialists and communists
Spain was the only country in Europe where anarchists had more influence than socialists. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Scholars have proposed a number of reasons for this anomaly. Spain was, unlike most of Europe, a largely rural, peasant-based society. Marx and his followers tended to treat the peasants with disdain while holding the urban worker to be the prime agent of revolutionary change. It is unsurprising, then, that Marxist ideas were unpopular or unknown amongst rural peasants, many of whom heartily embraced anarchism, a theory which held similarities to long-held traditions of mutual aid and village-level organization. Indeed, federalist Francisco Pi y Margall would claim that "Spanish anarchism is nothing more than an expression of the federal and individualist traditions of the country, that "the anarchist movement is not an outcome of abstract discussions, or theories cultivated by a few intellectuals, but an outcome of a social dynamic. . . . " Furthermore, Spain had never been strongly united at the federal level, and Marxist statism seemed irrelevant in regionalistic Spain where the idea of a powerful central government never took hold, except on the far-right. Thus, for various reasons, anarchism triumphed as Spain's primary revolutionary program.
There was occasional but fleeting and superficial unity between anarchists and non-communist socialists, but in general relations were uneasy. A socialist leader once said: "There is a great deal of confusion in the minds of many comrades. They consider Anarchist Syndicalism as an ideal which runs parallel with our own, when it is its absolute antithesis, and that the Anarchists and Syndicalists are comrades when they are our greatest enemies. Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of Anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. " The often opportunistic UGT often provided scabs to break CNT strikes. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Unión General de Trabajadores ( UGT, Workers' General Union Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo ( CNT; English Condemnations of socialist tactics by anarchists was not at all uncommon. Yet, more radical socialists (like the POUM) often made allies out of the anarchists, especially during the Civil War and particularly in the defense of Madrid. POUM Campesinosjpg|thumb|A POUM poster appeals to peasants "Peasants the land is yours"]]The Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM Spanish: Partido Obrero By 1938, an official pact of unity had been signed between the CNT and the UGT.
Communists had extremely limited influence within Spain until around the time of the Civil War. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based The working classes, anarchist or not, responded to the Bolshevik revolution with triumph, as did most revolutionaries throughout the world. The October Revolution (Октябрьская революция Oktyabrskaya revolyutsiya) also known as the Soviet Revolution It was celebrated as a victory of the masses and a beacon of hope. Workers refused to ship arms that would be used against the Red Army. However, libertarians soon discovered the true nature of Bolshevik power, especially after the brutal suppression of the Kronstadt rebellion, and again when Leon Trotsky's Red Army attacked Nestor Makhno's Black Guards in Ukraine. This article is about the historical event known as the Kronstadt rebellion Leon Trotsky ( Russian:, Lev Davidovich Trotsky, also transliterated Leo, Lyev, Trotskii, Trotski, Trotskij The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya Nestor Ivanovich Makhno (Нестор Іванович Махно October 26, 1888 – July 6, 1934) was an anarcho-communist The anarchist relationship with the Bolsheviks after these events was bitter. The CNT ardently refused to join COMINTERN and frequently criticized the policies of the Bolshevik government. Communist antipathy to anarchism was equally strong: when communists attained power during the Civil War, anarchist groups were repressed, often violently.
Violence
Although many anarchists were opposed to the use of force, some militants did use violence and terrorism to further their agendas. Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia ( January 10 1859 - October 12 1909) (known as Francisco Ferrer y Guardia in Spanish and often Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion This "propaganda of the deed" first became popular in the late 19th century. Propaganda of the deed (or propaganda by the deed, from the French propagande par le fait) is a Concept that promotes physical violence against This was before the rise of syndicalism as an anarchist tactic, and after a long history of police repression that led many to despair.
The Desheredados (English translation: "the Disinherited"), were a secret group advocating violence and said to be behind a number of murders. Another group, Mano Negra (Black Hand), was also rumoured to be behind various assassinations and bombings, although there is some evidence that the group was a sensational myth created by police in the Civil Guard (La Guardia Civil), notorious for their brutality; in fact, it is well known that police invented actions by their enemies, or carried them out themselves, as a tool of repression. The Civil Guard ( Guardia Civil) is the Spanish Gendarmerie. It has both military and civilian functions Los Solidarios and Los Amigos de Durruti (Friends of Durruti) were other groups that used violence as a political weapon. The former group was responsible for the robbery of Banco de Bilbao which gained 300,000 pesetas, and the assassination of the Cardinal Archbishop of Zaragoza Juan Soldevilla Romero, who was reviled as a particularly reactionary cleric. Los Solidarios stopped using violence with the end of the Primo de Rivera dictatorship, when anarchists had more opportunities to work aboveground.
In later years, anarchists were responsible for a number of church burnings throughout Spain. The Church, a powerful, usually right-wing political force in Spain, was always hated by anti-authoritarians. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities At this time, their influence was not as grand as in the past, but a rise of anti-Christian sentiment coincided with their perceived or real support of fascism. Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology Many of the burnings were not committed by anarchists. However, anarchists were often used as a scapegoat by the authorities. scapegoat was a Goat that was driven off into the wilderness as part of the ceremonies of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in Judaism during the times
Rarely was violence directed towards civilians. However, there are a few recorded cases in which anarchists enforced their own beliefs with violence; one observer reports incidents in which pimps and drug dealers were shot on the spot. Forced collectivization, while exceedingly rare, did occur on several occasions when ideals were dropped in favor of wartime pragmatism. In general, though, individual holdings were respected by anarchists who opposed coercive violence more vigorously than small-scale property possession.
Despite the violence of some, many anarchists in Spain adopted an ascetic lifestyle in line with their libertarian beliefs. Ascetic redirects here You might also be looking for Acetic acid. Smoking, drinking, gambling, and prostitution were widely looked down upon. Prostitution is the act of performing Sexual activity in exchange for Money. Anarchists avoided dealing with institutions they proposed to fight against: most did not enter into marriages, go to State-run schools (libertarian schools, like the Catalan Ferrer's "Modern School," were popular), or attempt to aggrandize their personal wealth. Catalonia (Cataluña Catalunya Aranese: Catalonha) is an Autonomous Community in the northeast part of Spain. Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia ( January 10 1859 - October 12 1909) (known as Francisco Ferrer y Guardia in Spanish and often The Modern Schools, also called Ferrer Schools, were American Schools formed in the early 20th century around the ideas of educator and anarchist This moralism starkly contrasts with the popular view of anarchists as anomic firebrands, but also is part of another stereotype that the anarchism in Spain was a millenarian pseudo-religion.
Feminism
Feminism has historically played a role alongside the development of anarchism; Spain is no exception. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo ( CNT; English The Federación Anarquista Ibérica ( FAI, Iberian Anarchist Federation) is a Spanish organization of Anarchist ( Anarcho-Syndicalist Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate The CNT's founding congress placed special emphasis on the role of women in the labor force and urged an effort to recruit them into the organization. There was also a denunciation of the exploitation of women in society and of wives by their husbands.
Women's rights had been integral in anarchist ideas such as coeducation, the abolition of marriage, and abortion rights, amongst others; these were quite radical ideas in traditionally Catholic Spain. Mixed-sex education, (or just Mixed education) also known as Coeducation, is the integrated education to males and females at the same school facilities NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** An Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Women had played a large part in many of the struggles, even fighting alongside their male comrades on the barricades. However, they were often marginalized; for example, women often were paid less in the agrarian collectives and had less visible roles in larger anarchist organizations. A collective is a group of people who share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest or work together on a specific project(s to achieve a common objective
A Spanish anarchist group known as Mujeres Libres (Free Women) provided day-care, education, maternity centers, and other services for the benefit of women. Mujeres Libres ( English: Free Women) was an anarchist women's organization in Spain that aimed to empower working class women Day care or child care is care of a child during the Day by a person other than the child's Parents or Legal guardians typically someone outside Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency The group had a peak membership of between 20,000 and 38,000. Its first national congress, held in 1937, with delegations from over a dozen different cities representing about 115 smaller groups. The statutes of the organization declared its purpose as being "a. To create a conscious and responsible feminine force that will act as a vanguard of progress; b. To establish for this purpose schools, institutes, lectures, special courses, etc. , to train the woman and emancipate her from the triple slavery to which she has been and still is submitted: the slavery of ignorance, the slavery of being a woman, and the slavery of being a worker. "
"Anarchy in Spain"
"Anarchy in Spain" is the title of a 2004 film directed by Dale Baker and starring Jay Lara and David Diaz. The film focuses on the question: "What would happen if the anarchists won the Spanish Revolution?". It is the first recorded piece of a writing collaboration of Dale Baker and David Diaz.
Citations
- ^ Speech at the International Workingmen's Association, Paris, 1937
- ^ Meltzer, Albert [1996]. Albert Meltzer ( January 7, 1920 – May 7, 1996) was an Anarcho-communist activist "XIII", I Couldn't Paint Golden Angels. Edinburgh: AK Press, 200-201. ISBN 1-873176-93-7.
- ^ Infoshop News - The Spanish CGT - The New Anarcho-syndicalism
- ^ info*usurpa
References and further reading
- A Day Mournful and Overcast - By An "Uncontrollable" From the Iron Column. The Iron Column was a Spanish anarchist Militia column formed during the Spanish Civil War to fight the military forces of Francisco Franco Published by the Kate Sharpley Library. The Kate Sharpley Library (or KSL) is a Library dedicated to anarchist texts and History. ISBN 1-873605-33-1
- Ackelsberg, Martha. Free Women Of Spain: Anarchism And The Struggle For The Emancipation Of Women. ISBN 1-902593-96-0
- Alexander, Robert. The Anarchists in the Spanish Civil War (2 vols). ISBN 1-85756-400-6
- Beevor, Antony. The Spanish Civil War. ISBN 0-14-100148-8
- Bookchin, Murray. Murray Bookchin ( January 14, 1921 – July 30, 2006) was an American libertarian socialist, political and social The Spanish Anarchists: The Heroic Years 1868-1936. ISBN 1-873176-04-X
- Bookchin, Murray. Murray Bookchin ( January 14, 1921 – July 30, 2006) was an American libertarian socialist, political and social To Remember Spain. ISBN 1-873176-87-2
- Brenan, Gerald. Gerald Brenan CBE (1894–1987 was a British writer who spent much of his life in Spain. The Spanish Labyrinth. ISBN 0-521-39827-4
- Chomsky, Noam. Objectivity and Liberal Scholarship. Avram Noam Chomsky (noʊm ˈtʃɑmski born December 7 1928 is an American linguist, Philosopher, cognitive scientist, Political
- Christie, Stuart. We, The Anarchists! A Study Of The Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI) 1927-1937 ISBN 1-901172-06-6
- Fraser, Ronald. Blood of Spain. ISBN 0-394-73854-3.
- Fremion, Yves. Orgasms of History: 3000 Years of Spontaneous Revolt. Chapters 22-23. ISBN 1-902593-34-0
- Garcia, Miguel. Looking Back After Twenty Years of Jail. ISBN 1-873605-03-X
- Goldman, Emma. Vision on Fire: Emma Goldman on the Spanish Revolution. ISBN 0-9610348-2-3
- Guillamón, Agustin. The Friends of Durruti Group 1937-1939. ISBN 1-873176-54-6
- Oehler, Hugo. Barricades in Barcelona. (A contemporary account of the Barcelona May Days)
- Orwell, George. Barcelona May Days is a term covering the events between May 3 and May 8 1937, when factions on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil Homage to Catalonia. Homage to Catalonia is political journalist and Novelist George Orwell 's personal account of his experiences and observations in the ISBN 0-15-642117-8
- Pat Read - an Irish Anarchist in the SCW.
- Payne, Stanley G. The Spanish Revolution.
- Peirats, José. Anarchists in the Spanish Revolution. ISBN 0-900384-53-0.
- Peirats, José. The CNT in the Spanish Revolution. ISBN 1-901172-05-8 (vol. 1); ISBN 1-873976-24-0 (vol. 2); ISBN 1-873976291 (vol. 3). all from ChristieBooks.
- Antonio Téllez, Sabaté: Guerrilla Extraordinary ISBN 1-902593-10-3
- Antonio Téllez, The Anarchist Resistance to Franco ISBN 1-873605-65-X
See also
- La Mano Negra, alleged violent anarchist secret society operating in Andalusia around 1880. Antonio Téllez Solá ( January 18 1921, Tarragona &mdash March 27 2005, Perpignan) was a Spanish anarchist, journalist Antonio Téllez Solá ( January 18 1921, Tarragona &mdash March 27 2005, Perpignan) was a Spanish anarchist, journalist Mano Negra is also a French pop group La Mano Negra ( Spanish, in English "The Black Hand" was a supposed secret and violent
External links
- Anarchism in the Spanish Revolution of 1936 - Spanish Civil War.
- Reviews and Recommendations of books on the Spanish Revolution.
- Libcom.org "Spain" archive
- Anarchism in Spain at the Spunk Library
- The Spanish Revolution, 1936-39 articles & links, from Anarchy Now
- The role of anarchism in the Spanish Revolution - civil war resource
- Films of the CNT, 1936-37 documentaries and feature films on the anti-Francoist resistance from www. The Spunk Library (also known as Spunk Press) is an anarchist Internet archive tvhastingschristiebooks. com [1]
- "Spanish War in Slogans and Posters" by D. Murphy.
- The Anarcho-Statists of Spain: An Historical, Economic, and Philosophical Analysis of Spanish Anarchism article critical of the role of anarchism by anarcho-capitalist Bryan Caplan
- "1939-1965 - Armed resistance to Franco", Fighting Talk # 15, 1996 (archived at Libcom. Anarcho-capitalism (also known as Free-market anarchism) is an individualist anarchist Political philosophy that advocates the elimination Bryan Caplan (born 1971 is an associate professor of Economics at George Mason University in Fairfax Virginia. org).
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