An exposition of the logic, organization, and economics of syndicalism—workers' self-management—during the Spanish Revolution.

This is the first English translation of Frank Mintz's seminal study of the economic experiments put into place during the Spanish Revolution to both sustain civil society during the war and, more importantly, act as the material basis for a new society. These plans weren't developed by professional economists but grew out of a political movement that put working people at the fore and believed that the collectivized workplace would be the cornerstone of economic life. Includes a prologue by Chris Ealham, author of Anarchism and the City.

A retired professor of Spanish, Frank Mintz lives in Paris, France, and is active with the CNT labor union.

Chapter I: INTRODUCING THE ANARCHO-SYNDICALIST MOVEMENT, THE CNT

Chapter II: CATALONIA AS A MODEL: SELF-MANAGEMENT EMERGES IN BARCELONA; THE FIRST CONTRADICTIONS

Chapter III: A BRIEF SURVEY OF SELF-MANAGEMENT IN OTHER REGIONS OF SPAIN

Chapter IV: ORGANISING SELF-MANAGEMENT ACROSS THE NATION

Chapter V: SELF-MANAGEMENT UNDER ATTACK

Chapter VI: SELF-MANAGEMENT'S OUTCOMES: OVERALL CONCLUSIONS AND ESTIMATES

Chapter VII: CONCLUSIONS ABOUT SELF-MANAGEMENT IN 1936-1939 AND BROAD REFLECTIONS

Appendices:
1. Notes on the Spanish People's Superficial Catholicism
2. Revolutionary Uprisings in Spain, 1932-1934
3. One Example of Monetary Reform and Scheme for Currency Circulation in a Social Economy
4. The CNT and the FAI: Pressure Groups
5. The Two Libertarian Communisms, or, the Libertarian Party versus Anarcho-Syndicalism
6. Notes on Governmental Collaboration
7. Making Sense of the Plenum of Confederal Militias and Columns
8. Evidence about the Collectives of Ascó, and Flix (Tarragona) and the Barcelona Barbers' Collective
9. The Madrid Peasants’ Collective
10. The Adra Fishermen’s Collective
11. The Artesa de Lérida Collective
12. The Barbastro Comarcal (County) Federation of Collectives
13.UGT CNT CLUEA. Citrus Fruit Exports from Revolutionary Spain, 1936-1937
14. The Establishment, Growth and Operation of the Barcelona and District Locksmiths’ and Corrugated Shutters Collective
15. Marx, Engels , the CP, Councilism, Historians and Revolutionary Spain
16. Francoism, Transition to Democracy and Thoughts on Collective Management