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The Anarchism Page 8
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The Fourth National Congress of the CNT in May 1936, held in Zaragoza, had an openly revolutionary tone. Among the topics discussed are widely discussed "libertarian communism", since they considered imminent implementation and national pacts with UGT. However, little or nothing has discussed the possibility of a military coup, which some saw clear. The conference marked the reunification of anarcho-syndicalism, the revolutionary sectors between unions and opposition. 550,000 workers were represented, which was necessary to add the 70,000 union reunited. However, the progression of accelerated growth during that year would continue until the coup of July 17.
The cooperative
The cooperative movement is a movement perhaps still too little studied with respect to anarchist practice. Revolutionary anarchists often despised by the cooperative and consider it probably little revolutionary. However, the cooperative movement was anti-authoritarian nature, understanding that decisions (at least some) were taken collectively and democratically, and that while it was a form of work inserted in capitalist society, at least provided a job insurance. The cooperative was closely related to mutualism.
Cooperatives in Spain have had a continuous presence in the villages and working-class neighborhoods since the nineteenth century. During the 1910s and 1920s some anarchist workers decided to set up cooperative farms. For example Salvador Segui participated in one of these cooperatives. He worked in Glassware in Mataró, founded in 1919. The cooperative became the largest producer of bulbs Spain. Throughout its history, also manufactured thermometers, lampshades and lamp shades, bottles, lamps, vases or decorative objects, without actually making flat glass.
In working-class neighborhoods of Pueblo Nuevo, Gracia and Sants-Hostafrancs (Barcelona) there were also numerous cooperatives. In Sants include the Flor de Mayo, Loyalty Santsenca, La Nova Obrera, La Hormiga Obrera, etc.. In March 1920, these and many other participants in the Regional Congress of Unions of Catalonia , where defined statutes. They created a newsletter called Cooperatista action that lasted from 1920 to 1938, which was led by Joan Coloma Chalmeta.
With the civil war, cooperatives continued to gain weight. On 6 September 1936 is the Union of Cooperators in Barcelona which brought together 45 unions with 65 branches and over 10,000 member families. During the war this movement will ensure some 430,000 daily food rations. Anarchist cooperatives (collectivization), suspicious of the cooperative movement, organized to the Union. Were established in premises requisitioned or leased and distributed 800,000 meals daily. As a result of the revolutionary socio-economic transformation had gone from 9,000 families organized consumer cooperatives Catalan families associated 383,733 in June 1938.His strength was such that reached even raised at a conference on "cooperative future" of Catalonia.
Consumer cooperatives had problems with some committees of supply of the slums (controlled CNT) and especially with the Sole Union of Food bouquet of CNT.
Free Women
Free Women
Free Women was a women's organization that was formed in the atmosphere of the Spanish anarcho-syndicalism. It existed between April 1936 and February 1939, during the Spanish Civil War. Next to the National Confederation of Labour, the Iberian Federation of Libertarian Theyth and the Iberian Anarchist Federation was one of the classic Spanish libertarian movement organizations. However, only in the end of the war was considered as a legitimate member.
Although gender equality was proposed by the CNT since its inception, many of the women who belonged to the thought that there needed to be a specific organization of women to fully develop their skills and political struggle movement. As a result of these concerns hey begin to organize groups. In 1934 in Barcelona they make the Women Cultural Group together with the editor of the magazine group Mujeres Libres (newspaper) of Madrid involving Saornil Lucía Sánchez, Amparo Guillén and Mercedes Comaposada Poch y Gascón, will be the embryo of the future organization .
The federation grew rapidly during the civil war and it is estimated that in October of 1938 to had more than 20,000 members.Not all of them were anarchists as one of the keys of Free Women tripe was to end the oppression faced by women of the time: the oppression of class, gender and cultural oppression. They put a lot of effort in this latest oppression, since the woman had a very high illiteracy rates.
War and Revolution in Spain, 1936-1939
Anarchist presence in the Spanish Civil War
The Republican government responded to the attempted military uprising with remarkable inefficiency and inaction. The CNT had warned the government of a rising based in Morocco months earlier and even gave the exact date and time it, July 19 at 5 am, information obtained through a spy. Still, the government, led by Santiago Casares Quiroga refused to arm the workers, thinking it would mean revolution. The workers' militias, meanwhile, were on alert days before the planned military uprising. In CNT the military apparatus was satisfied by the defense committees.
The uprising came forward two days to July 17 in Morocco and Canary Islands, Sevilla happen to 18 and 19 to Córdoba, Cádiz, Madrid, Barcelona and elsewhere. 20 produce the uprising in the north. The uprising failed into heavily defended by anarchist militants, such as Barcelona, Gijon and San Sebastian. Some anarchist strongholds, such as Zaragoza, Sevilla or La Coruña fell under the control of the rebels, because of the lack of weapons and poor preparation. The government was still denying the weapons, and even saying the forces "coup" had been crushed in places that really had not. Mainly because militias leftist parties and unions rebel forces could not consummate the statement, occurring as a result of civil war.
During the period of the militias, the virtual disappearance of any section of the army, loyal to the government and the revolutionary ferment that was developing throughout the country, were the causes of the rapid emergence of a ragtag army of volunteers willing to end the last strongholds of the rebels. Tighter estimates speak of over 100,000 militiamen nationwide. Half of them belonged to the CNT unions, the UGT 30,000 to 10,000 to the Communist Party, the POUM 5,000 (mostly in Catalonia). A workers' militias a contingent of 12,000 guards assault, several hundred policemen, some thousands of soldiers and officers of the old 200 just joined the army.
P. Broué, E. Temin, La révolution et la guerre d'Espagne , 1961
Anarchist militias were remarkably libertarian, refusing to appoint military chiefs stable, and deciding some positions in assembly. In other cases it was the Organization (CNT-FAI, and closely related) that named those responsible. They had no rank system, no special greetings, and so-called "Commanders" were elected by the troops themselves. The unit was known anarchist Durruti Column, led by the notorious militant Buenaventura Durruti. It started with about 3,000 militiamen, and reached a maximum of 8,000 men. Durruti's death on November 20, 1936, (at the Battle of Madrid) weakened the moral of the column. Nearly a quarter of the population of Barcelona attended Durruti's funeral. There were other famous anarchist columns as the Iron Column , composed of Valencian anarchist, the Ascaso Column, or South-Ebro Column, both Catalan.
Anarchist militias would incorporate the Popular Republican Army in the winter of 1936-37 amid a rejection of anarchist militants to the pact of the leaders of the CNT and FAI. Until the end of the war about one-third of Republican soldiers were members of the CNT.
Collaboration CNT-FAI with the government during the war
During the first days of the uprising of the army the situation was far from clear. There were conflicting reports of how far the uprising reached. Republican state had sunk, losing all legitimacy in the eyes of the masses. The army was either revolt (national Bando) or dissolved de facto (in the Republican zone). The police were ineffective, as with any public policy intervention could be seen as a collaboration with the military coup. The situation on the street in the republican cities was boundless enthusiasm. It was one of the few occasions in the world, where the people had defeated the army militarily.
In Barcelona the various antifascist forces had formed the Centra
l Committee of Antifascist Militias of Catalonia (CCMA), which at that time served as a regional government. This involved CCMA CNT representatives who had decided it was better to work together and defeat the military (which, as then believed, would last a few weeks) and then would establish libertarian communism. The refusal to "take power" 20 and July 21, 1936 made the CNT not stay little choice but to share the power they already had on the street. At the same time a multitude of towns and cities revolutionary committees were formed between the various anti-fascist forces, depending on the relationship of forces in each situation. The CNT was put before the dilemma of choosing between fascist collaboration or "anarchist dictatorship" was a contradiction in terms, since it ignored the situation created in those same days in Barcelona, in which committees and wielded power.
Moreover, the Republican government (located in Madrid) would cost one month gain legitimacy. In Madrid each political party had its own plot of power (militias, local jails, press) and did little if the central government.Everyone made war on their own. To clarify the situation, on September 3, Largo Caballero formed a government, which participated for the first time two Communist ministers. As since they were already attacking the existing political revolution in the streets, some believed that CNT should participate in government, if only to protect the revolutionary gains. But by then it was rejected participate.
The situation was unlocked when in Catalonia, a bastion of anarcho-syndicalism, dissolved the CCMA and a government of the Generalitat of Catalonia extended to all political and trade union was formed. The CNT and the FAI chose to participate in this government. Among the first acts of the new regional government, was the removal of the local revolutionary committees and replacing legal councils (in which he involved the same forces as before). Thus the CNT entered legally state institutions.
During the month of October, when the war worsened, the negotiations that resulted in the acceptance of the CNT to enter the government. Was assigned four ministers: Joan García Oliver became Minister of Justice, Federica Montseny became Minister of Health (the first woman minister in Spanish history), Juan López Sánchez who was minister of commerce, and Joan Peiro, industry minister . The two sectors of the CNT, anarchists andtrentists, had equal representation in government.
During the Spanish Civil War, some anarchists outside of Spain criticized the CNT's decision to enter the government. In these years of war the Spanish anarchist movement abandoned many of its basic principles, however, felt that this was a temporary adjustment, and once that fascism was defeated, continue their ways of working. However within the CNT was giving a serious rupture between the revolutionaries (affiliate base, and some whole unions) and senior committees they used to impose its will bureaucratically. This clash was one of its manifestations in the creation of the Association of the Friends of Durruti in 1937. Certainly, some of the anarchists who were outside of Spain saw the concessions as necessary, considering the possibility of losing everything if the fascists who won the war. Emma Goldman said, " With Franco at the entrance to Madrid, I can hardly blame the CNT-FAI for choosing a lesser evil: participation in government rather than dictatorship, the most deadly evil . " The truth was that on the first day of being in the government decided to move it to abandon Madrid and Valencia, question very difficult to justify to their own members.
Even today the debates between anarchists on this issue continue.
Social Revolution
Spanish Revolution of 1936
During the struggle against fascism, there was a deep libertarian revolution throughout the territory under the control of the Republic, especially in Barcelona and Aragon.
Most of the Spanish economy was put under worker control. Mainly occurred in areas of more anarchist influence as in Catalonia, Aragon and Valencia. This phenomenon reached 75% of total industry, but in the areas of socialist influence the rate was much lower, except Asturias, almost entirely put under worker control. The factories were organized by committees of workers, agricultural areas reached collectivized and run as libertarian communes. Even places like hotels, barber shops, and restaurants were collectivized and managed by their own workers.
Agricultural collectives were created under the basic principle of "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need . " In some places, money was totally abolished, to be replaced by vouchers. Under this system, the cost of goods were often a bit more than a quarter of the previous cost. Also municipalized housing, and many industries (transport, mining, communications, etc..) Were nationalized.
The recently released official on libertarian principles zones says: the decisions were made through assemblies without any bureaucracy (note that the leaders of the CNT-FAI in this period were not as radical as the affiliate base, responsible for these drastic changes). In Aragón there was a federation of communities which gathered nearly 400,000 people working under libertarian principles. Are calculated between 2 and 3 million people in Spain who participated in this collectivization of the economy.
Along with the economic revolution, a cultural revolution took place. Oppressive traditions were removed. For example, they were allowed abortion, and made popular the idea of free love. In many ways, this spirit of cultural liberation was similar to the movement of "New Left" of the 1960s.
Counterrevolution
During the Civil War, the Communist Party gained considerable influence due to its policy of "winning the war first and then make the revolution." Actually CNT leaders also felt the same, just do not say to avoid direct confrontation with the base. But the PCE spent by the party of "political responsibility", attracting some Republican People's Army soldiers and generally the middle classes. His claims of effectiveness, rationale for the militarization of the militias and their rejection of the social revolution in progress, the game became a reference for all unhappy with the revolution. Republicans had been out since July. The Socialists had their bases making revolution. The Catalans had allowed the CNT joined a government. Only the Communists (and Basque nationalists) refused to accept the revolution. In addition, the need for military assistance to the Republic was fulfilled only by the Soviet Union, which he knew to channel this aid to gain political power in the Republic.
Soon the Communists gained immense prestige, which used to be placed politically to advantage in republican institutions (civil governments, political commissars, important positions in the army, etc..). Following these developments, they tried to undermine the social support for the revolution, sometimes by force. Pravda announced in December 1936 that " ... the cleanliness of Trotskyists and anarcho-syndicalists has already begun. shall be conducted with the same vigor as in the USSR "communist Another boldly proclaimed in an interview that" the anarchists would dispatch quickly after the defeat of Franco . " Communist policy was progressively tacitly supported by Republicans, the Basque and Catalan nationalists and sectors of the Socialist Party (Prieto sector, that of Juan Negrin ...).
Most important, perhaps, were the measures to destroy the militia, which discutidamente directed the war effort both in spirit and in action. The militias were militarized and integrated into the People's Republican Army. This had the effect of demoralizing the militants and remove the illusion for what they had been fighting. Vladimir Antonov-Ovséyenko, working in Spain for Stalin had predicted this in 1936: " Without the participation of the CNT will not be possible, of course,to create excitement and appropriate discipline in the Republican militia . " This militarization process caused several thousands of anarchist militants left the front. Even an entire group of Durruti Column (Gelsa sector) left front taking weapons with them. Who would later constitute the Association of the Friends of Durruti.
Counterrevolution had two highlights in the form of armed clashes. For one, the May events in 1937 for a week of revolutionary groups fought Barcelona (POUM, Committees for the Defense of the CNT Libertarian Theyth and the Association of the Friends of Durruti) against the Republican Guard forces National Republic
an and Communist PSUC. This collision caused over 500 deaths and marked the formal end of the libertarian revolution in Catalonia. It also meant the dissolution of the government of the Generalitat of Catalonia and the loss of autonomy of Catalonia. The CNT did resign in protest to its 4 ministers and political storm in May ended, ushering in the new government of Juan Negrin, much more in favor of ending the revolution that Largo Caballero.
Moreover, in Aragon, the other symbol of the libertarian revolution, agrarian communities were dissolved in August 1937 (during the Battle of Belchite who were involved in the anarchist divisions) by military troops by Enrique Lister. It was learned that several anarchists were imprisoned under Communist orders, instead of fighting at the front, and what's more, many of these prisoners were tortured and then killed. Political organization that defended the Council of Aragon, and their leaders were imprisoned and charged with several false charges were also dissolved.
This crushing of the revolution caused discouragement in the Republican rearguard war to become a civil war between two conventional armies, no longer revolutionary elements. The sinking of the Aragon front in 1938 is linked to this demoralization.
Franco, 1939-1975
The victory of the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War was the smashing of anarchism and all its achievements so far. In 1939 the anarchists were either in exile or in prison or dead. However, since from that moment began to emerge within groups that reorganized the various committees. Being a clandestine activity, and given the degree of repression (150,000 executions or deaths in custody between 1939 and 1945, and about 1 million other prisoners and repressed), the case of overlapping of several committees that were not known was given mutually. Between 1939 and 1945 were disarticulated 14 national committees of the CNT. Keep in mind that when they drop a committee, he dragged his fall in each regional committee, some local federations, the media and the committees of the FAI. In total at each fall they could arrest between 150 and 200 people. Committees related to these 14 were arrested about 5,600 people.