Fernando Claudín facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fernando Claudín Pontes
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Fernando Claudín in 1983
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| Born | 24 August 1913 Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain
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| Died | 16 May 1990 (aged 74) Madrid, Spain
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| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Journalist, Communist leader |
| Known for | The Communist Movement: From Comintern to Cominform |
Fernando Claudín Pontes (born August 24, 1913 – died May 16, 1990) was a Spanish writer and thinker. He was known for his ideas about communism and for writing history books. His most famous work is a two-volume study called The Communist Movement: From Comintern to Cominform.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Movements
Fernando Claudín Pontes was born in Zaragoza, a city in Spain, on August 21, 1915. Later, he moved to Madrid, the capital city. There, he studied architecture at the Escuela Superior de Arquitectura.
In 1932, when he was a young man, he joined a group called the Communist Youth (Juventudes Comunistas). This was a political group for young people who believed in communist ideas.
Role in Youth Leadership
By 1936, Fernando Claudín was chosen to be a leader in another important youth group. This group was called the Unified Socialist Youth (Juventudes Socialistas Unificados, JSU). He became the director of their newspaper, Ahora.
During the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), he took on an important role. He was put in charge of the Press Cabinet. This was part of the Madrid Defense Council, which helped protect the city during the war. He worked under Santiago Carrillo, who was in charge of public safety.
Years in Exile
After the Spanish Civil War ended in 1939, the side Claudín supported lost. General Francisco Franco's forces won the war. Because of this, Fernando Claudín had to leave Spain. He lived in exile for many years.
He traveled to many different countries during this time. He lived in places like Moscow, France, Mexico, Cuba, Chile, and Argentina.
Work with the Communist Party
From 1943 to 1945, Claudín worked at the main office of the Communist Party of Spain (Partido Comunista de España, PCE) in Argentina. In 1945, he moved to France.
Later, from 1947 to 1954, he represented the Spanish communists in Moscow. In 1955, he went back to Paris. There, he became a member of the PCE's executive committee, which is like a leadership team.
Return to Spain and Later Life
In 1956, a big meeting happened called the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. After this, Fernando Claudín started to disagree more and more with the official ideas of his party. He felt that the party supported the Soviet Union too much, even when he thought their actions were wrong.
Because of his strong disagreements, he was removed from the PCE in 1965. Years later, in June 1975, he secretly returned to Spain.
New Roles and Contributions
Once back in Spain, he worked at a publishing company called Editorial Siglo XXI until 1980. After that, he became a director of the Fundación Pablo Iglesias. This foundation works to promote socialist ideas and history.
He then joined the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (Partido Socialista Obrero Español , PSOE). In 1988, he was named the president of the Fundación Pablo Iglesias. Fernando Claudín Pontes passed away in Madrid on May 16, 1990.
See also
In Spanish: Fernando Claudín para niños
