propaganda by deed
1964: Stuart Christie's account of his actions in a Franco assassination attempt
An extract of Stuart Christie's book Granny Made Me An Anarchist which describes his involvement in an attempt to assassinate Spanish dictator General Franco. He describes his experiences from picking up the plastic explosive in France to his arrest by Franco's police in Spain. This extract first appeared in The Guardian newspaper on Monday August 23, 2004
[2,000 words]
1982: The death of Neil Roberts
A short account of a little known political death in New Zealand. In 1982, an anarchist punk rocker attempted to blow up the Wanganui police computer. He blew himself up in the process
[1,300 words]
Sbardellotto, Angelo Pellegrino, 1907-1932
A short biography of Angelo Pellegrino Sbardellotto, Italian anarchist and coal miner who attempted to assassinate fascist leader Benito Mussolini but was arrested and executed.
Angelo Pellegrino Sbardellotto
Born 1 August 1907 - Mel, Italy, died 17 June 1932 - Rome, Italy
Wilckens, Kurt Gustav, 1886-1923
A short biography of German-born anarchist Kurt Gustav Wilckens, who assassinated the man responsible for the deaths of 1,500 workers, and whose murder provoked a general strike.
Kurt Gustav Wilckens
Born 3 November 1886 - Germany, died 15 June 1923, Argentina
Radowitzky, Simon, 1891-1956
A biography of Ukrainian-born anarchist Simon Radowitzky, who assassinated a police chief responsible for the killings of workers.
Simon Radowitzky
Aka Szymon Radowicki, born 10 September or November 1891 - Ukraine, died 29 February 1956 - Mexico
Szymon Radowicki (more usually known in Argentina as Simon Radowitzky) was born on either the 10th of September or November 1891 into a workers family in the Jewish community in the little Ukrainian village of Stepanice (Stapanesso).
Lucetti, Gino, 1900-1943
A short biography of the Italian anarchist, Gino Lucetti, who tried to assassinate the world’s first fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, in 1926.
Born in 1900 in the anarchist stronghold of Carrara, Gino Lucetti had a highly individualistic outlook compared to many of his more anarchist-communist comrades. He was an outstanding figure of local – and indeed nationwide – anti-fascism.
The Personal Act - Pannekoek
Anton Pannekoek writes on the burning of the Reichstag by council communist Marinus Van Der Lubbe (and other possible accomplices) - and discusses what value there is in the tactic of destroying products of bourgeois culture.
From "Persmaterial Van de Groep van Internationale Communisten" #7, March 1933
Cottin, Louis Emile, 1896-1937
A biography of Louis Emile Cottin, who attempted to assassinate the French president and fought in the Durruti Column in the Spanish Civil War.
Louis Emile Cottin
Nicknamed Milou, born 14 March 1896 - Creil, France, died 8 September 1937 - Farlete, Spain
Born 14th March 1896 at Creil, Emile Cottin was raised at Compiegne in a working class family, becoming a carpenter-cabinet maker. He starting reading Zola and became interested in libertarian ideas.
Henry, Emile, 1872-1894
A short biography of French anarchist and protagonist of 'propaganda by deed', Emile Henry.
Not many people have heard of Emile Henry, which is surprising really.
He was born in 1872 in Spain, the son of an exiled Paris Communard. He returned to Paris with his family, and became a student at the Prestigious Ecole Polytechnique. However, he chose to abandon his studies in favour of "propaganda by deed".
