Spanish Revolution of 1936

A social revolution during the Spanish Civil War that brought widespread collectivization and worker self-management, especially in Republican-held areas.

Collectivization in Spain: The transfer of farms, factories, and services into collective ownership or management during the Spanish Civil War. It was the revolution’s defining economic transformation, implemented unevenly across regions and industries.
Spanish coup of July 1936: A military uprising against Spain’s Second Republic that began on 17 July 1936 and triggered the Spanish Civil War. The failed coup in much of Spain created the power vacuum in which revolutionary institutions emerged.
Buenaventura Durruti: A Spanish anarchist militant and militia commander who became a prominent figure in the revolution and civil war. His militia embodied the revolutionary mobilization of Barcelona’s anarchist workers.
May Days of Barcelona: Armed clashes in Barcelona in May 1937 among Republican factions, including anarchists, the POUM, and Communist-led forces. The fighting marked a decisive defeat for revolutionary autonomy in Catalonia.
Anarcho-syndicalism: A political tradition that seeks worker self-management through revolutionary labor unions and federated associations. Its principles guided many unions and collectives that organized production and local authority.
Spanish Civil War: A war fought in Spain from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican government and the Nationalist rebels. The revolution unfolded within this war and was shaped by its military demands.
Federica Montseny: A Spanish anarchist writer and politician who became minister of health in the Republican government in 1936. Her entry into government exposed tensions between anarchist principles and wartime state power.
Spanish Communist Party: A Spanish political party aligned with the Communist International and, during the civil war, closely associated with Soviet support. Its priority of strengthening the Republican state conflicted with anarchist and POUM revolutionary aims.
Confederación Nacional del Trabajo: A Spanish anarcho-syndicalist labor confederation founded in 1910. The CNT mobilized workers and helped organize collectivization after the July 1936 uprising.
Spanish Second Republic: Spain’s republican regime from 1931 until the Nationalist victory in 1939. Its political conflict and social reforms formed the setting for the 1936 upheaval.

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