News of the Spanish Revolution (Anarchist Sources)

Members of the North American revolutionary syndicalist union Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) have always followed international struggles with great interest. In 1936, when the Spanish Revolution began, they were inspired by the part played by the anarchist-led Spanish labor union confederation, the CNT, and the endeavor to create a self-governing egalitarian society. From the IWWs critical understanding of the danger posed by the authoritarian left, including the Communist parties of the world and the government of the Soviet Union, they were on their guard against the behavior of these groups in Spain. In the IWW press people like Joseph Wagner wrote and translated articles about the Spanish situation, offering alternative perspectives not available in either the Communist or liberal press. This collection contains some of these articles, offering a sample of what English-speaking anti-authoritarians could read about the Spanish Revolution in the late 1930s. In addition, the pamphlet contains two articles published later about participants experiences. One is by Russell Blackwell, who became an anarcho-syndicalist as a result of his experiences in Spain. The final article is about Federico Arcos, a Spanish anarchist veteran of the revolution. It provides a glimpse into what the anarchists of Spain experienced and what the participation of international fighters who went to Spain meant to them.