The Rise of the Spanish Labor Movement: Anarchism and Marxism

Social Conflict and Industrial Unrest in Restoration Spain

The harsh working conditions in the industry and the countryside intensified social conflict and industrial unrest, manifesting as continued strikes and violent protests against the clases propietarias. The government's response to these demands alternated between harsh repression—using the army and Civil Guard—and minor social measures, such as the legal imposition of the eight-hour workday (1919) and the creation of the Institute of Social Reforms (1908).

The Labor Movement and Political Struggle

To defend the workers, the labor movement emerged with two fronts of struggle:

• Unionism: Demanding better working conditions.
• Political Action: Accessing government through both legal avenues (elections) and revolutionary means.

This movement developed during the Restoration and the progress of industrialization in Madrid, Barcelona, Asturias, and Vizcaya. Two primary streams defended workers' interests: Anarchism and Marxism.

The Development of Marxism

Marxism in Spain began in 1871 when Paul Lafargue, Karl Marx's son-in-law, settled in Madrid. This pushed a group of internationalists to favor Marxist theses over the anarchism that predominated in the AIT. In 1872, this group created a new Marxist federation in Madrid, expelling the Spanish Regional Federation (FRE). Consequently, the PSOE was founded in 1879, followed by the UGT in 1886.

The Rise of Anarchism

Anarchism held a majority in Barcelona and among laborers in Andalusia and Extremadura. Libertarian organizations in Spain emerged in 1870 following the arrival of Giuseppe Fanelli, sent by Mikhail Bakunin in 1868 to spread anarchist ideas. This led to the creation of the first federation of the Working International, which remained anarchist until its dissolution in 1874.

When anarchists were expelled from the Spanish Regional Federation (FRE), it transformed into a new organization apathetic to the legality of the Restoration, which had banned the International. In 1907, Solidaridad Obrera was founded as a federation of workers' associations and trade unions with its own press. The CNT was born in 1910, becoming the great anarchist syndicate, hegemonic in Catalonia and among industrial laborers in Andalusia, Valencia, Zaragoza, and Asturias, led by figures such as Salvador Seguí, Ángel Pestaña, and Joan Peiró.

The Iberian Anarchist Federation

In 1930, the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI) emerged with the goal of implementing direct action against members of the ruling class (bourgeoisie, nobility, and clergy) and their repressive instruments, specifically the Civil Guard and the Army.