74 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
74 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
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"We are obliged to say that the Russian anarchists remained in their
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circles and slept through a mass movement of paramont importance."
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[the Makhnovists, Ukranian anarchist movement 1918-21]
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"But at the same time we discover that this deplorable situation
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is not accidental, but that it has very specific causes, which we
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will now consider.
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The majority of our anarchist theorists have their origins in the
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intelligentsia. This circumstance is very significant. While
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standing under the banner of anarchism, many of them are not able
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to break altogether with the psychological context from which
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they emerged.
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Very few amongst the isolated anarchists found themselves the
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necessary sensitivity and courage to recognise that this movement
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was the one anarchism had been anticipating for many years - those
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who rushed to join it.
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An even more important aspect of this helplessness and inactivity
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of the anarchists is the confusion in anarchist theory and the
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organisational chaos in anarchists ranks.
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Thus many anarchists devoted their energies to the question of whether
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the task of anarchism is the liberation of classes, humanity or of
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the personality. The question is empty, but it is based on some unclear
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anarchist positions and provides a broad field for abuse of anarchist
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thought and practise.
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An even greater field for abuse is created by the unclear anarchist
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theory of individual freedom. Those who do not know the passion of
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the revolution, who are most concerned with their 'I', understand
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this idea in their own fashion. Whenever the question of practical
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anarchist organisation or the question of organisation with a
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serious intent is posed, they hang on to the theory of individual
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liberty and using this as a basis oppose all organisation and escape
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from all responsibility. The ideas and actions of anarchists are thus
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pulverised to the point of derangement.
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For dozens of years the Russian anarchists have suffered from the
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disease of disorganisation. Thus when the mass movement rose from
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the depths of the people, the anarchists showed themselves completely
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unprepared, spineless and weak.
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In our opinion this is temporary. Anarchism is not mysticism: it is
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not a discourse on beauty; it is not a cry of despair. Its greatness
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is due, above all, to its devotion to the cause of oppressed humanity.
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It carries within itself the truth, and the aspiration of the masses,
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and is today the only social doctrine the masses can count on it their
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struggle. But this is not enough. Anarchism needs to go to the masses
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and merge with them"
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HISTORY OF THE MAKHNOVIST MOVEMENT by Peter
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Arshinov. (Freedom Press) 5.50
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"The chaotic conditions in the region[Ukraine] nurtured another
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anarchist leader, Maria Nikiforova, who exercised a substantial
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influence upon Makhno from the very beginning of their acquaintance. A
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member of a local anarchist group, she was engaged in terrorist
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activities in the years 1905-06, which led to a sentence of death,
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later commuted to life imprisonment. She served part of her sentence
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in the Petropavlovsk prison in Petrograd, and in 1910 was then exiled
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to Siberia, whence she escaped, first to Japan, and then to the United
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States. In the summer of 1917, she returned to Oleksandrivs'k, where
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she soon organized a combat detachment and began to terrorize people
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in the city. She especially hunted army officers and landlords,
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killing them. Later she moved to Elysavethrad, organizing and
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commanding a combat regiment "Black Guard" which fought each
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succeeding regime, including the Germans and Denikin. Her main goal
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was the destruction of all state institutions. In August 1917, she
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seized and robbed a military storehouse at the station of Orikhiv.
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Subsequently, she attacked the regiment in the town, disarmed and
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dispersed it, executing all captured officers. Part of the confiscated
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spoils she delivered to Makhno."
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from "The Anarchism of Nestor Makhno, 1918-21" by Michael Palij.
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