propaganda by deed

Bonomini, Ernesto, 1903-1986

A short biography of Italian anarchist and Spanish Civil War fighter, Ernesto Bonomini, who assassinated a leading fascist in France.

Ernesto Bonomini was born on 18 March 1903 at Pozzolengo in Italy. From a very young age he became interested in socialist ideas and became an active antimilitarist. He trained as a tailor, in which trade he was expert.

With the fascist repression against the workers’, socialist and anarchist movements, Ernesto was forced to emigrate to France in 1922.

1900: The assassination of King Umberto I of Italy

A short account of the assassination of King Umberto I of Italy in revenge for the brutal suppression of a workers' demonstration in Milan which left hundreds dead.

See also our biography of Gaetano Bresci

Bresci, Gaetano, 1869-1901

A short account of the life of Gaetano Bresci, who in 1900 assassinated King Umberto I of Italy in response to a massacre of workers in Milan.

Dutch Council Communism and Van der Lubbe Burning the Reichstag - The question of "exemplary acts"

Philippe Bourrinet on the reaction of council communists in Holland to Marinus Van der Lubbe burning down the Reichstag in Germany, and on propagandistic acts in general.

Feb 2003

It was the significance of the young Dutch council communist Van der Lubbe's torching of the Reichstag (27 Feb. 1933), more than Hitler's coming to power, which focused the debates within Dutch council communism. The latter was profoundly divided on the question of 'exemplary acts' and of individual violence against symbols of bourgeois order.

Lubbe, Marinus van der 1911-1934

A short biography of Marinus van der Lubbe, the Dutch council communist who set the Reichstag fire.

Marinus van der Lubbe Born 13 January 1911 - Leyden, Netherlands, died 10 January 1934 – Leipzig prison, Germany

1931: Michael Schirru and the attempted assassination of Mussolini

An account of the trial and death of American anarchist Michael Schirru, who travelled to Italy to attempt to assassinate the fascist dictator.

Despite the fact that his "crimes" were not legally punishable by death, Schirru was executed by firing squad.

1926: The attempted assassination of Mussolini in Rome

An account of the unsuccessful assassination attempt of Benito Mussolini by anarchist Gino Lucetti who threw a bomb at his car in Rome on 11 September, 1926.

The plot was hatched in anti-fascist Italian exile circles in the south of France. And not just by anarchists but also members of the Giustizia e Libertá groups of the Action Party and others of differing persuasions - all convinced of the need to eliminate the fascist leader physically.

1901: The assassination of President William McKinley

An account of assassination of the President of the United States, William McKinley, by young Detroit-born anarchist, Leon Czolgosz.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, anarchists were in the middle of what was known as the ‘Propaganda by the Deed’ period. The idea was that by killing members of the ruling order, not only would the ‘fear of God’ be put into them but that it would eventually inspire the masses into rising up against their masters.

Shusui, Kotoko, 1871-1911

A short biography of journalist Kotoku Shusui, who helped introduce anarchism to Japan and was executed for treason.

Kotoku Shusui
Born 4 November or 23 September 1871 - Japan, died 24 January 1911 - Japan

1964: Stuart Christie's account of his actions in a Franco assassination attempt

An extract of Stuart Christie's book Granny Made Me An Anarchist which describes his involvement in an attempt to assassinate Spanish dictator General Franco. He describes his experiences from picking up the plastic explosive in France to his arrest by Franco's police in Spain. This extract first appeared in The Guardian newspaper on Monday August 23, 2004

[2,000 words]