1910s
Revolutionary Syndicalism in Mexico - John M. Hart
A short history of Mexican anarcho-syndicalism, which dominated the early labour movement prior to and during the Mexican Revolution.
"The Mexican revolutionary syndicalists: their form of organization - anarchosyndicalist; their leadership - artisan and professional; their numbers - 150 000; their goals - the seizure and operation of the means of production and the onset of worldwide proletarian revolution; their means - revolutionary war against capitalism by workers' militias and the general strike."
Cochon, Georges, 1879-1959
A short biography of French anarchist, pioneering tenants' organiser and conscientious objector Georges Cochon.
Grandfather of squatting
Georges Alexandre Cochon was born on the 26th March 1879 at Chartres. Earning a living as a worker in the upholstering trade, he gravitated towards the anarchist movement in Paris.
The story of the Irish Citizen Army, 1913-1916 - Sean O'Casey
An important document of Irish labour history, freely available online for the first time here, O'Casey's book tells the history of the formation of the Irish Citizen Army in 1913.
The workers' militia was formed by the Transport and General Workers Union in Dublin in 1913, shortly after the great Dublin lockout and strike of that year. Originally formed to defend workers' demonstrations from attacks by police, O'Casey charts developments as they conclude with the Citizen Army participating in the nationalist Dublin Easter Uprising of 1916.
Anti-Bolshevist Communism in Germany - Paul Mattick
The council-communist Paul Mattick looks back at the German revolution he participated in.
He describes the conflicts and tensions between the various political factions; between communist revolutionaries and social democracy, between German revolutionaries and Russian Bolshevism. He discusses reasons for the failure of the revolution in the context of the wider international situation and the development trends of capitalism.
The Truth about the Bonnot Gang - Ezra Brett Mell
A short account of the Paris-based anarchist robbers - and inventors of the getaway car - who operated in 1911-12 and the political debate that went on as to the worth of 'illegalist' activity.
A fuller account was given in the book 'The Bonnot Gang' by Richard Parry; published by Rebel Press, London, 1987.
This pamphlet was published by Coptic Press and then reprinted by Solidarity Bookshop Publications, Chicago, 1969.
Revolutionary unionism in Latin America - the FORA in Argentina
Excellent pamphlet outlining the origins and development of the Argentinian working class movement, focussing in particular on the anarcho-syndicalist FORA (Federación Obrera Regional Argentina).
REVOLUTIONARY UNIONISM IN LATIN AMERICA
The FORA in Argentina
ASP LONDON & DONCASTER 1987
PREFACE
Anarchism is the philosophy of a new social order based on liberty, and unrestricted by man-made laws; the theory that all forms of government rest on violence and are therefore wrong and harmful, as well as unnecessary.
Kafka, Franz, 1883-1924
A short biography of the anarchist-influenced writer whose name spawned an adjective for the absurdities of bureaucratic power.
“Our laws are not generally known; they are kept secret by the small group of nobles who rule us … for the laws were made to the advantage of the nobles from the very beginning, they themselves stand above the laws” (Kafka, The Problem of Our Laws)
1913: Wheatland Hop Riot
A brief history of the riot that occured at Wheatland in Northern California after a meeting of farm labourers of the radical union the IWW was broken up by police.
Agricultural labour in the hop fields of California was amongst the most strenuous, badly paid and time consuming labour that a worker could undertake in early 20th century America. The situation of the hop pickers who worked at the Durst Ranch, the single largest employer of agricultural workers in the state, near the Northern California town of Wheatland in 1913, was no different.
Maximov, Grigori Petrovitch, 1893-1950
A short biography of leading Russian anarcho-syndicalist Grigori Maximov who was active in the 1917 Revolution.
Grigori Petrovitch Maximov
Aka Gregory or G.P. Maximov or Maximoff, born 10 November 1893 – Russia, died 16 March 1950 - Chicago, USA
1919: Winnipeg general strike
A short history of Canada's Winnipeg General Strike of 1919.
Throughout the spring of 1919, Winnipeg had been buzzing with the fervour of militant unionism among the working class. The city had witnessed a general strike the year previously, which had ended with partial gains for workers. Unemployment was high, wages were low and conditions poor.
