Anarchism and Socialism in 19th-Century Spain: A Historical Analysis
Anarchism and Socialism in 19th-Century Spain
This is a historical document, specifically a fragment of the Manifesto of the General Commission published in March 1883 and reprinted in A. Fernández García and others’ “Records of History …” in 1996. It is a text of a political, social, and public character.
Anarchist Ideals and Organization
The author begins by explaining the right of anarchists to organize themselves. He then outlines the characteristics of the anarchist movement. Two key features are highlighted:
- Collectivism: The belief that every worker should be paid for the work they do.
- Federalism: A decentralized system of organization.
The government is busy chasing anarchists, accusing them of crimes they did not commit. The author points out that the federation holds peaceful values and distances itself from ordinary crimes.
The Labor Movement’s Evolution After 1868
The revolution of 1868 aroused the hopes of workers and peasants, who believed that it would begin the process of social reforms. However, the cessation of the revolutionary process, the permanence of the quintas (military conscription), and the mere substitution of the consumos (consumption tax) led to the separation of the labor movement from the Democratic and Republican parties. This paved the way for the rapid deployment of Marxist and anarchist ideas.
The Spanish labor movement was influenced by two opposing sectors within the International Workingmen’s Association (AIT). In 1868, Giuseppe Fanelli, a close associate of Bakunin, visited Spain and founded the first centers of the AIT in Madrid and Barcelona. He later created the Spanish Regional Federation of the AIT (FRE). In 1871, Paul Lafargue, Marx’s son-in-law, arrived in Madrid to redirect the Spanish workers toward Marxism. He succeeded with a small section of Madrid, who formed the New Madrid Federation. Thus began the labor movement split between anarchists and socialists.
Anarchism spread in Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, and Andalusia, while Marxism initially had little emphasis, later gaining ground in Madrid and the Basque Country. At the beginning of 1873, there were more than 25,000 workers belonging to the International, a third of them in Catalonia.
The First Republic and the Dissolution of the AIT
Internationalism was at its peak during the First Republic. However, the workers’ participation in the strike of Alcoy and the cantonal movement, despite the disapproval of their leaders, was used by conservatives to end the AIT. In January 1874, after the coup, the Serrano government ordered the dissolution of the International.
The Restoration and the Rise of the FTRE
During the Restoration, the first Cánovas governments outlawed labor associations, while later governments under Sagasta allowed them. At this time, the labor movement was clearly split into two streams: anarchism and socialism. Anarchism was reorganized in 1881 with the founding of the Federation of Workers of the Spanish Region (FTRE), which had its largest presence among laborers in Andalusia and Catalonia. The federation increased its membership and engaged in social action with a protest character.
“Direct Action” and the “Black Hand”
Throughout the 1880s, a part of anarchism was inclined toward “direct action”—that is, violent strikes or attacks on the pillars of capitalism: the state, the bourgeoisie, and the Church. It was in this context that the trials took place in Jerez de la Frontera in 1883 against the “Black Hand.”
As noted in the text, the FTRE was accused of belonging to the “Black Hand,” an underground organization that acted in Andalusia in the late 19th century. The “Black Hand” claimed responsibility for killings and the burning of crops and buildings. However, Anselmo Lorenzo, a prominent anarchist, completely disassociated the FTRE from the “Black Hand,” hinting that it might be a fabrication created by the state to suppress the anarchist movement.
Social Violence and the Division of Anarchism
During the period from 1893 to 1897, the most outstanding acts of social violence occurred (bombs at the Lyceum and against the Corpus Christi procession, as well as attacks on Cánovas and Martínez Campos). Direct action, although carried out by a minority, served the ruling classes to label all anarchism as violent and act against it with harsh repression. This led to a spiral of violence based on a dynamic of action, repression, and further action.
The proliferation of attacks deepened the division within anarchism. Pacifist anarchists like Anselmo Lorenzo and large groups of workers, especially in Catalonia, opposed terrorism and called for the need to establish trade union organizations. This ultimately led to the establishment of the National Confederation of Labor (CNT) in 1910.
The Rise of Socialism and the PSOE
Madrid Socialists were reorganized around the nucleus of printers. It was they who, along with some intellectuals and other craftsmen, founded the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in 1879 and the General Union of Workers (UGT) in 1888. Pablo Iglesias became the main leader and the first socialist Member of Parliament.
Conclusion
This text is important to help us understand the main ideas of anarchists: rejection of authority, collectivism, and federalism. It also highlights the separation of anarchism represented by the peaceful FTRE and the more violent sectors. At the same time, it shows us that anarchists were aware of the state’s interest in suppressing the entire anarchist movement.