International Anarchist Congress of Amsterdam
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The International Anarchist Congress of Amsterdam took place from 24 August to 31 August 1907. It gathered delegates from 14 countries, among which important figures of the
Organisation of the Congress
The Belgian and Dutch anarchists were at the initiative of the congress.
The 1907 Amsterdam Congress
Various themes were treated during the Congress, in particular concerning the organization of the anarchist movement and
An Anarchist International was thereafter constituted, composed of an international bureau of 5 members (Errico Malatesta, Rudolf Rocker, Alexander Schapiro, John Turner and Jean Wilquet), with the task of "creating international anarchist archives" and to "connect anarchists from different countries."[1][2] The bureau was sited in London, and a new congress envisioned for 1909. The new International, to which the French anarchists remained hostile, only edited 12 issues of an irregular bulletin.[1] At the end of 1911, the London bureau ceased all activities.[1]
The debate between Malatesta and Monatte
Malatesta and Monatte in particular disagreed on the issue of organization. Upholding the principles of the 1906
On the other hand, Malatesta criticized Monatte, stating that "syndicalism was not a necessary and sufficient means of social revolution," while at the same time supporting (as Monatte) the ideological neutrality of trade-unions, in order not to divide the workers' movement.
Finally, Malatesta criticized over-idealization of the general strike, stating that the latter could not, by itself, provoke a revolution, which would necessarily have to pass, according to him, by an armed insurrection.[4]
Legacy
According to some views, this opposition between two visions of the organization of the
See also
References
- ^ Gallimard (François Maspero, 1975), pp.443-445 (in French)
- OCLC 21156316.
- ^ a b French: "A ce syndicalisme d'opinion qui a produit, en Russie par exemple, des syndicats anarchistes, en Belgique et en Allemagne, des syndicats chrétiens et des syndicats social-démocratiques, il appartient aux anarchistes d'opposer un syndicalisme à la manière française, un syndicalisme neutre ou, plus exactement, indépendant. De même qu'il n'y a qu'une classe ouvrière, il faut qu'il n'y ait plus, dans chaque métier et dans chaque ville, qu'une organisation ouvrière, qu'un unique syndicat. A cette condition seule, la lutte de classe - cessant d'être entravé à tout instant par les chamailleries des écoles ou des sectes rivales - pourra se développer dans toute son ampleur et donner son maximum d'effet. Le syndicalisme, a proclamé le Congrès d'Amiens en 1906, se suffit à lui-même." See Extract of Monatte's declaration Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
- ^ a b c d e f g Extract of Malatesta's declaration Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
- ^ Errico Malatesta, “Syndicalism and Anarchism” (April/May 1925).
External links
- The proceedings of the congress at the Library of Congress
- Ariane Miéville, Syndicalisme, anarchisme et anarcho-syndicalisme en débat au Congrès Anarchiste d'Amsterdam en 1907 (in French)
- The International Anarchist Congress, Amsterdam 1907 Pamphlet (PDF)
- International Anarchist Congress Amsterdam August 24-31, 1907 Daily Bleed's Anarchist Encyclopedia
- Il Congresso Internazionale Anarchico di Amsterdam (1907) - Prefazione di Maurizio Antonioli,Il Congresso Internazionale Anarchico di Amsterdam (1907 (in Italian)