Federica Montseny has the double honor of being the first woman and the only anarchist to hold a government position in Spain. She was in charge of the Ministry of Health and Social Assistance in the second Executive of Francisco Largo Caballero in the first months of the Civil War. In a desperate attempt to broaden the political and social base of the Government of the Republic, the PSOE leader first integrated leaders of the PCE Izquierda Republicana, Unión Republicana and the nationalist parties (PNV and ERC) and later those of the CNT.
In this unit, Montseny herself played a prominent and little recognized role, a defender from within the CNT and the FAI of the entry into the Government of the anarchists against the opposition that both the bases and prominent cadres of the anarchist formations had maintained at regard. The position of strength of the anarchists in many cities and workplaces, the formation of militias and libertarian initiatives such as the Durruti Column pointed in the opposite direction at that time.
However, the CNT, the FAU, the UGT and the PSUC were able to join forces to organize, in October 1936, a massive rally in the Monumental bullring in which Federica Montseny called for a unitary revolution of socialists, communists and anarchists in order to stop the advance of fascism that the rebel troops brought with them. It is the speech we offer.
The revolution was postponed in defense of the Republic and unity moved to the heart of the Government just a few days later, when the anarchists Juan García Oliver joined the unity Government to occupy the portfolio of Justice, Juan López Sánchez to lead the Commerce, Juan Peiró Belis to take charge of Industry and Federica Montseny to assume Health and Social Assistance.
However, the experiment did not last six months, from November 1936 to May 1937, when socialists and communists held an armed confrontation in Barcelona and other Catalan cities with anarchists and Trotskyists in the well-known Events of May to endanger the unity and stability of the republican side and put an end to the unity government.
In that short period in government, Montseny proposed a reform of orphanages that barely bore fruit in a new reception center in Valencia, institutionalized the so-called prostitution releases to offer all kinds of resources to women who wanted to leave the streets They had already launched various libertarian organizations, promoted the labor integration of the disabled by defining official positions and trades that could be carried out, and promoted the first Abortion bill, discarded by its own government partners.
“Workers of Barcelona and Catalonia! Anti-fascist men and women of Spain!
“This is a historic act; the act that officially and legally signs the beginning of a new era in Spain. As of this memorable date, all of us, workers of the UGT, the CNT, the FAI and the PSU are united in an indisputable bond.
”The symbol of the linked flags is the expression of the religious and mystical feeling of the fight, a feeling that is exalted and that must be manifested in all to the maximum, since this heroic tension is needed by the peoples to win and be invincible.
”The reality is this: an enemy supported internationally by fascist powers. Faced with this enemy, a brave people, an enthusiastic people, a people who, in addition to fighting against fascism, understand that the time for great social transformations has struck and that they are building as they go. Together with this people, two nations united in the fight in favor of the Spanish proletariat.
”The enemy, armed and internationally supported by this farce of neutrality, has achieved some victories. And even if he had not achieved them, he has concentrated his maximum effort on the conquest of Madrid, which represents for him the legality of the factional insurrection and for the countries to legalize their existence as a factious government.
”It is necessary that all the people of Catalonia, it is necessary that Barcelona and Spain as a whole, who have the certainty of victory due to their heroism and energy and also due to the support of the entire anti-fascist world, unite in a maximum effort to beat once and for all this suicide attempt.
”I will also address with resolution another aspect of the problem: until today, the revolution has been identified with a rather frivolous meaning. After the heroic days of July 19 and 20, after this moment in which Barcelona knew how to conquer the redoubts in which the factions had entrenched themselves, a moment of calm has followed.
”It is necessary for everyone to rejoin the great revolutionary work, imposed by circumstances. It is necessary that this frivolous moment ends, in which circumstances are taken advantage of by living as well as possible and worrying as little as possible.
“We have the absolute certainty that fratricidal struggles will not take place among us that could ruin the revolutionary work tomorrow. We are gathered here UGT, CNT, FAI and PSU; Representatives of all the republican parties are here listening to us, from the most extremist to the most moderate, united in the same feeling that has raised the Spanish people against fascism, given the clear conviction that fascism represented the annulment of all elementary rights conquered by the people.
"We are facing a militaristic Spain, of clergy, of good chickens, of aristocratic and bureaucratic cocotas, which has always dragged its scab, its lice and its vices. Faced with this old and dead Spain, the new Spain rises: the Spain of work and of workers' organizations aware of their mission and full spirit of responsibility, to forge their destinies.
”Was this possible? Would this reconstruction, this self-creation of Spain, be possible without us being united in a logical way? We have constantly aspired, UGT and CNT, to achieve this sacred unity, unity to which is not only linked the victory against fascism, but also the reconstruction of Spain.
”A revolution was needed, which was not done on April 14 and we are doing it now. This cannot be achieved through legal channels. The socialist comrades must have realized this and that is why they took to the streets, to fight, and experience has also taught us anarchists that a transformation was not possible if we did not stand before the organs of power; This must have been recognized by all. We have always recognized and supported it.
”Today, in reality, the ideological differences that separated us have disappeared, because we have accepted the fait accompli, which forced us to take part in the direction of the country; of the facts that demonstrated that without the union of the masses, socialism could not insinuate itself in Spain.
”I would like, comrades; I would like, workers; I would like, anti-fascist women, I would like all of you to realize what we are at this moment for the entire world. Individually considered, we are beings neither more nor less than the others. We are, in a word, men and women condemned to see their lives go by, as the lives of animals go by, but, collectively, do you know what we are as a people confronted not only against internal fascism, but also against external ones? Do you know what Spain is with its heroic struggle, with its incessant combat?
”If fascism were to triumph in Spain soon this France, which has shown us so little solidarity and which is an offense to Spain, this France would soon be a victim of fascism, and the Belgian people would be too. Therefore, it is necessary to present this union in the eyes of the world as an example for the triumph of the working class.
”If we see the feverish eyes of all the workers fixed on us, if we represent the hope of democratic spiritual resurrection, if we represent this... our life individually considered is of no importance. Our existence as a community and as a people is of great importance, as a rebellious nation placed against international fascism, in defense of human rights, continuation of the spirit of the Russian revolution.
"As a collectivity and a people we are everything, and to this we submit our individual existence. If each one of you felt this feeling of responsibility disintegrate, grow within yourself, I am sure that even if we lack weapons and the international solidarity made up of Russia and Mexico, I am sure, I repeat, that even defenseless we would defeat fascism .
”Victory and triumph are always conquered by the people when they want. All of you who have read the French Revolution will know that in order to take the Bastille it was necessary to fill the moats with corpses. And when they were full, the people entered the Bastille like an avalanche, which could not resist their formidable impetus.
”Do you know what the entrance of the fascists into the towns has been, using the Moors that they have brought to Spain and the soldiers of the Tercio, convicts recruited in all the penitentiaries of the world? Well, know that the fascists entered Villafranca de Bidasoa after fighting for many hours; And do you know what they did with a 15-year-old girl? They seized her, raped her, crucified her and, finding little of her, a mercenary plunged his knife into her parts, opening it up to her chin.
"Do you know what the beasts of the requeté did with a partner? They caught him, tortured him, killed him, tore him to pieces and sent him in a box to the Irún militiamen. Do you know what the fascists did to Comrade Villaverde in La Coruña? For they prepared for him a death worthy of Vercingetorix; After having shot him, they tied him to the tail of a horse and dragged him through the streets of the town. Another example of the sadism of these scoundrels: lived in Ceuta a naturist, Miguel León –many of you will know him–, an old man with long beards; Well, they caught him and shot him after pulling out his beard hair by hair...
“We have carried out executions, but no torment, no refinement of cruelty, and we have done it because either we kill ourselves or they kill us. But the revolution or the militias have never been dishonored with outrages or rape! On the contrary, due to excessive generosity we have respected many women, whom we have later found on the front lines serving as espionage.
”Cruelty, sadism, barbarism are in the reaction; the spirit of fascism, the spirit of Anido and Arlegui, revived in the figure of those trabucaire friars, in the person of those friars who did not hesitate to bring regulars to Spain, Moors, Germans and Italians, who did not hesitate to tear Spain to pieces, offering Germany, Italy and Portugal pieces of our soil in exchange for the most shameless support.
“As for foreign journalists, eager to hunt for news, it is necessary to tell them that the bishops are not one of ours, not of the people, of the generous and notable people. Is it strange that in Spain we have burned convents and churches? Are the masses overwhelmed by injustice and abuse controllable?
”In Spain it has not been destroyed, and if it has been killed it has been out of the conviction that it was necessary and with full knowledge of the facts. In Russia, in the first days of the revolution, the people destroyed everything and it took them two years to rebuild the machines and empty the mines, which the fury of the masses had flooded. This has not been done here, and let the foreign journalists who visit the fronts know it.
”Workers of the factories, of the workshops, of the field, technicians and intellectuals, who feel in you the feeling of human dignity facing it against those who prostitute freedom and rights, join our gigantic movement; help us fight on the front lines.
”We ask you out of solidarity, for us, to mobilize individually and collectively, and for everyone to feel like soldiers, not only to defend Spain against fascism, but to achieve a maximum of well-being, of justice among all.
”We ask you who represent Spain where the authentic values of the Iberian race are exalted and manifested; We ask you as Spaniards even. Within each one of us, even if he is a socialist, anarchist or republican, there is the pride of a strong race, which has well-defined ethnic and regional characteristics, which form the conglomerate of the bravest races in the world.
”The people have been the creator of unique and formidable works since the most remote times. We know of the pyramids of Egypt, but we don't know of outcasts, of helots that dragged the great blocks and died crushed under them. The great works have been done by us, the starving multitudes of the whole world, dragging the hunger and thirst for justice that we defend against fascism, which is tyranny and destruction of all the moral and spiritual values of man.”
