«Il pistolero di Barcellona e il funzionario di Madrid». Socialisti e repubblicani di fronte alla Seconda repubblica spagnola (1931-1936)

Abstract

«Il pistolero di Barcellona e il funzionario di Madrid». Italian socialist and republican reaction to the establishment of the Spanish Second Republic (1931-1936)

Socialists, republicans as well as Italian GL and LIDU militants were understandably enthusiastic about the establishment of the Spanish Second Republic; a few years ahead of Carlo Rosselli’s 1937 famous call «today in Spain, tomorrow in Italy», anti-Fascist exiles started to hope that the Spanish progressive turn would boost the battle for democracy in Italy. Subsequent to the November 1933 election defeat, the movement started discussing the limitations of the Centre- Left. Some believed the Azaña government wasn’t revolutionary enough, especially in terms of social policy, others accused it of scaring part of the moderate public opinion, favouring the maximalist faction of Largo Caballero and some anti-clerical positions of anarchists. After another progressive victory in February ’36, Italian exiles became persuaded that the Popular Front should not be satisfied with the successful poll outcome, but rather speed up the reforms it had guiltily neglected. The article accounts for this debate, which was joined by Aurelio Natoli, Carlo Rosselli, Fernando De Rosa, Luigi Campolonghi and Emilio Lussu, amongst others.

Received: 10-03-2013