Essays · Chapter
The General Strike and the Insurrection in Italy explained
This chapter recounts the events of a general strike and insurrection in Italy, sparked by a massacre of unarmed demonstrators by gendarmes in Ancona.
What happens
This chapter recounts the events of a general strike and insurrection in Italy, sparked by a massacre of unarmed demonstrators by gendarmes in Ancona. The strike spread across the country, taking on an insurrectional character with proclamations of the Republic and autonomous communes. However, the reformist General Confederation of Labour ordered the strike to end, which the author views as a betrayal that allowed the government to restore order. The chapter highlights the revolutionary potential of the masses and the need for revolutionaries to capitalize on such dispositions.
Themes in this chapter
Role of the Masses and Direct Action
The chapter emphasizes the spontaneous, mass uprising of workers through general strikes and insurrection, without central coordination, as a direct action against the state and bourgeoisie.
Critique of Government and Authority
The government is portrayed as oppressive, using military force and police to suppress demonstrations, while the workers' movement seeks to overthrow it.
Solidarity and Mutual Aid
Despite political divisions, the workers unite against the common enemy—the government and bourgeoisie—demonstrating solidarity across different factions.
Characters to notice
- Anarchists
Implied as part of the revolutionary and Labour organisations agitating against military despotism and participating in the general strike.
- Socialists
Mentioned as one of the opposition parties involved in the agitation and demonstrations, though divided by labels like Socialist, Anarchist, Syndicalist, or Republican.
Key passages
“The immediate cause of the outbreak was a massacre of unarmed demonstrators by the gendarmes of the town of Ancona.”
The uprising began when police killed unarmed protesters in Ancona.
Describes the spark that ignited the general strike.
“Without anybody even mentioning the word, a general strike was soon complete, and the workers collected at the Trades Council to hold a meeting.”
A general strike spontaneously emerged without prior planning, and workers gathered at the Trades Council.
Highlights the organic, leaderless nature of the strike.
“If it had not been for the betrayal of the Confederation, though we could not yet have made the revolution for lack of necessary preparation and understanding, the movement would certainly have assumed larger proportions and a much greater importance.”
The Confederation's decision to end the strike prevented the movement from growing even larger, though a full revolution was not yet possible.
Criticizes the reformist labour leadership for undermining the insurrection.