TROTSKY and the Spanish Revolution

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TROTSKY and the Spanish Revolution

by PIERRE BROUE, written as

introduction to a Spanish lan ua eedition o! Trots"y#s writin s on the

Spanish Revolution

Source: Trotsky and the Spanish Revolution, Fourth International , Vol 4 no 1April 1967, pp.4-17Transcription: Ted Cra !ordHTML Markup: Chris Clayton

The arti"le #elo $ives no translator #ut in all pro#a#ility it as %ohn Ar"her.&11,'49 ords( ) have "orre"ted a nu*#er o! typos and i*proved "onsisten"yin itali"isin$ et". +ote #y trans"ri#er. RC

$ORE%OR&

This essay, spe"ially ritten !or this "olle"tion at the re uest o! %or$e Alvare ,as not intended to retra"e, even in outline, the sta$es o! the Spanish

revolution hi"h "overed the peninsula ith #lood !ro* 19/6 to 19/9. ) "ansi*ply re!er those o! *y readers ho ish to "o*plete their kno led$e o!this or that parti"ular point to the ork hi"h ) devoted, to$ether ith *y

!riend *ile Te*i*e, to La Revolution et la Guerre dEspagne &0es ditionsde inuit, 1961.(

2e deal here si*ply ith a sket"h o! Trotsky3s positions in this Spanishdra*a, the last proletarian revolution #et een the t o ars and the prolo$ueto the se"ond orld ar a dra*a hi"h "on"erns us all, hether e think itor not. 5or ) think that the Russian revolutionary, outla ed #y Stalin, posed,in ter*s hi"h re*ain valid today, hatever his detra"tors and so*e o! those

ho praise hi* *ay say, the pro#le* o! the "risis o! hu*anity as that o!revolutionary leadership.


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''''''''''

Spain in 19/6 as the last #attle!ield on hi"h, durin$ Trotsky3s li!eti*e,ar*ed orkers and peasants "on!ronted the "lass ene*y in a revolutionary

stru$$le. The Spanish ar as, in !a"t, the pre!a"e to the Se"ond 2orld 2ar,the !irst year o! hi"h as *arked #y Trotsky3s *urder. ut Spain as alsothe !irst !ield o! a"tivity o! the 8 outside the Soviet nion on a lar$e s"ale.At the sa*e ti*e as the old olsheviks ere dyin$ in the "ellars o! the 8 in

os"o durin$ the pur$e and the trials, Stalin3s *urderers ere li uidatin$ inSpain all those revolutionaries va$uely de!ined as Trotskyists. And yet, no

party and no $roup hi"h played any real role in the Spanish revolution asTrotskyist. The 8: , e;ter*inated #y the Stalinists in 19/7, hotly denied

#ein$ Trotskyist, and in any "ase Trotsky did not spare the* in his politi"alritin$s.

Trotsky3s #io$raphers, and espe"ially the #uildin$ o! a revolutionary leadership, o! a orld party o! therevolution, the 5ourth )nternational. The #lo s that Stalin and his hen"h*enstru"k at the anti-Stalinist revolutionaries like the 8: on the Spanish

#attle!ield ere in !a"t ai*ed at the 5ourth )nternational.

The tas"s o! the Spanish Revolution

Trotsky did not ait until 19/6 to #e"o*e interested in the Spanish uestion.The third volu*e o! his 2orks, pu#lished in 5ren"h, "ontains several hundred

pa$es on Spain, hi"h represent only a !e o! his arti"les and part o! his"orresponden"e> Trotsky3s ritin$s on Spain "o*pare honoura#ly ith his

ritin$s on er*any, the "ountry hi"h, it ill #e re"alled, he "orre"tlyesti*ated to #e the key to the orld situation at the ti*e o! ?itler3s and the

+a is3 rise to po er.

The revolution hi"h #e$an in Spain ith the !all o! the *onar"hy and the!li$ht o! Al!onso @))) should, o! "ourse, have resolved the tasks hi"h

ar;ists "all #our$eois-de*o"rati"3. ut it ould #e a dan$erous *istake to #elieve that the eak Spanish #our$eoisie, represented politi"ally #y theRepu#li"an parties, had the stren$th to "arry out this de*o"rati" revolution.

The Spanish Repu#li"ans3, rites Trotsky, re*ain entirely on the #asis o!the present property relations. 2e "an e;pe"t !ro* the* neither thee;propriation o! lar$e landed property, nor the li uidation o! the privile$ed


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position o! the Catholi" Chur"h, nor the radi"al "leansin$ o! the Au$eansta#les o! the "ivil and *ilitary #ureau"ra"y3. )n "on!or*ity ith the theorykno n !or thirty years as the 8er*anent Revolution3, #rilliantly "on!ir*ed

positively #y the Russian Revolution and ne$atively #y the de!eat o! the

Chinese revolution o! 19B7, he thou$ht that it as only under the di"tatorshipo! the proletariat that the de*o"rati" tasks o! the revolution ould #ea"hieved, alon$ ith the #e$innin$ o! so"ialist trans!or*ation. The pro#le* isthus essentially that o! the revolutionary poli"ies o! the proletariat, o! itsa#ility to rise a$ainst #oth the oli$ar"hy o! the old re$i*e and the #our$eoisie.

)n an arti"le dated %anuary B4, 19/1, analysin$ the politi"al situation in Spain,Trotsky "o**ented on the s"ale o! the strike *ove*ent in Spain as ell as itsentirely spontaneous "hara"ter. ?e "ate$orised the period as a period o! thea akenin$ o! the *asses, o! their *o#ilisation, o! their entry into the

stru$$le3. 2ith these strikes3 he rote, the "lass #e$ins to "onsider itsel! assu"h.3 ?o ever, the spontaneous nature hi"h $ives the la#our *ove*ent allits stren$th at a $iven *o*ent, risks #e"o*in$, at the ne;t sta$e, the sour"e o!its eakness and de!eat. A la#our *ove*ent a#andoned to its o n !ate,

ithout a "lear pro$ra**e, ithout leadership3 inevita#ly !inishes #y #ein$"on!ronted ith a perspe"tive ithout hope3. The So"ialists &the 8S: ( had"olla#orated ith the di"tatorship o! eneral 8ri*o de Rivera> they no!ollo ed in the ake o! the repu#li"ans. )! the So"ialist 8arty3, roteTrotsky, had "on uered the *a=ority o! the proletariat, it ould only #e a#leto do one thin$> hand over the po er "on uered #y the revolution into the

pier"ed hands o! the repu#li"an in$, hi"h ould, auto*ati"ally, let it slip #a"k into hands o! the present holders.3 The Spanish Co**unist 8arty asvery eak, deeply divided #y the *ethods o! the leadership i*posed on it #ythe Stalinised Co**unist )nternational. )t ent throu$h split a!ter split, andthus lar$ely dis"redited itsel! in the eyes o! a part o! the "ons"ious orkers,

ho reproa"hed it as *u"h !or #ureau"rati" *ethods o! leadership as !or itsservile su#*ission to the orders o! os"o , nota#ly the adoption o!

adventurist3 slo$ans durin$ the Third 8eriod3. The real revolutionary "adresere e;pelled or turned a ay. The *asses turned their #a"ks on the party.

)n truth, the revolutionary van$uard, the *ost "o*#ative ele*ents o! the proletariat, ere or$anised in the C+T, here, Trotsky stated, sele"tion hastaken pla"e over a nu*#er o! years3. ?e rote> to "onsolidate thisor$anisation and to trans!or* it into a real *ass or$anisation is a duty !orevery advan"ed orker and a#ove all !or the Co**unists.3 They ouldinevita#ly "o*e up a$ainst the s*all "onspiratorial $roup o! anar"hists o! the5A) ho "ontrol it. The *o#ilisation o! the proletariat on the de*o"rati"transitional slo$ans "ould only #e done ith soviets the =untas3 #ut it

ill de*and, !ro* the revolutionaries, a stru$$le on t o !ronts inside thela#our *ove*ent> a$ainst the parlia*entary "retinis*3 o! the so"ialists anda$ainst the anti-parlia*entary "retinis*3 o! the anar"hists. The anar"hists3,


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he rote, denyD politi"s at the very *o*ent hen it takes the* #y the throat,then they $ive ay to the politi"s o! the "lass ene*y.3

To in the *asses to or$anised, #old revolutionary politi"s, to ren"h the*a ay !ro* the in!luen"e o! the so"ialist and anar"hist leaders, to esta#lish inthe !or* o! the =untas3 the superior "lass or$anisation, to prepare thevi"torious insurre"tion and the "o*plete li uidation o! the old state *a"hine,this as the !irst politi"al task o! the Spanish revolutionaries. To resolve itTrotsky #elieved three "onditions ne"essary> a party and a$ain a party, anda$ain a party.3 ut in Spain this party did not e;ist. )n 19/1 Trotsky rote> )!the leadership o! the Co*intern proves to #e in"apa#le o! o!!erin$ anythin$ tothe Spanish orkers #ut #ureau"rati" leadership and splits, then the realCo**unist 8arty o! Spain ill #e !or*ed and steeled outside the "adres o! theCo*intern. )n any event, this party *ust #e #uilt.3

)t is to this task that the Spanish *ilitants o! the international 0e!t :ppositionapplied the*selves, or$anised in the Izquierda comunista . Their tasks see*ed

perhaps *ore realisa#le in Spain than that o! the oppositionists in any other"ountry. The Spanish oppositionists had in their ranks so*e o! the #estele*ents o! Spanish "o**unis*> pioneers o! the *ove*ent like Andres +in,

ho "a*e to "o**unis* hilst he as se"retary o! the C+T and had #eense"retary o! the red trade union internationalE %uan Andrade, ho had #rou$htthe *a=ority o! the so"ialist youth to the Co*intern on the *orro o! the arEand *any others o! $reat value. Their =ournal Comunismo as distin$uished

#y the uality o! its resear"h and theoreti"al studies and #y its e!!ort to *ake a"on"rete analysis o! the Spanish situation. )n the la#our *ove*ent, the anti-

parlia*entarianis* o! the anar"hists and the parlia*entarianis* o! theso"ialists "o-e;isted, ea"h servin$ the other as a !oil, #ut the slo$ans o!the Izquierda comunista sho ed a ay out to the *ilitant ho had #een ledastray #y the other tenden"ies. The road openin$ up to a "o**unist party o!the olshevik type as indisputa#ly *ore a""essi#le than in *any other"ountries. This is pro#a#ly hy so*e *ilitants #e"a*e i*patient and

proposed to a#andon the position o! opposition3 to a non-e;istent party and to

$o ahead and #uild a ne "o**unist party. Trotsky !ou$ht a$ainst the*ener$eti"ally in the dis"ussion. 5or hi*, the uestion as to "orre"t theCo**unist 8arties and espe"ially the Co**unist )nternational itsel!, #y avi$orous politi"al stru$$le. :ne sin$le analysis *ust prevail !or the ta"ti"s o!all revolutionary "o**unists on an international s"ale. +o supporter o! the:pposition *ust leave the )nternational o! his o n !ree ill and $ive up thede!en"e o! the ideas o! its !ounders inside it so lon$ as there as any "han"eo! "orre"tin$ it. The Trotskyists3 ho "alled the*selves olshevik-0eninists3 re*ained in opposition, and the *a=ority o! the ) uierda"o*unista !ollo ed Trotsky in those years hen the "entre o! the stru$$le*oved to er*any and the atte*pt to "orre"t the )nternational took the !or*


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o! *er"iless "riti"is* o! Stalin3s "atastrophi" poli"ies hi"h ere openin$ upthe ay !or ?itler.

The ()*+ ()*- turn

?itler3s "o*in$ to po er the "rushin$ o! the er*an orkin$ "lassithout a stru$$le #e"ause to the end it as tied do n #y the poli"ies o! the

Stalinist and so"ial-de*o"rati" apparatuses as the de"isive turnin$ pointo! the inter- ar period. )t $ave noti"e o! the "o*in$ se"ond orld ar and theines"apa#le approa"h o! de"isive stru$$les #et een the orkin$ "lass and the!as"ists, sho"k-troops o! the "ounter-revolution. The Co**unist )nternationala""epted the poli"y di"tated #y os"o ithout turnin$ a hair, tru*peted thein!alli#ility o! its leaders, denied the i*portan"e o! the de!eat in er*any,dire"ted all its #lo s a$ainst internal "riti"is*, and sa#ota$ed the

esta#lish*ent o! a orkers3 united !ront, hi"h alone ould have "onstitutedan e!!e"tive eapon a$ainst the troops o! ?itler. 5or Trotsky, the de!eat in

er*any as the Au$ust 4, 19143 o! the Co*intern, i.e., the e uivalent o!hat the support o! the Se"ond )nternational3s leaders !or the i*perialist ar

had #een to So"ial- !ro* hen"e!orththey *ust ork to #uild the revolutionary leadership hi"h the orkin$ "lassla"ked, and *ust harness the*selves to the #uildin$ o! a ne )nternational,the 5ourth. 2hilst dire"tin$ politi"al a"tivity to the !or*ation o! a orkers3united !ront, they *ust train independent revolutionary nu"lei in order to resta ay !ro* the old leaderships the *ilitants o! the youn$er $enerations.

The develop*ent o! the "lass stru$$le in Spain see*ed to provide !avoura#le$round !or "arryin$ out this plan. )n !a"t, the Izquierda comunista , durin$ its!e years3 ork as a "o**unist opposition, had *ade serious pro$ress. )ts*ini*u* pro$ra**e as a series o! transitional de*ands ai*ed at raisin$the level o! "ons"iousness o! the *asses in stru$$le and leadin$ the* into

!urther stru$$les, and as su**ed up in this ay #y one o! its leaders>

The i**ediate de*ands possi#le ere> the orkin$ day, a$es, e uality o!the orkin$ day !or #oth se;es, se"urity !or the orkin$ "lass, "olle"tive"ontra"tsE the de*ands o! the de*o"rati" revolution> "on!is"ation anddistri#ution o! the $reat estates, separation o! "hur"h and state, !ull !reedo* to*eet and hold de*onstrations, et".E $eneral de*ands a$ainst the rea"tion> ade*and !or responsi#ility, "on!is"ation o! all property a$ri"ultural andur#an, personal and real estate o! the *onar"hist rea"tionariesE politi"alde*ands "apa#le o! or$anisin$ the *asses !or their o n de!en"e and #rin$in$the* nearer to the sei ure o! po er> united !ront a$ainst rea"tion, trade-unionunity, orkers3 "o**ittees in the !a"tories, the !ar*s and the #arra"ks F.


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:ther i*portant de*ands not i**ediately realisa#le #ut "apa#le later o!*akin$ a #rid$e !ro* the #our$eois to the so"ialist repu#li", in"luded

orkers3 "ontrol o! produ"tion, the total disar*in$ o! all #our$eois #odies andthe ar*in$ o! the proletariat.3

The Izquierda Comunista $re rapidly> in 19/B it "ontained at least B,'''*e*#ers, re"ruited a*on$st the youth o! all politi"al #a"k$rounds and !ro*all trade unions, not only in Catalonia, and espe"ially ar"elona, #ut in

adrid, the t o Castilles, il#ao and in the Asturias, Sala*an"a, Andalusiaand ;tre*adura. )ts in!luen"e a*on$ the advan"ed orkers in the so"ialistand "o**unist parties and in the C+T and T $re un"easin$ly. This took

pla"e under "onditions here the #ankrupt"y o! the so"ialist poli"y o! "o*- pro*ise ith the #our$eois parties as e;posed, as ell as the anar"hist poli"y o! isolated uprisin$s. There also #e"a*e apparent the need !or a

orkers3 united !ront, hi"h the Spanish Co**unist 8arty !ou$ht a$ainstith all its stren$th, =ust as it had done in er*any, under the prete;t o! the

pri*e need to !i$ht the so"ialists, "alled #y the Stalinists so"ial !as"ists3.

)n Catalonia, the Izquierda Comunista a$reed on the ne"essity to !or* aunited !ront, ith another or$anisation ori$inatin$ in opposition to the "o*-*unist party and to the Stalinist line o! the third period. nder the leadershipo! %oa uin aurin, another pioneer o! Spanish "o**unis*, and o! other"adres o! the "o**unist *ove*ent in Catalonia, there as esta#lished,startin$ !ro* a split in the Federation Comunista Catalano-Balear ,the Bloque O rero Campesino &2orkers3 and 8easants3 Allian"e(, hi"h tookout o! the "o**unist party in Catalonia all the orth hile *ilitants that erele!t. A""ordin$ to Trotsky, aurin3s opposition as a ri$ht opposition3 o! thetype that randler developed in er*any, 0ovestone in the SA, and Tas"ain )taly. )deolo$i"ally, it as linked ith the ri$htists3 inside the Co**unist8arty o! the Soviet nion, the ukharin tenden"y, and it $re essentially onopposition to the se"tarian poli"y o! the Co**unist 8arty and the Co*interndurin$ the third period3, the re=e"tion o! the united !ront3 and the a""usationo! so"ial !as"is*3 ai*ed at the so"ialists. Trotsky rote o! the ri$ht

opposition $roupin$s that they had no "lear pro$ra**e !or a"tion3 and, evenorse, that they had #een on over #y the pre=udi"es that the epi$ones o!olshevis* F. had spread so idely3. A!ter the pu#li"ation o! the *ani!esto

o! the Bloque O rero ! Campesino , he rote. in %une 19/1, that this do"u*entas as it is, pure Guo*intan$is*D transplanted on to Spanish soil3. ?e as

soon to reproa"h the aurinists !or opportunis* in their relations ith the petty-#our$eois nationalist *ove*ents o! Catalonia, their re!usal to "riti"isethe Stalinist poli"y inside the SSR, and their e!!orts to "onvin"e the os"oleaders that the leadership o! the Spanish Co**unist *ove*ent should #e$iven to the*. ?e arned, in his "orresponden"e, ti*e and a$ain a$ainst

aurin and the lo ue and "alled !or a *er"iless "riti"is* o! hat he"onsidered as a kind o! "entris*3 even orse than the o!!i"ial "entris*3 o!


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Stalinis*, in !a"t, the aurinist opposition "reated "on!usion hi"h har*edthe develop*ent o! the Izquierda > it as only in adrid that the olshevik-0eninists ere a#le to in the *a=ority o! *e*#ers o! a "o**unist party!ederation. lse here, and nota#ly in Catalonia, the "on!used and o!ten

"ontradi"tory poli"ies o! the lo ue, its opportunis* in pra"ti"e, to$ether ithits "riti"is* o! prin"iple, *ade it play the part o! a s"reen #et eenthe Izquierda and the dissatis!ied "o**unist *ilitants in the party rank and!ile.

)t as in the So"ialist 8arty, and espe"ially a*on$st its youth, that theradi"alisation o! the Spanish orkin$ "lass and the pro$ress o! Trotskyistideas in its van$uard as *ost "learly evident. )t is ell kno n that the

#ankrupt"y o! the so"ialist poli"y o! "lass "olla#oration ith the repu#li"an$overn*ents provoked a deep "risis in the party ranks, !ollo ed #y the

e*er$en"e o! a po er!ul le!t in$, parado;i"ally led #y the old orkers3leader 5ran"is"o 0ar$o Ca#allero, ho, learnin$ !ro* his re!or*iste;perien"e, rallied spe"ta"ularly to revolutionary politi"s and de"lared hi*sel!in !avour o! the proletarian di"tatorship. Carried !or ard #y e;traordinaryenthusias*, 0ar$o Ca#allero thus "onsidera#ly a""elerated the *ove*ent o!radi"alisation hi"h had "aused hi* to "han$e. ?is dis"iples, the leaders and*e*#ers o! the So"ialist Houth and the intelle"tuals ho surrounded hi* and

ho edited the T =ournal Claridad , ere a "lear e;pression o! this pheno*enon and o! the i**ense "onse uen"es that it "ontained. Thus, 0uisAra uistain, his uno!!i"ial spokes*an, rote in 19/4 in the pre!a"eto "iscursos a los tra a#adores , the or$an o! the T> ) think that theSe"ond and Third So"ialist )nternationals are virtually deadE re!or*ist,de*o"rati" and parlia*entary so"ialis* that the Se"ond )nternationalrepresented is deadE and so is the revolutionary so"ialis* o! the Third)nternational hi"h re"eived !ro* os"o the santo y sena !or the entire

orld. ) a* "onvin"ed that a !ourth )nternational *ust sprin$ up, !ounded onthe t o that have died, takin$ !ro* the one the revolutionary ta"ti" and !ro*the other the prin"iple o! national autono*y. )n this sense, the attitude o!0ar$o Ca#allero, hi"h is that o! the Spanish So"ialist 8arty and o! the T,

see*s to #e the attitude o! the 5ourth )nternational, that is, a "arryin$ !or ardo! histori"al so"ialis*.3 ven *akin$ allo an"es !or the de*a$o$i"e;a$$erations o! li!e-lon$ opportunist leaders ho had rallied #ut late torevolutionary politi"s, the "urrent in !avour o! the #olshevisation3 o! theSo"ialist 8arty and o! its =oinin$ in the #uildin$ o! the 5ourth )nternational

as e;tre*ely vi$orous a*on$ the rank and !ile, as is sho n #y theresolutions o! the re$ional "on!eren"es o! the youth and the "ontent o! their

=ournals and de*onstrations.

At the sa*e ti*e, the C+T as $oin$ throu$h a deep "risis. 2hilst the ri$htisttenden"y o! the treintistas3, led #y the e;-se"retary An$el 8estana, asopenly *ovin$ to ards a kind o! re!or*ist trade unionis*, the vi$orous


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rea"tion o! the 5A) did not prevent the $ro th in "ons"iousness a*on$st the*a=ority o! anar"ho-syndi"alist *ilitants that apoliti"is*3 as nothin$ *orethan a kind o! passivity, hi"h #ene!ited only the "lass ene*y.


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the Stalinists and le!t so"ialists, ho ere deter*ined to #e revolutionary onlyin ords.

ut Trotsky as not a#le to "onvin"e his Spanish "o*rades. 2hilst the*a=ority o! the 5ren"h olshevik-0enisist "arried out the turn3, the *a=orityo! the Spanish or$anisation re!used to do so. The *inority, hi"h as!avoura#le to Trotsky3s theses, did not $o so !ar as to #reak the dis"ipline o!the or$anisation hi"h, a!ter a lon$ and di!!i"ult dis"ussion at the end o! 19/4,re!used to enter the So"ialist 8arty. )nstead, the leadership o! the t oor$anisations, the Izquierda Communista and the Bloque O rero !Campesino , in the !ollo in$ year on Septe*#er BI, 19/I, held a uni!i"ation"on$ress, $ivin$ #irth to a ne party> the 8: &8artido :#rero de

ni!i"a"ion ar;ista(. Thus, at !irst si$ht parado;i"ally, the politi"alre$roupin$ in Spain and the radi"alisation #orn !ro* the events o! 19//-/I,

$ave rise to a ne Co**unist 8arty #orn !ro* the !usion o! the ri$ht and le!toppositions, a Trotsky- ukharinist #lo"3 as the Stalinist Goltsov rote>)nstead o! the stru$$le !or a ne party throu$h politi"al di!!erentiation, asspe"i!ied #y Trotsky, his !or*er dis"iples su#stituted a path o! !usion o! theold apparatuses, de"larin$ at the "on$ress o! uni!i"ation>

The $reat revolutionary So"ialist &Co**unist( 8arty ill #e !or*ed #y$roupin$ into a sin$le entity the nu"leus o! e;istin$ ar;ist revolutionaries,to$ether ith the ne ave o! revolutionists *otivated #y ar;ist unity andthose ele*ents hi"h, de*oralised #y su#divisions in the la#our *ove*ent,have #een te*porarily ina"tive F.

$oin$ so !ar as to pro"lai* that the 8: intended to *er$e ith the #i$ party at a "on$ress hi"h ould take pla"e>

F. as soon as the prin"iple o! ar;ist unity triu*phed in the So"ialist andCo**unist 8arties.3

Trotsky, ri$htly !ro* his point o! vie , as to "onsider as a #etrayal the passin$ o! the !or*er leaders o! the Izquierda Comunista over to the positions

hi"h had al ays #een those o! aurin and the lo ue> !or the*, it "ould nolon$er #e a uestion o! orkin$ !or the #uildin$ o! the 5ourth )nternational,

#ut only o! !usin$ the t o !or*er )nternationals, hi"h ere "onsidered #yTrotsky to #e "orpses. )t is not surprisin$ that at the international level the8: ui"kly =oined the 0ondon ureau, the liaison or$anisation #et eenthe di!!erent $roups hi"h had split !ro* the So"ialist or Co**unist 8artieso! their "ountries, #ut had in "o**on the re!usal to stru$$le !or a ne)nternational3.

5ro* then on, there as no politi"al !or"e in Spain, ho ever tiny, a#le tooppose the pressure e;erted #y the ri$ht in$ So"ialists and Stalinist


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Co**unists !or an ele"toral allian"e ith the #our$eois Repu#li"ans. The"o*in$ !usion o! the so"ialist youth and the "o**unist youth into the %S ,

hi"h !ro* 19/6 on as to #e the *ass #ase o! Spanish Stalinis*, and the =oinin$ o! all orkin$-"lass or$anisations in the #our$eois pro$ra**e o! the

8opular 5ront ere, in a "ertain sense, i*plied in the de"ision o! the SpanishTrotskyist leaders, Andrade and +in, to re!use to enter into the So"ialist 8artyand instead to "hoose uni!i"ation ith the ri$ht3 Co**unists o! aurin. .

unis e;presses Trotsky3s thou$hts on this *atter hen he rites>

The $hastly tra$edy o! "ivil ar, the syste*ati" destru"tion o! the revolution #y the popular !ront, the parti"ularly "ri*inal role o! Stalinis* and the"onse uent triu*ph o! 5ran"o had as pre*ises, the re"o*position hi"ho""urred in all se"tors o! the orkin$ "lass *ove*ent in 19/I. Tau$ht #y pre-vious e;perien"e, the *asses !ollo ed a pro"edure hi"h as a reversal o!

that o! the parties. The !or*er took to the le!t, #e"o*in$ radi"als and a!ireith a so"ialist "ons"iousness, the latter !led to the ri$ht, !or*in$ a "losed

"ir"le o! "olla#oratin$ or$anisations.

At the very *o*ent hen the *asses ere a#out to *ake an atta"k on #our$eois property and on the state, all the parties, so*e to a $reater e;tentthan the others, ere #o in$ in reveren"e to that sa*e state.3

2hilst in 19/4 those !i$htin$ !or the 5ourth )nternational to #e set up a$ainstthe re!or*ists and the Stalinists had a real in!luen"e and possi#ilities to e;tendit and "onsolidate it, !i$htin$ dire"tly a$ainst the supporters o! "lass "olla#ora-tion, #y the end o! 19/I there as no $roup in the la#our *ove*ent to upholdthe need !or ruthless ideolo$i"al de*ar"ation and the denun"iation o! "lass"olla#oration under the *ask o! unity. This is hat Trotsky "alled the

#etrayals o! his !or*er "o*rades in stru$$le, ith hi"h he #itterly reproa"hed the* until his death.

$ro. the Popular $ront to the Revolution


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#our$eois Repu#li"an 8arties, $ave its true !a"e to the 5ren"h 8opular 5ront> areha#ilitation o! the Radi"al 8arty, the party o! i*perialis* and o! the 5ren"h

#our$eoisie, the "rushin$ o! the revolutionary aspirations o! the 5ren"h proletariat in the na*e o! the prin"iples o! #our$eois de*o"ra"y and a purely

parlia*entary perspe"tive.The Spanish 8opular 5ront A$ree*ent, si$ned in adrid on %anuary 1I, 19/6,

as ritten in the sa*e ink as its 5ren"h e uivalent. very historian o! theti*e took pleasure in stressin$ its e;tre*ely *oderate "hara"ter, hi"h as in!a"t as little revolutionary as possi#le. The parties hi"h si$ned it hadesta#lished a "o**on pro$ra**e, to serve a*on$ other thin$s, the !or* o!$overn*ent to #e esta#lished #y the Repu#li"an 8arties o! the le!t ith thesupport o! the orkin$-"lass !or"es, should they #e vi"torious3. They invoked

pu#li" pea"e3 to =usti!y the a*nesty and *aintained in all its stren$th the

prin"iple o! authority3. The de"laration set out in these very ords> TheRepu#li"ans do not a""ept the prin"iple o! nationali ation o! land and itsdistri#ution $ratis to the peasants.3 )ts e"ono*i" pro$ra**e, under the si$n o!the $eneral interests o! the e"ono*y3 and o! national produ"tion3 !oresathe "reation o! )nstitutions o! e"ono*i" and te"hni"al investi$ation, here#ythe state not only as in a position to a" uire ele*ents !or its politi"aldire"tion #ut the individual *ana$ers as ell, so that they "ould e;er"ise theiro n initiative.3 )t spe"i!ied that the Repu#li"an 8arties ould not a""ept the*easures !or nationali ation o! the #anks F. "ontrol #y the orkin$-*an F.sou$ht #y the representatives o! the So"ialist 8arty.3 And it stated that theRepu#li" envisa$ed #y the Repu#li"an 8arties is not a Repu#li" dire"ted #yso"ial or e"ono*i" *otives o! "lass #ut #y a plan !or de*o"rati" !reedo* and*oved #y pu#li" interest and so"ial pro$ress.3 The de"laration ended #y thestate*ent #y the su#s"ri#in$ parties that )nternational politi"s ill #eorientated to the prin"iples and *ethods o! the 0ea$ue o! +ations.3

The A$ree*ent as si$ned #y the representatives o! the Repu#li"an 8artiesthe So"ialist 8arty and the T, the So"ialist Houth, the Co**unist 8arty,the Syndi"alist 8arty o! 8estana and F. #y the representative o! the 8: ,

%uan Andrade. T elve days earlier, the editorial o! the 8: paper, La Batalla , o! %anuary /, 19/6, had ritten under the title The Cru"ial Hear o!our Revolution3> t o roads are open #e!ore us, and only t o> either the *ar"hto so"ialis*, to the se"ond revolution, or a shatterin$ retreat and the triu*pho! the "ounter-revolution F. 2e are no a#out to enter into a period o! $reatstru$$les on the *ar"h to so"ialis*.3 The 8: adopted aurin3sde"laration> the only alternatives are !as"is* or so"ialis*3. ?o then, "an ee;plain its support !or the 8opular 5rontJ ?o "an e e;plain its appeal to

orkers to vote !or this ele"toral allian"e hi"h per*itted the esta#lish*ent o!a #our$eois repu#li", and !or#ade itsel! any atta"k a$ainst property and the

#our$eois orderJ The leaders o! the 8: e;plained their a"tion #y thedesire to do everythin$ to prevent the ele"toral vi"tory o! the ri$ht and the


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desire to o#tain the i**ediate !reein$, throu$h the a*nesty, o! thousands o!orker *ilitants still detained a!ter the de!eat in the Asturias to$ether ith the

ta"ti"al desire o! not "uttin$ the*selves o!! !ro* the *asses, o! not isolatin$the*selves !ro* the po er!ul unitary "urrent a*on$ the *asses, e;pressed

no in enthusias* !or the 8opular 5ront. 2as there any sensitivity to the"riti"is*s o! Trotsky, hi"h ere i**ediate and hi"h "onde*ned the"entrists3 o! the 8: !or their "o*pli"ity ith the Stalinist-#our$eois

"oalitionJ 2as there a lively rea"tion !ro* any o! the 8: 3s *e*#ers,surprised at hat as, a!ter all, a rather #rutal turnJ )n any "ase, the 8: ,althou$h its only 8, aurin, voted !or A ana, i**ediately de"lared that itretained its independen"e arid only si$ned the pa"t ith the e;"lusiveintention o! ensurin$ the de!eat o! the ri$ht at the ele"tions. These pre"autionsdid not prevent Trotsky !ro* sho in$ that the poli"ies o! the 8: ,

pre"isely #e"ause o! the "riti"is*s that it *ade o! the 8opular 5ront a!ter

havin$ si$ned the A$ree*ent, *ade it the le!t "over o! the "oalition and linkedit to the #our$eoisie throu$h the inter*ediary o! the #i$ orkers3 parties.

2hen, a !e *onths later, 5ran"o3s *ilitary pronun"ia*ento e;ploded, prepared ith the "onnivan"e o! the 8opular 5ront $overn*ent, hose only"on"ern as to restrain the *ass *ove*ent, to reassure the ri$ht and to

prote"t the ar*y and the o!!i"er "orps, Trotsky on"e a$ain stressed the "lassnature o! the 8opular 5ront> 2hen the #our$eoisie is !or"ed to "arry out anallian"e ith the or$anisations o! la#our, throu$h the inter*ediary o! its le!t

in$, it then has even *ore need o! the o!!i"er "orps as a "ounter ei$ht.3 The poli"y o! the Repu#li"an 8opular 5ront $overn*ent to ards the ar*y,allo in$ it to prepare openly its overthro , as not the result o! its

#lindness3 or o! any *istake, #ut si*ply the poli"y o! the Spanish #our$eoisie. )n Trotsky3s eyes, o! "ourse, the *ost $uilty ere the la#ourleaders ho allo ed the !raud o! the 8opular 5ront to #e "arried out. ?e

rote> 2e "an no see very *u"h *ore "learly the "ri*e that the leaders o!the 8: , aurin and +in, "o**itted earlier this year. very thinkin$

orker "an ask the* and ill ask the*> did you not !oresee anythin$J?o "ould you si$n the pro$ra**e o! the 8opular 5ront, *akin$ us $ive

"on!iden"e to A ana and "o*pany, instead o! !illin$ us ith the $reatest*istrust o! the radi"al #our$eoisieJ +o , e ill have to pay !or your*istakes ith our #loodD.3 ?e added> The ra$e o! these orkers a$ainst +inand his !riends *ust #e o! a spe"ially pronoun"ed kind, !or they #elon$ed to atenden"y hi"h so*e years a$o $ave an e;a"t analysis o! the poli"y o! the8opular 5ront, and hi"h repeated this analysis at every sta$e, "on"retisin$ itand *akin$ it *ore pre"ise. +in "annot plead i$noran"e &a !ee#le e;"use !or aleader( !or he *ust have read the do"u*ents hi"h he on"e si$ned.3

?o ever, so*e people "ould still #elieve in the possi#ility o! rappro"he*ent.The 8: as !ar !ro* ho*o$eneous. The e;perien"e o! si; *onths o!8opular 5ront $overn*ent o#viously "onde*ned the %anuary A$ree*ent in


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the eyes o! *any *ilitants. A#ove all, the orkers3 reply to the *ilitary "oupd3etat had trans!or*ed overni$ht the politi"al at*osphere in Spain> the ar*ed

orkers ere in "ontrol o! the streets and ere every here settin$ up the po er o! their "o**ittees, destroyin$ the ar*y, the poli"e and the #our$eois

la "ourts, sei in$ the !a"tories and the land. Trotsky and +in ere on"ea$ain in a$ree*ent that the spontaneous revolutionary a"tion o! the Spanishorkers and peasants had "arried the* to a hi$her level even than that o! the

Russian Revolution o! 1917 in its !irst sta$es. The )nternational Se"retariat o!the 5ourth )nternational dele$ated %ean Rous to ar"elona to *eet Andres

+in. +e$otiations took pla"e on the uestion o! the entry3 o! the Trotskyistsinto the 8: > the 8: leadership a$reed to pu#lish on the !ront pa$eo! La Batalla a eekly arti"le #y Trotsky, and pro*ised to de*and !or hi*the ri$ht o! asylu*. Then, #rutally, everythin$ as #roken o!!. 2as this really

#e"ause o! the "lu*siness o! Rous, as several itnesses su$$estJ :r as any

"o*pro*ise i*possi#le a!ter the latest atta"ks o! Trotsky a$ainst +in andAndrade, as others de"laredJ 2e "an, ho ever, #elieve that the ta"ti"aldisa$ree*ents ere deeper than the revolutionary enthusias* o! the !irst daysallo ed to appearE the 8: as to *ake a *ove hi"h Trotsky =ud$edeven *ore serious !or the revolutionaries than the "ri*e3 that they "o**ittedin si$nin$ the 8opular 5ront A$ree*ent.

The entry o! the POU/ into the 0atalan overn.ent

Co**entin$ on the !or*ation in adrid o! a 8opular 5ront $overn*ent onSepte*#er 6, in"ludin$ repu#li"ans and "o**unists, and presided over #y0ar$o Ca#allero, Andres +in de"lared> the present $overn*ent dou#tlessrepresents a step !or ard "o*pared ith the previous $overn*ent, #ut it is a8opular 5ront $overn*ent, a $overn*ent hi"h "orresponds to the situation

#e!ore %uly 19, hen the orkers3 insurre"tion had not taken pla"e, and in thisrespe"t F. it represents a step #a"k ards. There is thus no other ay out #ut a

orkers3 $overn*ent. The slo$an !or the entire orkin$ "lass !or the "o*in$ period is :ut ith the #our$eois *inisters, and lon$ live the $overn*ent o!the orkin$ "lassD 3.

A !e days later, on Septe*#er B6, under the patrona$e o! the CatalanRepu#li"an 8resident o! the enerality, Co*panys, a ne $overn*ent as setup on the adrid *odel> Andres +in hi*sel! as a *e*#er o! it, ith thetitle o! Coun"illor !or %usti"e3. )t is this $overn*ent o! the enerality that

ill de"ree and "arry out the e!!e"tive dissolution o! the revolutionary"o**ittees and the li uidation o! the situation o! dual po er3, esta#lished #ythe orkers3 response to the *ilitary insurre"tion. Co*panys3 #io$rapher asto des"ri#e this politi"al episode as !ollo s>

Co*panys, ho has re"o$nised the ri$ht o! the orkers to $overn and hasalso sho n hi*sel! to #e prepared to a#andon his position, *anipulates the


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situation ith su"h skill that $radually he re-esta#lishes the le$iti*ate or$anso! po er, under*ines any a"tion taken #y the "o**ittees and redu"es thela#our or$anisations to the *ere role o! au;iliaries a""essories and e;e"utives.2ithin !our to !ive *onths a nor*al state o! a!!airs had #een esta#lished.3

Co**entin$ on the re!usal #y the orkers3 or$anisations o! the 8opular 5ront&o! the C+T and the 8: as o! the Co**unist and So"ialist 8arties,( totake the po er on the *orro o! %uly 19 in the so-"alled repu#li"an one,Trotsky as to rite> to renoun"e the "on uest o! po er, is to leave itvoluntarily to those ho hold it, to the e;ploiters. The #asis o! any revolutionhas "onsisted and "onsists in "arryin$ a ne "lass to po er and thus $ivin$ itthe opportunity to "arry out its pro$ra**e . . . The re!usal to take po erinevita#ly thro s any orkin$-"lass or$anisation into the *arsh o! re!or*is*and *akes it the playthin$ o! the #our$eoisieE it "annot #e other ise, $iven

the stru"ture o! so"iety3. This as in strikin$ a$ree*ent ith the point o! vieo! president A ana, the spokes*an o! the repu#li"an #our$eoisie, ho rote,

ith so*e "yni"is*>

e"ause o! the suppression o! *ilitary insurre"tion and at a ti*e hen the$overn*ent la"ked any "o*#ined *eans o! a"tion, there as an uprisin$ o!the proletariat hi"h as not dire"ted a$ainst the $overn*ent itsel!. F. Arevolution *ust have the support o! the *andate, *ust take over the $overn-*ent, *ust dire"t the "ountry in a""ordan"e ith its vie s. This had not #eendone.... The old order "ould have #een repla"ed #y a revolutionary one. This

as not so3.

Andres +in, "o**entin$ on the entry o! his party into the Catalan$overn*ent, de"lared on the radio> the stru$$le hi"h is #e$innin$ is not thestru$$le #et een #our$eois de*o"ra"y and !as"is*, as so*e people think, #ut

#et een !as"is* and so"ialis*.3 The %ournal o! the 8: youth, &uventudcomunista , indire"tly revealed the hesitations and oppositions inside the8: leadership on this uestion hen it rote> There are in the "ha*#ertoo *any representatives o! the petty #our$eoisie, ho have $iven us so *any

de*onstrations o! their ineptitude and short-si$htedness. )n our "ase, our partyentered the $overn*ent #e"ause it did not 'ant to e out o( step in these very$rave ti*es, and it #elieved that the so"ialist revolution "ould re"eive so*ei*petus !ro* the Catalan $overn*ent.3 & y e*phasis. 8. .( )n !a"t, Andres

+in ho, t enty days previously, had de"lared at a *eetin$ in ar"elona thatthe di"tatorship o! the proletariat already e;isted in Catalonia, ent on to say>

)n these "ir"u*stan"es, it is in"o*prehensi#le that there should #e a$overn*ent in Catalonia *ade up o! representatives o! the repu#li"an le!t& s uerra(, and it is a#solutely in"o*prehensi#le that there should #e in Spaina $overn*ent ith #our$eois *inisters3. ut he handed the task o! eli*inatin$

the #our$eois *inisters over to the anar"hist leaders, sayin$> )! the anar"hist


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"o*rades take "har$e o! the situation and *ake a !e sa"ri!i"es, #e!ore lon$there on3t #e a sin$le #our$eois *inister in Spain3.

Trotsky retorted> +in has, in pra"ti"e, turned the 0eninist !or*ula into itsoppositeE he has entered a #our$eois $overn*ent hose ai* as to plunderand to sti!le all the $ains and all the supports o! the so"ialist revolution. The

#asis !or his thou$ht as appro;i*ately as !ollo s> sin"e this revolution is aso"ialist revolution in its essen"e3, our entry into the $overn*ent "an only!urther it F. Today, Co*panys, in the na*e o! the #our$eosie,dares to tell the orkers to keep uiet and to o#ey3.

+in then analysed the sy*pto*s o! the retreat that the revolution is no$oin$ throu$h3> he sa the* in the pro"ess o! re#uildin$ o! the *e"hanis* o!

the #our$eois state3, the "a*pai$n !or the "reation o! a non-politi"al re$ularar*y3, the desire o! the adrid $overn*ent to revoke the Catalan !reedo*s,


16/24

the proposed re!or* o! the servi"es and or$anisations entrusted ith pu#li"order3, hi"h nota#ly ere to !or#id those "on"erned ith pu#li" order to

#elon$ to politi"al or trade union or$anisations. This hole pro"ess, a""ordin$to hi*, #e$an ith the eli*ination o! the 8: !ro* the Catalan $overn*ent

in that o! #ein$ the #our$eoisie3s at"h do$.3 ?e then pointed out the responsi#ility o! the C+T leadership in the retreat hi"h asa#le to take pla"e, in the a#sen"e o! any "lear understandin$ in that

or$anisation o! the pro#le* o! po er as the essential pro#le* o! therevolution3. ?e spe"i!ied> the *istaken attitude o! that or$anisation has hadso*e i*portant "onse uen"es in the "ounter-revolutionary pro"ess. 2ithoutit, in any "ase, the retreat that e are no e;perien"in$ ould have #eeni*possi#le3.

The re*edies ere ithin rea"h, ti*e still re*ained, and all is not yet lost3.Turnin$ to the Anar"hist leaders, +in de"lared> The C+T *ust e;a*ine its"ons"ien"e, $ive up its old pre=udi"es hi"h have #een one hundred ti*esovertaken #y events3. 2as it a uestion o! a violent stru$$le !or po erJ +o,

ith the positions hi"h the orkin$ "lass still holds today, it "an take po erithout resortin$ to violen"e3.

?e on"e a$ain "on!ir*ed that the ar and revolution ere insepara#le, andthat this ar as a revolutionary ar, as the politi"al i*portan"e o! thevi"tory at uadala=ara sho ed, $ained as it as #y revolutionary propa$andaa*on$st the )talian troops. ?e de*anded $reater repression a$ainst the a$entso! !as"is*, reprisals !or the #o*#in$, and "on"luded that !or vi"tory theyneeded :ne !la$. The red !la$ o! the proletarian revolution. :ne $overn*ent.

The orkers3 and peasants3 $overn*ent, the $overn*ent o! the orkin$"lass3.

:n April BI, durin$ a "on!eren"e on the pro#le* o! po er in the revolution3, +in "o*pleted and "lari!ied his vie s. A""ordin$ to hi*, the !or*ulae o! theRussian revolution, applied *e"hani"ally, ould lead to de!eat. 2e *ust takenot the letter, #ut the spirit o! the Russian revolution3. Althou$h it is true thatin Spain, as in Russia, the #our$eoisie as una#le to "arry out the de*o"rati"revolution, there ere, nonetheless, i*portant di!!eren"es #et een thesituation in Russia in 1917 and the present situation in Spain> the Spanish

re!or*ists ere very *u"h *ore po er!ul and #ene!ited !ro* An$lo-5ren"hsupport and the desire o! these supporters to turn the "ivil ar into an


17/24

i*perialist ar. The #our$eoisie had sou$ht re!u$e inside the so-"alledorkers3 parties. Also, the Russian orkin$ "lass had no de*o"rati" tradition.

)n Spain, the e;isten"e o! trade unions, parties, la#our or$anisations, e;plainedhy soviets had not sprun$ up. And !inally, in Spain, Anar"his* as a *ass

*ove*ent, hi"h it as not in Russia, and this i*posed ne pro#le*s anddi!!erent ta"ti"s3> the pro#le* is !or the revolutionary instin"t o! the C+T to #e "han$ed into revolutionary "ons"iousness, and !or the herois* o! the*asses to #e "han$ed into a "oherent poli"y3. And the 8: leader turned tothe leaders o! the 5A) and o! the C+T, "allin$ on the* to !or* a revolutionary

orkers3 !ront hi"h ould "all and "onvene a "on$ress o! dele$ates !ro*orkers3 and peasants3 trade unions and !ro* the !i$htin$ units, hi"h ould

esta#lish the #asis o! the ne so"iety and !ro* hi"h ould #e #orn theorkers3 and peasants3 $overn*ent, the $overn*ent o! vi"tory and o! the

Revolution3.

At the sa*e ti*e, as he as ei$hin$ up the pro#le*s o! the Spanishrevolution, Trotsky asked )s vi"tory possi#leJ3 )t as !ro* hen"e!orthindisputa#le that the 8opular 5ront Repu#li"an re$i*e o! 0ar$o Ca#allero astryin$ to turn the ar*y into the de*o"rati" $uardian o! private property3. Theduty o! revolutionaries as "lear> to de!end #our$eois de*o"ra"y, even inar*ed stru$$le, #ut ithout takin$ any responsi#ility !or it, ithout enterin$its $overn*ent, preservin$ "o*plete !reedo* o! "riti"is* and o! a"tion, and

preparin$ the overthro o! the #our$eois de*o"ra"y at the !ollo in$ sta$e.Any other poli"y,3 he stated, is "ri*inal and has no hope o! "e*entin$

#our$eois de*o"ra"y, hi"h is inevita#ly doo*ed to "ollapse, hatever thei**ediate out"o*e o! the "ivil ar. )t as #e"ause it de!ended property thatthe 8opular 5ront prepared the triu*ph o! !as"is*> ithout a proletarianrevolution, the vi"tory o! de*o"ra"y ould *erely *ean a detour in the roadto the very sa*e !as"is*3.

Trotsky stressed the !a"t that +in ad*itted that the revolution had retreated.?e rote> +in !or$ets to add> ith the dire"t "o-operation o! the 8:leadership ho, under the "over o! "riti"is*3, adapted to the so"ialists and to

the Stalinists, or in other ords, to the #our$eoisie, instead o! opposing atever! stage their part! to all other parties and thus preparin$ the vi"tory o!the proletariat. 2e predi"ted to +in, si; years a$o, at the very #e$innin$ o! theSpanish revolution, hat ould #e the "onse uen"es o! this !atal poli"y o!hesitation and adaptation.3

Contrary to hat +in #elieved, it as not the e;pulsion o! the 8: !ro*the Catalan $overn*ent, #ut its entry, hi"h *arked the #e$innin$ o! therea"tion. )n !a"t, Trotsky stated, they should say> our parti"ipation in theCatalan $overn*ent *ade it easier !or the #our$eoisie to stren$then itsel!, to

"hase us out and to openly take the road o! rea"tionD. asi"ally, the 8:as still hal! in the 8opular 5ront. The 8: leaders plaintively e)horted the


18/24

$overn*ent to take the so"ialist road. The 8: leaders respe"t!ullyre uested the C+T leaders to understand, at lon$ last, ar;ist tea"hin$ on thestate. The 8: leaders "onsidered the*selves to #e the revolutionaryadvisersD to the leaders o! the 8opular 5ront3.

2hat as to #e doneJ The *asses *ust #e openly and "oura$eously*o#ilised a$ainst the 8opular 5ront $overn*ent. )t is ne"essary to reveal tothe syndi"alist and anar"hist orkers the #etrayal o! those $entle*en ho "allthe*selves anar"hists, #ut ho are really =ust si*ple li#erals. Stalinis* *ust

#e *er"ilessly "asti$ated as the orst a$ent o! the #our$eoisie. Hou *ust !eelyourselves to #e the leaders o! the revolutionary *asses, and not the advisorso! a #our$eois $overn*ent.3

The vi"tory o! the revolution ould #e !ar !ro* ensured, even i! the

Repu#li"an3 ar*y de!eated 5ran"o> this vi"tory, in !a"t, ould ne"essarily*ean the e;plosion o! a "ivil ar inside the Repu#li"an "a*p3. )n this ne"ivil ar, the proletariat ould only #e a#le to in i! there as at its head anin!le;i#le revolutionary party, hi"h had *ana$ed to $ain the "on!iden"e o!the *a=ority o! the orkers and o! the se*i-proletarian peasants. ut i! thiskind o! party does not appear at the "riti"al *o*ent, the "ivil ar inside theRepu#li"an "a*p threatens to lead to the vi"tory o! a onapartis* hi"h

ould #e very hard to distin$uish !ro* the di"tatorship o! eneral 5ran"o.This is hy the 8opular 5ront is a detour on the road to the sa*e !as"is*.3

The *ain pro#le* !or Trotsky, =ust as it had #een in.19/1, as that o! the party, o! the revolutionary leadership. And this is hy he took up +in on"ea$ain - sayin$ #e!ore the ?e is *y !riend. ) kno hi*very ell. ut ) "riti"ise hi* very vi$orously.3 ?e rote> +in sententiouslyannoun"es that the revolution is in retreatD hilst in !a"t preparin$ . . . hiso n retreat F. )! +in as a#le to re!le"t on his o n ords, he ouldunderstand that i! the leaders o! the revolution prevent it !ro* risin$ to thedi"tatorship o! the proletariat, it *ust inevita#ly des"end into !as"is*. )t asso in er*any, it as so in Austria, it ill #e so in Spain, only in a very *u"h

shorter ti*e3.A""ordin$ to Trotsky, +in and his !riends did not analyse the situation"orre"tly and, a#ove all, did not $o throu$h to the end in the "on"lusions thathad to #e dra n. 2hen +in says that the Spanish orkers "an still today take

po er #y pea"e!ul *eans he is tellin$ a !la$rant untruth. Already today, po eris in the hands o! the "hie!s o! the *ilitary and o! the #ureau"ra"y in allian"e

ith the Stalinists and the anar"ho-re!or*ists. )n the stru$$le a$ainst theorkers, these $entle*en lean on the !orei$n #our$eoisie and on the Soviet

#ureau"ra"y. To speak, in these "onditions, o! the pea"e!ul "on uest o! po er

is to de"eive onesel! and to de"eive the orkin$ "lass. )n the sa*e spee"h, +insays that they ant to disar* the orkers, and advises the orkers not to $ive


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up their ar*s. The advi"e is $ood. ut hen one "lass ants to disar* anotherand this "lass, and espe"ially the proletariat, re!uses to $ive up its ar*s, this*eans pre"isely the approa"h o! a "ivil ar3. And Trotsky atta"ked +in3s

perspe"tives, hi"h he "alled *ealy-*outhed3> +in3s *ealy-*outhed and

!alse perspe"tive !or the pea"e!ul "on uest o! po er is the reverse o! all +in3sradi"al reasonin$ on the di"tatorship o! the proletariat3. The essen"e o! +in3s politi"s lies in this> )t ena#les hi* to avoid dra in$ the pra"ti"al "on"lusions!ro* his radi"al reasonin$ and to "ontinue in his poli"y o! "entrist os"illationF. The poli"y o! the 8: "orresponds, neither #y its "ontent nor #y itstone, to the sharpness o! thesituation. The 8: leadership "onsoles itsel! #ythinkin$ that it is in !ront3 o! the other parties. That is very little. :ne *ust

#ase onesel!, not on other parties, #ut on events, on the *ar"h o! the "lassstru$$le.3

Thus, +in3s revolutionary phrases did not "onvin"e Trotsky that the 8:had re!or*ed. Hou *ust3, he rote, !earlessly "ut yoursel! o!! !ro* theu*#ili"al "ord o! #our$eois pu#li" opinion. Hou *ust #reak !ro* the petty

#our$eois parties in"ludin$ the syndi"alist leaderships. Hou *ust $o to the*asses, in their deepest and *ost e;ploited layers. Hou *ust not lull the*

ith illusions a#out any !uture vi"tory hi"h ill "o*e o! its o n a""ord.Hou *ust tell the* the truth, ho ever #itter. Hou *ust tea"h the* to #esuspi"ious o! the petty-#our$eois a$ents o! "apital. Hou *ust tea"h the* torely on the*selves. Hou *ust link the* indissolu#ly to their o n destiny.Hou *ust tea"h the* to #uild their o n "o*#at or$anisations the Soviets

in opposition to the #our$eois state.3

?e asked> Can e hope that the 8: ill *ake this turnJ Alas, thee;perien"e o! si; years o! revolution leaves no roo* !or su"h hopes. Therevolutionaries inside and outside the 8: ould reveal the*selves to #e

#ankrupt i! they redu"ed their o n role to e;hortin$ +in, Andrade, and orkinin the sa*e ay as these latter have e;horted Ca#allero, Co*panys and theothers. The revolutionaries *ust speak to the orkers, to the rank and !ile,a$ainst the hesitations and va"illations o! +in3. :n the latter point, this as a

platoni" de"laration> the *ilitants or$anised in the $oz leninista $roup, theSpanish se"tion o! the 5ourth )nternational, and their "o*rades, all very youn$and al*ost all o! !orei$n e;tra"tion, or$anised in the rival El *oviet $roup,

ould have neither the *eans nor the ti*e to speak to the rank and !ile3 todenoun"e +in, either inside or outside the 8: , hose destru"tion asapproa"hin$.

2as 3ornadas de /ayo 4the /ay &ays5

The a"tion o! the ay


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replied #y a spontaneous uprisin$. To Trotsky this event sho s hat a $aphad #een du$ #et een the anar"hist and the 8: on the one side and the

orkin$ *asses on the other. The "on"ept spread a#out #y +in that theproletariat "an take po er #y pea"e!ul *eansD has #een de*onstrated to #e

a#solutely !alse3.A""ordin$ to +in, the *ove*ent took pla"e #e"ause the pro#le* o! rea"tionhad not #een put in politi"al ter*s and the a""u*ulated irritation o! the

orkin$ "lass3 had !inally provoked a violent e;plosion !ollo ed #y aspontaneous and "haoti" *ove*ent ithout any i**ediate perspe"tives3. The8: took its pla"e #y the side o! the orkers> The "ourse o! the ar*edstru$$le, the i*petus o! the revolutionary orkers and the i*portan"e o! thestrate$i" positions taken ere so $reat that e "ould have taken the po er3.?o ever, he spe"i!ied> our party, a *inority !or"e in the la#our *ove*ent,

"ould not take on the responsi#ility to put !or ard this slo$an, espe"ially asthe leaders o! the C+T and o! the 5A), #y askin$ the orkers in the *ostur$ent *anner, in spee"hes #road"ast #y the ar"elona trans*itters, to $ive upthe stru$$le, so ed "on!usion and disarray a*on$st the orkers3. The 8:too, pointin$ to the pro*ise to ithdra the 5or"e 8u#li ue and not to disar*the orkers, on the *ornin$ o! the 7th, "alled on the orkers to $ive up thestru$$le and to return to ork> The atte*pt &at provo"ation( havin$ #een

#rou$ht to nothin$ #y the *a$ni!i"ent response o! the orkin$ "lass, ith-dra al no #e"o*es ne"essary3.

)n this do"u*ent, dra up !or the ay 1B Central Co**ittee *eetin$ o! the8: , Andres +in rote on this su#=e"t> 2e are proud to announ"e that theattitude o! our party e!!e"tively "ontri#uted to the endin$ o! the #loodystru$$le F. and to preventin$ the la#our *ove*ent !ro* #ein$ "rushed #y!ero"ious repression3. :n ay BK, La Batalla as suppressed. :n %une 16 +inhi*sel! as arrested, to #e *urdered #y Stalin3s *en. The poli"y o! the8: did not prevent the !ero"ious repression hi"h #eat do n on all theSpanish revolutionariesE durin$ the insurre"tion Trotsky rote> )t is ne"essaryto ar* the revolutionary van$uard a$ainst everythin$ that is a*#i$uous,

"on!used, e uivo"al, in the upper layers o! the proletariat, #oth nationally andinternationally. 2hosoever does not have the "oura$e to oppose the 5ourth)nternational to the Se"ond and Third ill never have the "oura$e to lead

orkers in de"isive #attles3, su**in$ up in a senten"e hat +in3s politi"alline had represented !or hi* durin$ these years o! the Spanish revolution.

The eneral lessons o! the Spanish revolution

Thus despite the years devoted to the trainin$ o! real Co**unist "adres inthe Izquierda comunista , despite the real in!luen"e $ained durin$ 19//-/Ia*on$ the Spanish advan"ed orkers, Trotsky !ound hi*sel! redu"ed, at theti*e o! the revolution, to a "o**entator so*e say a prophet the very


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opposite o! the role hi"h he had hoped to play. 5ro* this point o! vie , eare inde#ted to hi* !or #rilliant analyses hi"h per!e"tly e;plain so*e aspe"tso! the "lass stru$$le on this #attle!ield.

:n "ivil ar and its parti"ular aspe"ts he rote> )n "ivil ar, !ar *orethan in ordinary ar, politi"s do*inate strate$y. Ro#ert . 0ee, as a *ilitary"o**ander, had "ertainly *ore talent than rant, #ut the poli"y o! a#olishin$slavery ensured rant3s vi"tory. (irst the *ilitary

vi"tory, then the so"ial re!or*s. +ot seein$ any #asi" di!!eren"e #et een thet o pro$ra**es in reality, the orkin$ *asses, and espe"ially the peasants,re*ained indi!!erent. )n these "onditions, !as"is* ill inevita#ly in, #e"auseit has *ilitary superiority on its side. old so"ial re!or*s are the *oste!!e"tive eapon in "ivil ar and the !unda*ental "ondition !or a vi"tory over!as"is*3.

:n orld perspe"tives> )! !as"is* ins in Spain, 5ran"e ill #e "au$ht in atrap !ro* hi"h it ill not #e a#le to es"ape. 5ran"o3s di"tatorship ill *eanthe inevita#le a""eleration o! the uropean ar in the *ost di!!i"ult "onditions!or 5ran"e. )t ould #e useless to add that a ne uropean ar ould #leedthe 5ren"h people to its last drop o! #lood and ould lead it to a de"line that

ould at the sa*e ti*e #e a terri#le #lo to the hole o! hu*anity.3

:n Stalinis* and its role in the Spanish revolution, he rote> Stalin has"ertainly atte*pted to "arry on to Spanish soil the e;ternal pro"edures o!

olshevis*> politi"al #ureau;, "o**issars, "ells, 8 et". ut he hade*ptied these !or*s o! their so"ialist "ontent. ?e had re=e"ted the olshevik

pro$ra**e, and ith it soviets, as the ne"essary !or* o! *ass initiative. ?e

pla"ed the te"hni ues o! olshevis* at the disposal o! the #our$eoisie. )n his #ureau"rati" narro ness, he i*a$ined that "o**issars in the*selves ereenou$h to ensure vi"tory. ut "o**issars !or private property ere only a#leto ensure de!eat F. +either the herois* o! the *asses nor the "oura$e o!isolated revolutionaries as la"kin$. ut the *asses ere le!t to the*selvesand the revolutionaries ere #rushed aside, ithout a pro$ra**e and ithouta plan o! a"tion. The *ilitary "o**anders ere *ore "on"erned ith"rushin$ the so"ial revolution than ith $ainin$ *ilitary vi"tories. Thesoldiers lost "on!iden"e in their "o**anders, the *asses in the $overn*entEthe peasants held aloo!, the orkers $re tired, de!eat !ollo ed de!eat and

de*oralisation $re . )t as not di!!i"ult to !oresee all this at the #e$innin$ o!the "ivil ar. 2hilst it $ave itsel! the task o! savin$ the "apitalist re$i*e, the


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8opular 5ront as vo ed to *ilitary de!eat. Turnin$ olshevis* upsidedo n, Stalin "arried out su""ess!ully the role o! $rave di$$er o! therevolution.3

The Spanish revolution sho s yet a$ain that it is i*possi#le to de!endde*o"ra"y a$ainst the revolutionary *asses #y any other *eans than !as"istrea"tion. And "onversely, it is i*possi#le to "arry out a real stru$$le a$ainst!as"is* e;"ept #y the *ethods o! the proletarian revolution. Stalin !ou$hta$ainst Trotskyis* &the proletarian revolution( #y destroyin$ de*o"ra"y ith

onapartist *easures and ith the 8 . This re!utes on"e a$ain and !or allti*e the old enshevik theory hi"h $ives the so"ialist revolution t oindependent histori"al "hapters, separated !ro* ea"h other in ti*e. The orko! the os"o e;e"utioners "on!ir*s in its o n ay the "orre"tness o! thetheory o! the per*anent revolution.3 This is the *ost $eneral "on"lusion, a

"on"lusion hi"h, it *ust #e ad*itted, the revolutionary events in the orld!or the last uarter "entury have in no ay "ontradi"tedE indeed, uite the"ontrary.

The revolutionary party

)t re*ains that the Spanish orkin$ "lass did not have in 19/6-/9 theinstru*ent hi"h had ensured the vi"tory o! the revolution in Russia, arevolutionary partyE a""ordin$ to Trotsky, it as in this !ailure o! therevolutionaries that lay the #asi" reason !or the de!eat o! the revolution.A""ordin$ to hi* despite its intentions the 8: as, in the last analysis,the *ain o#sta"le on the road to #uildin$ a revolutionary party3. )ts destiny is

orth thinkin$ a#out. Trotsky rote on this su#=e"t> the pro#le* o! therevolution *ust #e delved into to the very #otto*, to its last "on"rete"onse uen"es. 8oliti"s *ust "on!or* to the #asi" la s o! revolution, that is, tothe *ove*ent o! "lasses in stru$$le and not to the !ears and super!i"ial

pre=udi"es o! the petty-#our$eois $roups ho "all the*selves 8opular 5rontand *any other thin$s. The line o! least resistan"e in Revolution is revealed asthe line o! orst !ailure. The !ear o! isolation !ro* the #our$eoisie leads to

isolation !ro* the *asses. Adaptation to the "onservative pre=udi"es o! thela#our aristo"ra"y *eans the #etrayal o! the orkers and the revolution.;"essive pruden"e is the *ost !atal i*pruden"e. This is the *ain lesson o!

the "ollapse o! the *ost honest politi"al or$anisation in Spain> the 8: , a"entrist party.3

?o ever, it re*ains true that, on"e a$ain, sin"e Stalin3s vi"tory in the Sovietnion, Trotsky as ri$ht in Spain only in a ne$ative ay> the Spanish

olshevik-0eninists3 ere no *ore a#le than the er*an or 5ren"hTrotskyists to #uild the revolutionary instru*ent that he "alled on the* to"reate. The 5ourth )nternational, at that ti*e, as in"arnated #y that *analone, a $iant do*inatin$ in his thou$ht and his e;perien"e o! a uarter o! a


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"entury o! revolutionary stru$$les, over his supporters and over hisadversaries. The i*poten"e and the !atal divisions a*on$ the SpanishTrotskyists, their tra$i" ina#ility to dire"t into the path o! ar;is* the $roupso! youn$ so"ialists and *ilitant li#ertarians, like the Friends o( "urruti , hi"h

ere, undenia#ly, developin$ in their dire"tion, reveals a re"ord no *oreattra"tive than that o! the 8: leadership. ust e "on"lude, as so*e do,that Trotsky, in orkin$ un"easin$ly to #uild the 5ourth )nternational, asstill "au$ht up in an old, outdated drea*, the drea* o! 2orld Revolution, andthat the a$e o! revolution, hi"h opened ith :"to#er 1917, had also ended

ith itJ This ould #e to display e;traordinary opti*is* in "apitalis*3sa#ility to or$anise the orld and ensure its do*ination o! *an, an opti*is*and "on!iden"e that nothin$ in the history o! *ankind sin"e the tra$i" hours o!the !all o! ar"elona has "on!ir*ed. Luite the "ontrary> Spain, under 5ran"o,is there to re*ind anyone ho *i$ht tend to !or$et.

The $reat lesson hi"h "o*es out o! Trotsky3s orks, and espe"ially !ro* the pa$es devoted to the Spanish revolution, is the "onvi"tion that hu*anity that is, the "lass in hi"h lies its !uture, the orkin$ "lass is !inally *astero! its destiny and that it *ust, #y usin$ the *e"hanis* o! histori"al la s, putan end to the "apitalist re$i*e. 2hoever does not #elieve in the "apa"ities o!the orkin$ "lass, or in the ne"essity o! its li#eration !ro* the yoke o!e;ploitationE in a ord, hoever does not #elieve in the revolution and is #ythat very !a"t a$ainst it, ill "ertainly de"lare the #uildin$ o! the 5ourth)nternational to #e topian3. :n the other hand, all those ho #elieve thathu*anity is not edded till the end o! ti*e to terrorist di"tatorships, to ?itleror ussolini, to Tru=illo, Chian$ Gai-shek or 0a"erda, to "on"entration "a*ps,to napal* #o*#in$ and ato*i" in"ineration, to po$ro*s and lyn"hin$s, allthose ho #elieve that lost #attles reveal lessons hi"h ena#le vi"tory to #e

on one day, these people kno that the uestion o! a orld revolutionaryor$anisation is posed> the )nternational.

These people ill think over the lines hi"h Trotsky devoted to the !inalarnin$ o! history #e!ore the se"ond orld ar and ill re*e*#er that

revolutions, those lo"o*otives o! history, as ar; "alled the*, "an so*eti*esovertake the #est intentioned revolutionaries. The #ankrupt"y o! +in, arevolutionary o! inte$rity, as ritten in his politi"al errors. A revolutionary

ar;ist "annot de"lare that the di"tatorship o! the proletariat e;ists3, hilstthe #ureau"rati" *a"hines are #usy trans!or*in$ into e*pty shells the"o**ittees hi"h, throu$h the *o#ilisation o! the *asses, "ould have #e"o*ereal soviets, and hilst there re*ained, even i! it as only a phanto*3 asTrotsky said, a #our$eois state hi"h thirsts !or reven$e and ill not #ela"kin$ in pseudo-so"ialists and pseudo-revolutionaries ready to undertake itsre#uildin$. A revolutionary ar;ist "annot, on the prete;t o! not isolatin$3hi*sel!, and o! not *ar"hin$ out o! step3, adapt to the pre=udi"es o! the*asses, di"tated #y the re!or*ist *a"hines, re!rain !ro* "riti"is*, *ake


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hi*sel! the adviser o! leaders #rou$ht to po er #y the !irst revolutionaryave, e;hort the sa*e leaders ho are a!raid o! the *asses to revolutionary

a"tion, in a ord, renoun"e #ein$ the !aith!ul interpreter o! the histori"al needso! the orkers and poor peasant *asses, their revolutionary leadership. 2hen

a revolutionary o! rare *erit, like Andres +in, "o**its su"h *istakes, historyis there to testi!y that !uture $enerations *ust pay !or the*, !or de"ades, iththeir !lesh and #lood. This is the kernel o! Trotsky3s *essa$e on Spain, a *es-sa$e addressed to revolutionary *ilitants ho *ay #e te*pted to think thatthere *i$ht #e, on the path o! the stru$$le !or po er, so*e short "uts andsu#stitutes !or the or$anisation o! the orkin$ *asses !or "ons"ious a"tion.

Documents

TROTSKY and the Spanish Revolution