Spanish Libertarian Movement facts for kids

The Spanish Libertarian Movement (MLE), also known as Movimiento Libertario Español, was a group formed in Spain. It was created at the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939.

This movement was started by three important groups: the CNT, the FAI, and the FIJL. Their goal was to work together. They wanted to do secret activities inside Spain, which was then under the Francoist dictatorship. They also worked openly in other countries, especially in France, to help thousands of Spanish refugees.

The main leaders of the MLE were based in Paris. Germinal Esgleas became the general secretary after Mariano Rodríguez Vázquez passed away in June 1939.

How the Movement Started

Forming the MLE

On February 26, 1939, after the region of Catalonia was taken over, the CNT, FAI, and FIJL officially created the Spanish Libertarian Movement in France. From this point on, these three groups worked as one. Their main focus was helping the many Spanish refugees who had fled to France.

This idea came from a meeting of leaders from all three groups. However, some anarchists still fighting in Spain disagreed. They felt the new MLE leaders only represented people from Catalonia and Aragon. They also worried that the MLE was controlled by those who did not want to work with the Spanish government.

Some anarchists, like Federica Montseny, had held important government jobs. They believed in working with the government to achieve their goals. Others, called "apoliticals," preferred to stay separate from government. The MLE's leadership became stronger when Horacio Martínez Prieto, who supported working with the government, resigned. Also, when Mariano Rodríguez Vázquez died, Germinal Esgleas took over as secretary general.

Other key members of the MLE leadership included Germinal de Souza, Pedro Herrera Camarero, and Juan García Oliver. Some of these leaders later moved to the Americas. Others were held in camps in France or joined the French Resistance to fight against the occupation.

Secret Activities and Challenges

Early Secret Work

The first secret actions of the Libertarian Movement were carried out by the FIJL in Madrid. This happened right after the war ended. One member, named Escobar, managed to join the Falange, a political group. He got official papers that said people had been loyal to the Falange. These papers helped free several anarchists from a prison camp called Albatera concentration camp.

One person freed by these papers was Esteve Pallarols i Xirgu. He quickly met with three other libertarian leaders hiding in Valencia. These four formed the first secret national committee of the Libertarian Movement inside Spain.

Their first big task was to create fake documents. These documents helped free more libertarian prisoners from Albatera and other camps in Valencia. The freed prisoners were then taken to Barcelona and from there to France. To hide these trips, they set up a fake company called "Frutera Levantina," pretending to transport fruit.

Challenges and Arrests

Génesis López and Manuel Salas were tasked with connecting with groups in Catalonia and southern France. They met with MLE leaders in Nimes. López then went to Paris and met with Germinal Esgleas and Federica Montseny. However, he only received a small amount of money, enough to help fifteen people get to France.

When López returned to Barcelona, he learned that Pallarols had been arrested in Valencia. Many others were also arrested. Pallarols was later sentenced to prison and then, sadly, executed in 1943. After Pallarols' arrest, a new secret national committee was formed. Manuel López López led it, but he soon resigned due to illness. Celedonio Pérez Bernardo took his place.

The police also managed to break up part of the FIJL group in Madrid. In early 1940, 33 members were arrested, and their hidden weapons were found. The young Escobar, who had helped free prisoners, was captured. He was attacked and left for dead, but a farmer saved him.

In 1941, Celedonio Pérez Bernardo was arrested and sentenced to prison. Manuel Amil Barcia replaced him, but he had to hide in Andalusia. The Madrid group, led by Eusebio Azañedo, took over the committee's work. They connected with the CNT groups in Valencia and Catalonia.

In Catalonia, the CNT was divided. Some members wanted to stick to union activities and even work with the official Spanish Syndical Organization. This led to some confusion and suspicion. Information given to the police led to Acebedo's arrest in 1943. Amil then returned to Madrid to lead the national committee again.

During the 1940s, people like Sigfrido Catalá Tineo, Ramón Rufat Llop, and José Expósito Leiva helped organize resistance, spread information, and help people escape. They faced many dangers, often being arrested or worse.

Working with Other Groups

Joining the National Alliance of Democratic Forces

The libertarians refused to join a group proposed by the PCE. This made them closer to the socialists, who also didn't want the communists to be in charge. So, in late 1943, the Libertarian Movement and the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) began talking. They wanted to create a united group of non-communist anti-fascist forces.

In February 1944, the CNT supported these talks. They agreed to continue working with other political groups. Republican politicians also joined the discussions. These included members from the Republican Left and Republican Union.

An agreement was reached in June 1944, but it was announced in October. This new group was called the National Alliance of Democratic Forces (ANFD). The ANFD's founding statement used the term "republican order" to refer to the Second Spanish Republic. This helped the libertarians, who were flexible about the type of government, to agree.

A national council was formed to lead the ANFD. It was chaired by Régulo Martínez, a republican. It also included the socialist Juan Gómez Egido and the libertarian Sigfrido Catalá.

Talks with Monarchists and Setbacks

In late 1944, the ANFD leaders began talks with monarchist generals. These generals included Antonio Aranda and Alfredo Kindelán. They discussed what kind of government would replace the Spanish State after the expected Allied victory in World War II.

The generals wanted the ANFD to accept the return of the monarchy without any votes or intermediate steps. The libertarians could consider this, but the republicans and socialists could not agree. This led to a standstill in the talks.

However, the main reason for their failure was a wave of arrests by the police. In December 1944, Régulo Martínez, the ANFD president, was arrested. Other ANFD leaders and monarchists who had been in contact with them were also arrested. In March 1945, Siegfried Catalá, the libertarian representative, and other MLE leaders were arrested. The entire PSOE leadership inside Spain was also captured around the same time.

Despite these setbacks, the Libertarian Movement recovered quickly. A new national committee was formed in April, led by Ramón Rufat Llop and José Exposito Leiva.

Challenges and Divisions

Crisis in Exile

Juan García Oliver, a leader who supported working with the government, shown when he was Minister of Justice during the Spanish Civil War.

The Libertarian Movement outside Spain faced a big challenge in 1942. Tensions grew between two main groups. One group, led by Juan García Oliver and Aurelio Fernández, believed in "collaboration" – working with other political groups. The other group, called "apoliticals," supported the Paris-based leadership of Germinal Esgleas and Federica Montseny.

At a meeting in Mexico, the "collaborationists" presented their ideas, but they were outvoted. Because of this, they decided to form their own organization, a new CNT. This new group published the CNT newspaper. Meanwhile, the "apoliticals" used Solidaridad Obrera as their newspaper. This showed a clear split within the movement.

See also

In Spanish: Movimiento Libertario (España) para niños