The Spanish
Revolution was a workers' social
revolution that began during the outbreak of the Spanish Civil
War in 1936 and resulted in the widespread implementation of anarchist and more broadly libertarian socialist organizational principles throughout various portions of the country. Anarchists played a central role in the
fight against
Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil
War. At the same time, a far-reaching social
revolution spread throughout Spain, where land and factories were collectivized and controlled by the workers. Their legacy remains important to this day, particularly to anarchists who look at their achievements as a historical precedent of
anarchism's validity.
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Anarcho-
syndicalist organizations were involved in the Spanish
Revolution, such as the
CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo / National Confederation of Labor), which was long affiliated with the International Workers' Association (AIT). When working with the latter group it was also known as
CNT-AIT. Historically, the
CNT has also been affiliated with the Federación Anarquista Ibérica.
The most notable aspect of the social
revolution was the establishment of a libertarian socialist
economy based on coordination through decentralized and horizontal federations of participatory industrial collectives and agrarian communes. In anarchist strongholds like Catalonia, the figure was as high as 75%. Factories were run through worker committees, and agrarian areas became collectivized and run as libertarian socialist communes. Many small businesses like hotels, barber shops, and restaurants were also collectivized and managed by their workers.
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