Anarchism is the political belief that society should have no government, laws, police, or other authority, but should be a free association of all its members. William Godwin, an important anarchist philosopher in Britain during the late 18th century, believed that the "euthanasia of government" would be achieved through "individual moral reformation". In the United States the two most significant figures in the anarchist movement were William Greene and Benjamin Tucker. In journals such as The Word and Liberty, they published the work of European anarchists such as Peter Kropotkin, Michael Bakunin, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon and Leo Tolstoy. At this time anarchism was essentially a pacifist movement.
Several leading anarchists in Europe, including Johann Most and Emma Goldman, emigrated to the United States. They both argued that it was acceptable to use violence to overthrow capitalism.
Anarchists were blamed for the Haymarket Bombing in Chicago on 4th May, 1886. The authorities were unable to identify the person who threw the bomb but a group of anarchists, Albert Parsons, August Spies, Adolph Fisher, Louis Lingg and George Engel, who helped organized the meeting, were sentenced to death for "conspiracy to murder".
In 1892 the Russian anarchist, Alexander Berkman, attempted to murder William Frick. Another immigrant, Gaetano Bresci, returned to Italy and assassinated King Umberto. Soon afterwards, another anarchist Leon Czolgosz, assassinated President William McKinley.
In January 1916 a group of anarchists began publishing the journal Blast. Alexander Berkman became editor and contributors included Emma Goldman, Mary Heaton Vorse and Robert Minor.
During the Red Scare in 1919 a large number of anarchists, including Emma Goldman, Alexander Berkman, and Mollie Steimer were deported from the United States. Some historians have argued that Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two Italian immigrants found guilty of murder, were both executed in 1927 for their anarchist beliefs.
In the early part of the 20th century the anarchist movement in Spain was the strongest in Europe. The main support came from the industrial workers of Barcelona and in 1911 activists formed the anarcho-syndicalist trade union, the National Confederation of Trabajo (CNT).
In the first few weeks of the Spanish Civil War an estimated 100,000 men joined Anarcho-Syndicalists militias. Anarchists also established the Iron Column, many of whose 3,000 members were former prisoners. In Guadalajara, Cipriano Mera, leader of the CNT construction workers in Madrid, formed the Rosal Column. The most important anarchist leader of this period was Buenaventura Durruti who was killed while fighting in Madrid on 20th November 1936. Durruti's supporters in the CNT claimed that he had been murdered by members of the Communist Party (PCE).
In September 1936, President Manuel Azaña appointed the left-wing socialist, Francisco Largo Caballero as prime minister. Largo Caballero also took over the important role of war minister. Largo Caballero brought into his government four anarchist leaders, Juan Garcia Oliver (Justice), Juan López (Commerce), Federica Montseny (Health) and Juan Peiró (Industry). Montseny was the first woman in Spanish history to be a cabinet minister. Over the next few months Montseny accomplished a series of reforms that included the introduction of sex education, family planning and the legalization of abortion.
