Anarchism is a romantic idea on a system that people can govern themselves by themselves. No authority, no king, no state and no hierarchy. There are several types of anarchism. Mutualism, collectivist, individual and syndicalist can be counted as main examples. Mutualism favours reciprocity while individual anarchism underlines the free will of individuals. On the other hand collectivism is a type of Marxism which differs on the sovereign of Proletariat, since anarchism do not accept any type of sovereignty. Syndicalism is a revolutionary one which presents the way of revolution in capitalism by labour movements. There are lots of great philosophers and economists write on that subject and help developing of Anarchism.
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, William Goldwin, Henry David Thoreau, Peter Kropotkin, Bakunin are just few of them and thanks to all of them that many rights of human we have and normal for us have been developed as a consequence of their efforts and ideas.
CNT (National Confederation of Labour) is a Spanish Anarcho-Syndicalist organization founded in 1910 in Barcelona. Its efforts, achievements and sufferings of its members during Spanish Civil War have made it one of the pioneers as an Anarchist organization.
According to George Orwell who was in Barcelona and served as a militia in Spanish Civil War, Barcelona was under the control of CNT in 1936, though Helen Graham argues that George Orwell exaggerates the situation. However, we know that there were lots of lands had been collectivized at northern part of Spain.
CNT was a hope, (It has to be indicated that CNT was not single party as a hope at the beginning of Civil War but POUM, FAI, Communist International together). Initial resistance was organized by these parties. Thousands of people from Spain and surprisingly from all over the world was coming to be a part of that hope against Franco and rising Fascism in Europe.
Workers, writers, philosophers, women, men, artists, painters, exiles every sort of men were part of these brigades. They had no sufficient weapon, no training and no hierarchy. Legendary resistance longed for a year. They dig trenches and hold the lines however in 1937 it was announced that these brigades should participate to the Spanish Republican Army. Voluntary people had become a member of compulsory military service.
Republican government need a support and it was impossible to take it from capitalist powerful states by such an anarchist and communist organizations. The only support was from Soviets and Mexico. Furthermore Stalin had had hopes to organize international pact against Hitler and any communist or anarchist rising in Europe could be disaster for his plans.
As a result in 1937, Republican Government announced that leaders of POUM are traitors and all of the members of POUM would be arrested. Many voluntary members of militia was fighting on the front without any knowledge that they would be arrested in return. All of the leaders of these organizations especially POUM's; were arrested, tortured and killed as traitors, fascists and Trotskyists.
At the end of civil war Franco was the winner and all of these organizations were dispanded. However, CNT lived in the shadows in the first years of repression of Franco's regime, they continued to resistance with guerrilla tactics.
CNT still serves as an anarcho-syndicalist party in Spain and they have only one condition for men who wants to be a member of CNT.
“We make no distinction at the time of admission, we require only that you are a worker, student or unemployed. The only people who cannot join are those belonging to repressive organisations (police, military, and security guards), employers or other exploiters”.
