WORLD WORLDWIDE ITALY News Journal Update - (en) Italy, FDCA, IL Cantiere #14: Anarchist Communists and anti-organizer anarchists. - A controversy in Turin in 1919 - PaoloPapini (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 At the end of the First World War, the anarchist movement was immediately

reorganizing after three and a half years of semi-clandestinity. In the
pre-revolutionary climate of the post-war period, the convention for the
establishment of the Italian Anarchist Communist Union (UCAI), a specific
organization with a marked class character, was held from 12 to 14 April 1919 in
Florence. In the first place, it is promoted by the anarchist components most
deeply rooted in the workers' movement, in favor of a stable and structured
federal organization (1). ---- The conference, with respect to which
individualists and anti-organizer groups assume positions of open criticism,
discusses the proposal for a revolutionary united front of the political and
trade union forces of the proletariat right from the preliminary stages,
reaffirms the need for intervention in the class movement, declares its
solidarity with the Russian revolutionary masses at war against the white
reaction and decides to send its own representation to the first congress of the
Third International (2). The Turin worker Maurizio Garino, local manager of the
FIOM-CGL, was elected to the General Council and the National Committee, the
highest bodies of the UCAI.

Following some preparatory assemblies, in which the Piedmontese anarchists had
decided to adopt membership, the founding conference of the Piedmontese Anarchist
Communist Union (UCAP) was held in Turin on 13 and 14 July, promoted by the
Fascio Libertario Torinese and federated with the 'UCAI. The works of the
conference mainly focus on the definition of the internal organization and on the
theme of the dictatorship of the proletariat (3).

UCAP has a Steering Committee responsible for the political management of the
organization until the next conference, while a smaller Executive Committee
performs secretarial functions. The Prefecture has a census of about three
hundred adherents, among which a hundred are the most active militants. «It is
also decided», is one of the salient passages of the resolutions of the
conference, «that all anarchist groups not in favor of the organization,
individualist anarchists

and the isolates can remain outside the organization while continuing to have the
trust and support of this where appropriate» (4).

An important agenda on the dictatorship of the proletariat was unanimously
approved, with the sole vote against by an exponent of the anti-organization
current, which was strongly affected by the climate of enthusiasm for the Russian
revolution then widespread even among anarchists (5). The UCAP defines a clear
opening towards the maximalists of the PSI and the group of "L'Ordine Nuovo" led
by Antonio Gramsci, with which the Turin anarchists are allied in the FIOM and in
the nascent movement of the Factory Councils. However, the resolution aims at the
same time to safeguard the coherence of the libertarian postulates. «The
Conference of the Anarchists of Piedmont», reads the document, «discussing the
debated question of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, reaffirms the absolute
necessity of the intransigence of anarchist anti-authoritarian principles;
recalling that the Social Revolution must aim at the establishment of the free
commune of the producers, decides to accept the dictatorship of the proletariat
as a means of struggle against the current society, warning however that they are
determined to prevent at any cost that the dictatorship of the proletariat is not
monopolized by any political group or party. Consequently, it accepts the
principle of the formation of "Workers' and Peasants' Councils" as conceived by
the maximalist socialists, while ensuring that this new form of social
constitution, which must and will be provisional, is as coherent as possible
resolves to accept the dictatorship of the proletariat as a means of struggle
against the current society, warning however that they are determined to prevent
at any cost the dictatorship of the proletariat from being monopolized by any
group or political party. Consequently, it accepts the principle of the formation
of "Workers' and Peasants' Councils" as conceived by the maximalist socialists,
while ensuring that this new form of social constitution, which must and will be
provisional, is as coherent as possible resolves to accept the dictatorship of
the proletariat as a means of struggle against the current society, warning
however that they are determined to prevent at any cost the dictatorship of the
proletariat from being monopolized by any group or political party. Consequently,
it accepts the principle of the formation of "Workers' and Peasants' Councils" as
conceived by the maximalist socialists, while ensuring that this new form of
social constitution, which must and will be provisional, is as coherent as possible

with libertarian principles and thus we can prepare for the definitive advent of
society as we want it» (6).

This pronouncement immediately raises the dissent of the anti-organizing minority
still present in the UCAP, giving life to a heated controversy that fits into the
confrontation already underway in the anarchist movement at a national level (7).
The agenda on the dictatorship of the proletariat is defined by the
anti-organizers as a "collective political karakiri", a "devastation of anarchist
principles" carried out with "centralist deliberations" by the "dictatorial
anarchists", invited to "take the PSI card", as they write in «L'Avvenire
Anarchico», which supports their positions (8). The criticisms concern more
generally the anarchist intervention in the CGL, the participation in the factory
councils, the promotion of the united front with the socialists and the ever
closer understanding with the ordinovisti.

Despite the unanimous approval of a new declaration, according to which the
dictatorship of the proletariat "does not correspond to anarchist principles,
methods, ends" (10), the anti-organizing component decides to leave UCAP by
constituting the autonomous group " I Refrattari», which «aims[...]to bring our
movement back to the pure anarchist directives» (11). This small group would then
gather in the following year around the periodical "Cronaca Sovversiva", the
editorial staff of which had been transferred from Luigi Galleani to Turin,
continuing to carry on the controversy. A few other dissidents will concentrate
in the Germinal Anarchist Group and in the local branch of the Italian Union of
Trade Unions.

The UCAP therefore coherently configures itself as an organization of communist
and class anarchism, made up almost entirely of workers' cadres.

The positions of Italian anarchists on the dictatorship of the proletariat will
soon find a theoretical arrangement in the elaborations of Luigi Fabbri and
Camillo Berneri, definitively confirmed by the violent Bolshevik repression
against the free soviet of Kronstadt (12).

Note:

(1) See Adriana Dadà, Italian anarchists between class warfare and reaction, in
Giovanni Cherubini et al. (dir.), History of Italian society, vol. XXI, Teti,
Milan, 1982, pp. 382-384; EAD., Anarchism in Italy: between movement and party.
History and documents of Italian anarchism, Teti, Milan, 1984, p. 67.

(2) Cf. Conference of Italian anarchists, «Il Libertario», a. XVII, no. 710,
April 17, 1919; The Conference of Italian Anarchists, «L'Avvenire Anarchico», a.
X, no. 16-17, 18-25 April 1919. Although I signed the call for the meeting,
«L'Avvenire Anarchico», the main periodical of the anti-organizational current,
had accused of deviations «organising» and «centralising» the Organizing
Committee and the adhering groups and federations. See Anarchy and
Centralization. Where do we go?, «The Anarchist Future», a. X, no. 15, 11 April
1919. The important federations of the Marches and Emilia-Romagna had proposed
the theme of relations with the other forces of the political and trade union
left in their regional conferences.

(3) See Giuseppe Mazza, Conference among Italian anarchists. Turin, «The
Anarchist Future», a. X, no. 13, March 28, 1919; Piedmontese Anarchist Communist
Union. Regional Conference, «L'Avvenire Anarchico», a. X, no. 26, 11 July 1919.
On the adoption of membership by UCAP cf. Central State Archives, Ministry of the
Interior, General Directorate of Public Security, General and Private Affairs
Division, Permanent Categories, Anarchist Movement Turin, Year 1919, b. 99, f.
K1, sf. 64, "R. Prefecture of Turin, March 31, 1919».

(4) Central State Archive, Ministry of the Interior, General Directorate of
Public Security, General and Private Affairs Division, Permanent Categories,
Turin Anarchist Movement, Year 1919, b. 99, f. K1, sf. 64, «Prefecture of Turin,
15 July 1919».

(5) They are frequent in these months a Turin the unitary rallies of socialists
and anarchists in support of the revolution Russia and for the assassination of
Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. Even the anarchist assemblies close often
shouting «Long live Lenin! Long live i  Bolsheviks!". UCAP publishes the leaflet
«Bolshevism. Two questions to a sailor... who saw», taken from «Il Libertario»,
in which the social achievements of the Russian revolution and the role played in
it are exalted by anarchists. See Central Archive of the State, Ministry of the
Interior, General Directorate of Public Security, General Affairs Division e
Reserved, Permanent Categories, Turin Anarchist Movement, Year 1919, b. 99, f.
K1, sf. 64, «Prefect of Turin to the Ministry of the Interior, 17 June 1919».

(6) A. Acutis, I ask the word!, «L'Avvenire Anarchico», a. X, no. 32, August 22,
1919.

(7) On the different positions of Italian anarchists on the Russian revolution e
on the dictatorship of the proletariat cf. Franco Bertolucci, The sun of the
future rises in the East. Italian anarchists and the Russian revolution.
1917-1922, BFS, Pisa, 2017; Santi Fedele, Una brief illusion. Italian anarchists
and Soviet Russia. 1917-1939, Franco Angeli, Milan, 1996.

(8) Cf. Collective suicide. Piedmontese Anarchist Regional Conference,
«L'Avvenire Anarchico», a. X, no. 28, 25 July 1919; From the Turin Conference. A
political-collective "Karakiri", «L'Avvenire Anarchico», a. X, no. 29, 1 August
1919. The controversy lasted until the month of December, with interventions by
the anti-organizers Giuseppe De Luisi, Ilario Margarita, Cesare Sobrito and the
editorial staff.

(9) Cf. A. Acutis, I ask the word!, cit.; NDB[Nonio De Bartolomeis], Things in
place, «L'Avvenire Anarchico», a. X, no. 40, October 17, 1919; Garino
protests..., «L'Avvenire Anarchico», a. X, no. 50, December 26, 1919; ndb[Nonio
De Bartolomeis], The dictatorship of the proletariat and anarchy, «Will», ns, a.
I, no. 12, 1 September 1919. While not entering directly into the discussion
Pietro Mosso, under the pseudonym Carlo Petri, provides an important theoretical
contribution in the article Dittatura proletaria, soviets e anarchia, «Volontà»,
ns, a. I, no. 13, 16 September 1919. «L'Avvenire Anarchico» argues with «Il
Libertario» and «Volontà» in the articles The Dictatorship of the Proletariat,
«L'Avvenire Anarchico», a. X, no. 38, October 3, 1919; Cordial polemic,
«L'Avvenire Anarchico», a. X, no. 38, October 3, 1919; Give to Caesar what is
Caesar's, «The Anarchist Future», a. X, no. 45, 21 November 1919. Luigi Fabbri,
under the pseudonym Quand-même, intervenes in the debate with the article For the
clarity of ideas, «L'Avvenire Anarchico», a. X, no. 35, 12 September 1919. See
also Carl Levy, Gramsci and the Anarchists, Berg, Oxford-New York, 1999, pp.
124-125; Claudio Strambi, The restless attitude. Camillo Berneri and the
political story of Italian anarchism, vol. II, Kronstadt, Pisa-Volterra, 2017,
pp. 90-93. Camillo Berneri and the political story of Italian anarchism, vol. II,

(10) All'Anarchia per l'azione Anarchica, «L'Avvenire Anarchico», a. X, no. 37,
September 26, 1919.

(11) Ilario Margarita, Letters from Turin, «L'Avvenire Anarchico», a. X, no. 44,
November 14, 1919.

(12) See Luigi Fabbri, Dictatorship and Revolution, Bitelli, Ancona, 1921, new
ed. The Antistate, Cesena, 1971; ID., Anarchy and "scientific" communism, Tempi
Nuovi, Milan, 1922, new ed. Zero in Conduct, Milan, 2009; Camillo Berneri,
Selected Writings, Zero in Conduct, Milan, 2007, ad indicem. Photographic
documents: 1. Nonio De Bartolomeis; 2. Maurizio Garino; 3. Leaflet «Bolshevism.
Two questions to a sailor... whom he saw», published by UCAP in 1919 (Central
State Archives, Rome).

https://www.veliber.org/archivio/IlCantiere/A3/cant_2023_14/files/cant_2023_14.pdf
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