Juan Andrade facts for kids
Juan Andrade Rodriguez (born February 3, 1898, in Madrid – died May 1, 1981) was an important Spanish communist leader, journalist, and writer. He played a big role in Spanish politics during the 20th century.
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A Young Activist's Start
Juan Andrade began his political journey very early. At just 14, he joined the youth group of the Radical Republican Party. A few years later, at 16, he joined a group of socialist students. This led him to become active in the Socialist Youth of Spain (JSE). This was the youth part of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).
In 1919, Juan became the editor of Renovacion. This was the official weekly newspaper for the JSE. He strongly supported the Bolshevik Revolution and the Communist International. He also wrote articles for Nuestra Palabra, a pro-Communist newspaper. These articles were more left-leaning than the PSOE's ideas.
Founding New Parties
Juan Andrade helped create the Spanish Communist Party on April 15, 1920. This new party was started by members of the JSE. Juan was chosen as a founding member of the party's Executive Committee. He also became the first editor of its official newspaper, El Comunista.
About a year later, in April 1921, another group split from the PSOE. They formed the Spanish Communist Workers' Party. In November of that year, these two new parties joined together. They formed the Communist Party of Spain (PCE). Juan Andrade was elected to the PCE Central Committee. He also directed the new party's weekly newspaper, La Antorcha. He held these jobs until 1927.
New Paths and Exile
In 1927, Juan was removed from the PCE. This happened because he was thought to support the ideas of Leon Trotsky. After this, he helped organize the Spanish Trotskyists. They founded the Communist Left of Spain in 1930. He managed their newspaper, Comunismo, from 1931 to 1934. The government stopped the newspaper after a defeat in the October Revolution of 1934.
In 1935, the Communist Left joined with another group. They formed the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM). Juan Andrade was elected to the Central Committee of POUM. He became a key writer for La Batalla, a newspaper run by Joaquín Maurín. Many founders of Spanish communism, like Andreu Nin and Julian Gorkin, also joined POUM.
During the Spanish Civil War
When the Spanish Civil War began in 1936, Juan Andrade moved to Barcelona. He joined the Executive Committee of POUM there. During this time, he started Editorial Marxista, a publishing house. He focused on ideas about how society could share resources and plan the economy.
After the Barcelona May Days in 1937, POUM was banned. Juan was arrested on June 16, 1937. He stayed in prison until the end of 1938. He was tried and found guilty for his part in the events.
Life in Exile
After the war ended in 1939, Juan Andrade went into exile in France. He was arrested again in 1940 by the Vichy regime and the Gestapo. He was found guilty of helping the French Resistance fight against Nazism. In August 1944, a French Resistance team freed him. This team was led by Wilebaldo Solano, a POUM leader.
After his release, Juan helped reorganize POUM activities in Toulouse. While in exile, he wrote for La Batalla and other publications. He also organized a Spanish service in France that worked against Nazism.
Juan Andrade returned to Spain in August 1978. He passed away in Madrid on May 1, 1981.
His Published Works
Juan Andrade was the editor of the newspaper El Sol. He also founded and directed several publishing houses. These included Cenit, Hoy, and Oriente. These companies published important Marxist books. Some examples include The Accumulation of Capital by Rosa Luxemburg and works by Charles Marx and Franz Mehring. They also published Russian and American modern literature.
Some of his own notable works include:
- China against imperialism
- The reforming bureaucracy in the working class movement
- Notes for a PCE story
- Personal memoirs
- Notes about the Civil War
See also
In Spanish: Juan Andrade para niños
