Marxism Versus Anarchism

With the growth of anti-corporate sentiment among significant layers of the population in many countries, anarchism is enjoying a modest revival, especially among young people. However, its new adherents are often unfamiliar with the historical doctrines and record of anarchism.

Marxism Versus Anarchism deals with just this question. It is organised around three major historical episodes: the struggle of the First International, led by Marx, against the anarchist currents inspired by Proudhon and Bakunin; the 1921 revolt of the Kronstadt naval base against the Soviet government, extensively used by anarchism as a point of attack against revolutionary socialism; and, finally, the Spanish Revolution and Civil War of 1936-39, where anarchism, despite its mass following, failed utterly to measure up to the needs of the struggle.

This collection of writings provides a clear Marxist critique of anarchism's core doctrines as well as its historical record. As in the past, so in the new century, only Marxist socialism can provide answers to the key questions of revolutionary advance and the creation of a society free of exploitation and oppression.