Mikhail Bakunin

• Book

  God and the State 1882
• rejected individualism of liberalism- true freedom is only possible when economic and social inequality exists- freedom isn't a product is being isolated, it's realised through connections with others
• rejected all forms of authority, hierarchy and the state - only by returning power to the collective and self management by workers in their collectives can freedom exist
• opposed capitalist state
• socialist state would replace one oppressive state with another - individual was formed to submit to the collect interests of the 'Red Bureaucracy'
• Revolution

  believed in the power of the masses to rise up and overthrow the state

  saw revolution as necessary- initially needing to use violence to create conditions for the new society

  general strike - key method
• Example: Spanish Revolution 1936

  anarchist guerrillas were able to control areas of eastern Spain from central government

  anarchist experiments- factories and railways taken over by workers committees

  hundred of villages- peasants seized the land and established libertarian communes

  money was abolished, land tilled in common, village products were exchanged on behalf of the community