The Spanish Revolution

544 Pages·1973·8.742 MB·English

by  Leon Trotsky

The
SPANISH
REVOLUTION
1931-39
LEON TROTSKY
THE SPANISH REVOLUTION
The
SPANISH
REVOLUTION
1931-39
LEON TROTSKY
PATHFINDER
NEW YORK LONDON MONTREAL SYDNEY
Copyright© 1973 Pathfinder Press
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-0-87348-273-8
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 78-156382
Manufactured in the United States of America
First edition, 1973
Twelfth printing, 2015
Edited by Naomi Allen and George Breitman
Pathfinder
www.pathfinderpress.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Contents
Editors' preface
11
Map of Spain 13
Chronology 15
Introduction by Les Evans 21
Part I: From monarchy to republic
Preface 59
1. Tasks of the Spanish communists (May 25, 1930) 63
2. Spanish fascism (November 21, 1930) 71
3. The creation of soviets (December 12, 1930) 72
4. For Spanish soviets (January 8, 1931) 73
5. Soviets and the constituent Cortes (January 12, 1931) 75
6. The revolution in Spain (January 24, 1931) 76
7. For communist unity (January 31, 1931) 102
8. The boycott tactic (February 5, 1931) 103
9. Workers' republic and constituent Cortes
(February 13, 1931) 104
10. Berenguer's resignation (February 15, 1931) 105
11. Soldiers' and workers' juntas (March 13, 1931) 108
12. To say what is (April 12, 1931) 110
Part II: From republic to civil war
Preface 115
13. Ten commandments of the Spanish communist
(April 15, 1931) 121
14. Repressive measures of the republican government
(April 20, 1931) 125
15. The Catalan Federation (April 23, 1931) 126
16. Unify the communist ranks! (April 24, 1931) 127
17. The progressive character of Catalan nationalism
(May 17, 1931) 129
18. The need for a systematic picture (May 20, 1931) 131
19. The Spanish revolution and the dangers
threatening it (May 28, 1931) 132
20. Anarcho-syndicalism and the Catalan Federation
(May 31, 1931) 160
21. The Catalan Federation's platform (June 12, 1931) 161
22. The character of the revolution (June 18, 1931) 166
23. 'Down with Zamora-Maura!' (June 24, 1931) 170
24. Maurin and the anarcho-syndicalists
(June 29, 1931) 175
25. The election results and the tactics they
indicate (July 1, 1931) 177
26. Spanish communism and the Catalan Federation
(July 8, 1931) 182
27. The national question in Catalonia (July 13, 1931) 187
28. A turn by the Stalinists? (July 30, 1931) 189
29. The role of strikes in a revolution (August 2, 1931) 191
30. More on soviets and the 'Balkanization' argument
(September 1, 1931) 194
31. A narrow or broad faction? (September 27, 1931) 199
32. Greetings to 'El Soviet' (September 29, 1931) 202
33. The leadership crisis in Spain (November 26, 1931) 204
34. Balance sheet of the Spanish section
(December 22, 1931) 206
35. Message to the conference of the
Spanish Left Opposition (March 7, 1932) 208
36. The international relations of the
Spanish section (March 7, 1932) 211
37. To the Spanish youth (June 13, 1932) 218
38. The Spanish Kornilovs and the
Spanish Stalinists (September 20, 1932) 220
39. The state of the Left Opposition
(December 16, 1932) 227
40. Problems of the Spanish Left Opposition
(December 1932) 232
41. Letter to Comrade Lacroix (March 25, 1933) 236
42. Letter to all members of the
Spanish Left Opposition (April 24, 1933) 237
43. The impermissible conduct of Comrade Nin
(August 10, 1933) 241
44. On entry into the Spanish Socialist Party
(November 1, 1934) 245
45. The consequences of parliamentary reformism
(November 9, 1934) 246
46. Passivity in the face of great events
(December 16, 1934) 251
47. Letter to a comrade (October 18, 1935) 252
48. The treachery of the POUM (January 23, 1936) 253
49. Tasks of the Fourth International in Spain
(April 12, 1936) 258
50. Is a rapprochement with Nin possible? I
(June 3, 1936) 262
51. Is a rapprochement with Nin possible? II
(June 5, 1936) 265
52. The POUM and the Popular Front
(July 16, 1936) 266
Part III: Civil war
Prefa ce 273
53. The Popular Front in civil war (July 1936) 279
54. Letter to the International Secretariat
(July 27, 1936) 281
55. The reactionary cowardice of the Popular Front
(July 30, 1936) 284
56. The lesson of Spain (July 30, 1936) 286
57. Letter to Jean Rous (August 16, 1936) 292
58. For collaboration in Catalonia (August 18, 1936) 295
59. Interview with Havas (February 19, 1937) 296
60. A strategy for victory (February 25, 1937) 299
61. The proposed Barcelona conference (March 20, 1937) 300
62. To the editorial board of 'La Lutte ouvriere'
(March 23, 1937) 304
63. Revolutionary strategy in the civil war
(April 14, 1937) 307
64. Is victory possible in Spain? (April 23, 1937) 314
65. The insurrection in Barcelona (May 12, 1937) 323
66. The murder of Andres Nin by agents of
the GPU (August 8, 1937) 327
67. The civil war in Spain (August 16, 1937) 329
68. A test of ideas and individuals through the
Spanish experience (August 24, 1937) 330
69. Answer to questions on the
Spanish situation (September 14, 1937) 345
70. Letter to James P. Cannon (September 21, 1937) 355
71. Ultralefts in general and incurable ultralefts
in particular (September 28, 1937) 358
72. The POUM and the call for soviets
(October 1, 1937) 365
73. For aid to the Spanish victims of
Stalin-Negrin (October 6, 1937) 367
74. On the revolutionary calendar (October 22, 1937) 368
75. The lessons of Spain: The last warning
(December 17, 1937) 376
76. The fifth wheel (January 27, 1938) 400
77. Traitors in the role of accusers (October 22, 1938) 403
78. The tragedy of Spain (February 1939) 405
79. Spain, Stalin, and Yezhov (March 4, 1939) 407
80. Mysteries of imperialism (March 4, 1939) 409
81. Once again on the causes of the defeat
in Spain (March 4, 1939) 413
82. The culpability of left centrism (March 10, 1939) 420
83. Interview with Sybil Vincent (March 18, 1939) 425
84. Their friend Miaja (March 24, 1939) 427
85. Fighting against the stream (April 1939) 428
86. The counterrevolutionary role of the Kremlin
(July 1, 1939) 429
87. No greater crime (July 15, 1939) 431
88. No confidence in the Negrin government
(January 24, 1940) 432
89. The class, the party, and the leadership
(August 20, 1940) 434
Appendix
Preface (February 21, 1933) 453
Excerpts from the Trotsky-Nin correspondence
Letters from Nin to Trotsky
(October 23, 1930-November 25, 1932) 454
Letters from Trotsky to Nin
(September 13, 1930-November 14, 1932)
Notes for Introduction 493
Notes for Part I 494
Notes for Part II
500
Notes for Part III 514
Notes for Appendix
521
Glossary of organizations and political parties
Glossary of periodicals
Index