The Anarchist Revolution

Orwell provides a detailed account of his experience in the Spanish Civil War as a broader fight towards a social revolution. The egalitarian revolution was one of great importance for left. While studying their decision making throughout the revolution, the Anarchists, did the best they could given the setting of the situation. The question remains; if the Anarchist revolution had been successful, would it have been a functioning model in the long-term. There were many underlying factors that led to the defeat of the anarchist goals, and the broader left movement in general. International, local and intergroup relations factored into the unfolding events that led to the success of the Franco coup. A true revolution would require a spiritual

The revolution came after a time where the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 had set the precedent for centralization and suppression of the left. Bolshevik revolution had impact on how the international actors like Great Britain and Germany sought to support the anti-Franco forces. The rise of fascism throughout the 20’s and 30’s, with the rise of Mussolini and Hitler, did not help the anti-Franco forces gain as much as momentum as hoped. Along with Stalin’s foreign policy to prioritize national interest came all too wrong to help the Anarchists and the Left. We must keep in mind that throughout this process, all communist parties that were on the rise during that time, were subordinate to the USSR, which had taken a different unexpected turn themselves decades earlier. As for the Spanish setting itself, the majority of the population was poor, unequal and rural. With elitist landholders, catholic hierarchy and military officers that eventually fled from fear. The peasantry population was radicalized and became distrustful of the authority. Thus, when the Franco coup started in the Northern tip of Morocco, and with so many different ideologies fighting for their own cause, it was evident that the strong successional movements in Catalonia, Castillo and Basque. The international volunteers however, came in from many countries to support the revolutionary cause. This came at the expense of their governments. This proves that the resistance or difference in ideology among the people and the governments was something shared not only in Spain but also in other countries in Europe (Orwell