Bert Altena
Born in 1950 I have worked at a high school, at the International Institute of Social History and at Erasmus University Rotterdam. DUring my time at Erasmus for a couple of years I was at the editorial board of the International Review of Social History. I have retired in 2014. I have specialized in the history of social movements, and of anarchism in particular.
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Papers by Bert Altena
Revolution 1917-19
The reactions of Dutch anarchists to the Russian Revolution are until now as good as unexplored.
This contribution tries to fill this gap by analyzing five anarchist and syndicalist
newspapers. Together they represent the whole spectrum of Dutch anarchism. The anarchists
and their newspapers can be divided into two groups: those who considered anarchism as a
principle and project to bring human civilization into a new stage of perfection, and those who
focussed more narrowly on anarchism as a movement to liberate workers in order to create a
society in which these workers themselves, through their trade unions, would control production
and distribution. The central question is whether these different interpretations of
anarchism guided opinion on what had happened in Russia. The final answer is positive.
The first group, inspired by the works of a Russian, Peter Kropotkin, was very critical of the
Russian socialists, although it applauded their peace initiatives. The second group saw the
whole revolution much more as a struggle, in which injustice and killings were unavoidable,
than as a means to create a new anarchist society in which justice would reign for all.
A copy of the paper can be obtained from the author
Revolution 1917-19
The reactions of Dutch anarchists to the Russian Revolution are until now as good as unexplored.
This contribution tries to fill this gap by analyzing five anarchist and syndicalist
newspapers. Together they represent the whole spectrum of Dutch anarchism. The anarchists
and their newspapers can be divided into two groups: those who considered anarchism as a
principle and project to bring human civilization into a new stage of perfection, and those who
focussed more narrowly on anarchism as a movement to liberate workers in order to create a
society in which these workers themselves, through their trade unions, would control production
and distribution. The central question is whether these different interpretations of
anarchism guided opinion on what had happened in Russia. The final answer is positive.
The first group, inspired by the works of a Russian, Peter Kropotkin, was very critical of the
Russian socialists, although it applauded their peace initiatives. The second group saw the
whole revolution much more as a struggle, in which injustice and killings were unavoidable,
than as a means to create a new anarchist society in which justice would reign for all.
A copy of the paper can be obtained from the author