The Extraordinary Congress held in Barcelona in late September 1884. The most important agreement (proposed by the FCC) would be the withdrawal from public life FTRE because of the persecution he was subjected by the authorities. From this time emerged strong disagreements between those who were in favor of this measure and those who were against. In 1887 the two sides will meet again in the IV Congress of Madrid , but the differences remained. In 1888 supporters of the Federation, providing total excision of the anarchist movement called for a new congress. Being held in Barcelona, where workers' societies dominated anarchist character. This V Congress would form the Federation of Strength Capital , also known as the Pact of Union and Solidarity . With this "pact" was separating economic or labor organization of the political-social. The other aspect of the movement formed during the same year, the Anarchist Organization of the Spanish Region (OARE).
That is, in this V Congress of October 1888 was finally dissolved the FTRE - agony after 5 years - and is based Anarchist Organization of the Spanish Region , heir (in the political and social field) of FTRE. This new organization would agree to support in their struggle against capitalism to another organization, the Federation Capital resistance , provided they had a revolutionary character.
Meanwhile, dissidents of New Madrid Federation of FRE, followers of Paul Lafargue (Marx and Engels and), founded in 1878 the PSOE, and created in 1888 the General Union of Workers (UGT). The labor movement was definitely divided and weakened, a situation that lasted until the twentieth century, except for a brief revival after May 1, 1890.
Anarchist-collectivism, anarchist-communism against
In the ideological field in this 1880s appeared in Spain called anarchist-communism or libertarian communism.
This anarchist-communist movement began to be introduced in Spain due to political emigration. Were numerous libertarian militants who had to seek refuge abroad to escape repression. These activists to contact their European counterparts were adopting libertarian communism, which was gradually entering the Spanish anarchists media. The first anarchist communist newspaper called The Human Justice , published in April 1886 in Barcelona and would last 8 numbers. In its first issue I wanted to explain what was the anarchist communism:
We are anarchist communists and therefore enemies of individual property collectivists determine full work product of each (...). The collectivist school separates us who sanctifies individual property resulting from work each.
Two years later another paper in the same trend, which reach a much longer duration would be created. This was Land and Freedom . Later became the official organ of the FAI.
The discussions were about the type of organization had to be created to carry out the libertarian ideas. Collectivists had the idea that the worker was the product of his own labor, land to the tiller and that does not work does not eat . Meanwhile the Communists favored a regulated by the needs of each individual distribution. But collectivists believed in distribution by a commission to assess the full product of labor (working hours) that each performed before distributing the product. The Communists argued that this system would create a bureaucracy that would differ little from an authoritarian social structure, and that the commission would become a government or something like that, which would deny the anarchist principle of their proposals.
Anarchist communists developed their theories starting precisely from the need to create a completely anti-authoritarian structure ie a social organization without superstructures and the only organizations that were absolutely essential to meet the needs of the population. Setting out, then, the anarchist-collectivism concluded that the only way to solve the problem was the socialization of distribution. Using the formula of each according to their ability to each according to their needs is creating organisms that were above those created for the production prevented. The collectivist saw in these ideas a tremendously spontaneist society and lack of incentives for the individual to be devoted to work.
These two positions are firmly enrocaron and the only way to resolve the dispute was the agreement to participate together in the anarchist action regardless of economic ends that everyone would support (communist or collectivist). In this formula would be known as anarchism without adjectives .
The propaganda of the deed
The so-called propaganda of the deed (or propaganda by the act) is a strategy of anarchist propaganda based on the assumption that the impact of an action creates more impact, they get more relevant and, therefore, is much more effective than the mere word to awaken the rebellious energies of the people.So the propaganda of the deed involves leading by example of the action. Its implementation sought to raise the level of latent conflict explicit conflict, generating a high degree of social tension binding the most out of their indifference and adopt different positions (and, if possible, revolutionary) to resolve the conflict.
In Spain the workers' societies were dismantled in 1874, and not until the coming to power of Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, in 1881, when return to legality. But for that time in international anarchism and the movement predominant rejected any type of organization to be authoritative. In 1881, takes place in a London International Anarchist Congress would try to revive the International Workers Association . However, this new International failed to take off. It was known as the Black International and developed mainly in the United States, thanks to the German Johann Most. The political line of the organization was completely anarchist, but soon even debated on whether to keep organized, while "action for action" was considered more effective than the organization. An expression of this anarchist assassinations were committed by anarchists (mostly) Italian and French between the decades of 1880s and 1890s. Thus anarchism received strong smear campaign from all areas of public life, which ended in the automatic matching between anarchism and terrorism. Since then often "propaganda by the deed" confused as "anarchist terrorism."
In Spain this trend took a few years to come, since the working class anarchists still had big influences, but of a different, a trend in favor collectivist anarchism. The labor movement would be directed into FTRE unions, libertarian character. However, conflicts often generated workers insurrectional riots with dyes. The propaganda of the deed in Spain has a precedent. In 1878, in the repressive regime, an anarchist named Juan Oliva attacked the King Alfonso XII during a military parade. Conducted two revolver shots and missed both. Oliva would be executed in 1879. In the following decade, as anarchist militants were entering this dynamic of propaganda by deed , were leaving the labor organizations. In the mid-1880s, small anarchist attacks began to occur in Barcelona. Initially had a link with the labor movement, while always were directed against the bosses, the gates of the factories against vigilantes or police. Were mere firecrackers, gunpowder filled tubes, and did not produce victims.
But in Andalusia, the misery caused constant conflict between laborers and landowners, which often turned violent. We have appointed and the events of the Black Hand, which took place in the early years of the decade of the 1880s. We have also seen that the harsh repression received finished giving rise to the creation of an anarchist organization Sevilla called The Disinherited , who committed violent acts. However, at that time the Andalusian conflict was generally confined to the territory. On the one hand the insurrectionary organizations were not able to organize outside of Andalusia, and on the other, the anarchist labor movement did not want to be suppressed, which led him to disassociate themselves from the violence.
In the early 1890s a series of tragic events that greatly impressed the Barcelona anarchists held. It all started with one of the usual waves peasant strikers in Andalusia. This wave coincided with the visit of Errico Malatesta along with Fernando Marble Tarrida were propaganda tour of Spain. They are often accused of being the instigators of strikes. But came to Andalusia when strikes were underway or had taken place. After strikes came repression. In Jerez de la Frontera, in August 1891 they were arrested 157 people accused of belonging to th
e Black Hand. It was clear from the outset that it was a retaliation for strikes by local landowners. And the response of the local population was to summon the people to rise and free their imprisoned comrades. On the night of January 8, 1892, 500 laborers and artisans entered Jerez shouting " Long live the social revolution! live anarchy! ". Landowners and killed two soldiers were frightened and did not react. But at dawn, the revolutionaries had to withdraw after a bloody struggle with the forces of order. As Revenge of the landowners, the February 18, 1892 Lamela, Valenzuela, and Bisiqui Lebrijano anarchists were executed. They died shouting " Long live anarchy! ". Besides these executions 17 other anarchist peasants were sentenced to heavy prison terms. Among the accused was also known anarchist Salvochea Fermín.
There was a date that marked before and after. It was the first of May 1891. From this time there was an increase in the ambitions of the insurgents. In mid-May 1892 a bomb explodes in the Plaza Real. There is one dead and two wounded. Soon other bombs explode with more wounded. Also found abandoned in the street are, more firecrackers and bombs, so that an atmosphere of panic occurs in the city that lasts until the following year.
But the first major action performed was Paulino Pallas trying to assassinate General Martínez Campos on a military parade. There is a dead cop and several wounded. Pallas does not flee, but assuming his guilt delivery. Pallas said was that he was avenging the facts of Jerez. But soon to be avenged. On November 7, 1893, Santiago Salvador Franch threw two bombs at the Teatro del Liceo de Barcelona, causing a slaughter (22 dead and 35 wounded). It will be implemented in the castle of Montjuic. All will be cruelly tortured and executed 7 defendants in Montjuic for his alleged relationship with Pallas and Savior. Also another commit suicide in prison for torture.
Still appear more bombs in Barcelona. In 1894, the civil governor is shot in the street unharmed. But on June 7, 1894 a bomb explodes in full procession of Corpus producing 12 dead, 35 injured. After the attack other 500 detainees are innocent. Of those arrested, 100 will be sentenced and another 5 shot. There are serious doubts about the relationship of the anarchists with this attack.
The impression created by the news of the torture of imprisoned in the castle of Montjuic travels throughout Europe. Apart from anarchists and "anarchists called" (there are dozens of detainees at random) are locked in the castle Filipino and Cuban fighters waging war at the time of its independence. In 1897 the poet Ramón Sempau (which was not an anarchist) shoots against taking Portas, torturer of Montjuic. Portas does not die and Sempau is sentenced to death but eventually escapes. The bloody cycle will end in 1897 with the assassination of Canovas del Castillo in the resort of St. Agatha, Guipúzcoa. The truth is that all this spiral of violence left anarchism severely beaten for years.
Revolutionary unionism, 1900-1910
The propaganda of the deed (the revolutionary terrorism) became less common around the turn of the century. In the early years of the century directly disappeared. Reappeared in 1904 until 1908, with some 40 explosions that caused 11 deaths in Barcelona. However, these deaths should make a difference. In 1904 Juan Rull appears anarchist who had been in the previous century and now was not. Rull he begins his criminal campaign was sold to the police. It is dedicated to indicate places where there would be "anarchist" attack, himself responsible for carrying them out. But over time their attacks were older, being out of control even the police. Conducted 21 attacks and killed 5 people. In the same years, the anarchist bombings were between 12 and 16, but only two resulted in no deaths and health care (including Joaquin Artal, that stab Antonio Maura).The biggest attack in this decade was to Mateo Morral. In 1906, during the marriage of King Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia, Morral (who had traveled from Barcelona to Madrid), launched a hidden in a bouquet pump. They were saved miraculously. Following the explosion three officers and five soldiers of the royal entourage, three people on balconies and injuring more than 14 people who watched the passage of the procession died. Activist commit suicide.
But anarchism was denying terrorist tactics. They were convinced that the general strike was only able to overthrow the state and capitalism. One of the biggest distributors of this idea was Francisco Ferrer Guardia, who opened a newspaper dedicated to disseminate this idea among the workers, precisely being called The General Strike . In 1900 the labor movement in Barcelona formed a new organization, the Federation of the Spanish Region Resistance . The organization adopted the "corporate" unionism on federal bases. Its success was immediate: there were strikes in Spain in the same year (La Coruña, Bilbao, Seville ...). Many of these strikes had no specific requests but were spontaneously convened by the working class, some even came to demand the end of capitalism which showed that despite having 15 years without a labor organization explicitly libertarian anarchism still permeating even the movement worker. Remember that time the conditions endured by workers were very hard, the typical workday was between 12 and 15 hours. 13,500 children working in Barcelona and 8,800 girls.
The December 6, 1901, following the wave of strikes, metallurgists Barcelona went on strike. For the 15th had 9,000 strikers, and two days later it was already 15,000. The February 16, 1902 in Barcelona 44 rallies in which the best known anarchists spoke, and they called a general strike for the entire city for the next day were held. The 17 dawns totally paralyzed city. The demonstrations were peaceful enough then. But on 19 (the general strike is indefinite by definition) no heavy fighting and arrests across the city and some businesses begin to reopen. The strike fails. The balance is terrible: about 100 killed, 300 wounded and 500 prisoners and destroyed anarchist movement (the Federation of Workers was outlawed). But this defeat was not the end of the movement, but the opening of an era in which many discussions on how to be more effective, that end of maturing revolutionary syndicalism were given.
Cost several years to rebuild the Barcelona unionism. In 1907 the workers of Barcelona held several meetings that would lead to the Obreres Societats Local Unio de Barcelona . In 1906 the Barcelona bourgeoisie had founded an organization called Catalan Solidarity, and the workers felt the need to respond to the employer's organization. Gradually the workers of the Local Union were transforming their organization in Solidaridad Obrera. At the end of its official organ would create a journal with the same name (which today is the official organ of the Catalan CNT). The first manifests this organization were not usually anarchist ideology. In this organization the socialist workers converged, republicans and anarchists in the city. Advocated a non-political organization (as a plural had a base) and was based on the "societarism". Their main weapon was the general strike. But as anarchist militants were increasingly involved in the trade unions and revolutionary syndicalism was coming to Spain, the color of the labor union was varying. The change took place from 1908 to 1909.However, the Tragic Week realentizaría the process. Not to be achieved until 1910 to organize a labor union for the entire Spanish territory.
The revolutionary education
In the early twentieth century in Catalonia, a number of thinkers, including Francisco Ferrer Guardia in 1901 founded a Modern School. The essential aim of the school was " educate the working class in a rational, secular and non-coercive manner . " In practice, the quota prices tutoring restricted public school student to elements of the middle classes, especially in the early years, so it was expected by the organizers (privately) that students in due course to be motivated to join and support the cause of the labor movement. The school had a printing press in which a newsletter, a laboratory, a natural museum, a library and sought facilities in which he had great lighting was done. Among other things they had to find teachers who understand that their role was not coercive but supportive, this school was mixed, secular and anticlerical teaching and favorable claims.
Being the first mixed and secular school of Barcelona, in a Catholic country, was widely disliked among the clergy and devotees. The school will be closed in 1906 because the librarian activist Mateo Ferrer was just attacking the King A
lfonso XIII.
Also appeared numerous schools adult workers in unions, headquarters of the working societies, cooperatives and the Athenians, attesting to the need to bring the culture to the people. The workers brought their children to modern schools, or rationalists, and received lessons themselves at night in college called popular.
The neo-Malthusianism
Neo-Malthusianism
The neo-Malthusianism was hederedero of Malthusianism and the postulates of the theory of Thomas Malthus population. Arises in the context of the industrial revolution, where the population is becoming more urban, and where working and living conditions of the lower classes and the poor (proletariat) are deeply miserable. In this context the demand for decent conditions for those poor classes and the necessary empowerment of women appears in the ranks of anarchism. The self of the population is seen as the solution to reducing the misery of the poor large families and a mechanism to allow the emancipation of women. During the century anarchists advocate strongly for birth control as a form of personal emancipation.
In this sense the French anarchist Paul Robin neo-Malthusianism defined as:
means of combating poverty by limiting births until the right conditions exist to ensure future workers' children a good education, a good social organization and a good birth .
The Tragic Week
Tragic Week
In 1909 there were two events that heated tempers for a new general strike in Barcelona. On the one hand, the closure of a textile factory, with 800 layoffs. Across the industry there was a general wage cuts. The workers, including those beyond the textile industry began to raise a general strike. Almost simultaneously, on the other hand, in Morocco had taken place the greatest military disaster since the War of Cuba. In the so-called Barranco del Lobo (near Melilla) Rif tribal groups defeated the Spanish troops, causing more than 1,000 deaths. The government responded by mobilizing the reserve (25,000 anarchists are conscripted). Reservists, most workers do not want to risk their lives to protect the interests of the Spanish capitalists (Moroccan insurrection was blocking the routes of mines and delaying business - to highlight investment Marqués de Comillas). The anti-war rallies spread across the country. In full feedback of conflicts, in Barcelona there was a popular clamor for the strike.
The Anarchism Page 21