Poum

[A.R.Amistad]

I was kind of inspired by the previous thread on the International Brigades, my frequent trips to Spain and a book called "Blood of Spain" which is a great oral account of the Spanish Civil War. The book is detailed, but I still haven't been able to clear up why Trotsky did not support the POUM, what the split between the POUM and the Left Opposition was and why they were barred from the Fourth International. I have always been a great admirer of what the POUM did in Spain and their successes, and how they avioded the Stalinist sectarianism of "social fascist" baiting and Popular Frontism and kept the spirit of Bolshevik anti-fascism alive with the United Front.

[Random Precision]

The split between Trotsky and Andreu Nin, who became the wartime leader of the POUM, was over Trotsky's "French Turn" policy. Basically all the sections of the Fourth International were ordered to enter the social democratic party in their country for the purpose of growth and recruitment. Specifically the youth leagues of each socialist party was targeted.

This policy was successful in France but counterproductive in many other places. In the United States for example, the SWP split away the YPSL, the youth league of the Socialist Party, only to have it depart a year later in the split between the orthodox and unorthodox (Shachtman/Burnham) wings. Also the Socialist Party was pretty depleted of industrial workers by that point. The SWP would have done much better to enter the militant unions of the newly formed Congress of Industrial Organizations.

Nin's crime was to disagree with Trotsky on the French Turn. He believed that entry into the PSOE, the Spanish social democrats, would in the end cost the Trotskyists more than they stood to gain. This caused a split in the Spanish Trotskyist organization, the Izquierda Comunista de España. Most went with Nin and later formed the POUM by merging with the Bloque Obrero y Campesino led by Joaquín Maurin, a Right Oppositionist. A couple hundred obeyed Trotsky's orders and entered into the Socialist Party, if memory serves they were quickly expelled and went on to form the Sección Bolchevique-Leninista de España led by Grandizo Munis.


I have always been a great admirer of what the POUM did in Spain and their successes, and how they avioded the Stalinist sectarianism of "social fascist" baiting and Popular Frontism and kept the spirit of Bolshevik anti-fascism alive with the United Front

Of course they did not "avoid Popular Frontism", but actually joined the Popular Front government. I think they had one or two ministers in the Catalan autonomous government at least. I don't think this is a direct result of their having disagreed with Trotsky though.

[Devrim]

A couple hundred obeyed Trotsky's orders and entered into the Socialist Party, if memory serves they were quickly expelled and went on to form the Sección Bolchevique-Leninista de España led by Grandizo Munis.

I think you probably have the numbers a little high. I have no idea how many people were with them when they entered the Socialist Party, but I do know that the Sección Bolchevique-Leninista had eight members.

Devrim

[Искра]

Of course they did not "avoid Popular Frontism", but actually joined the Popular Front government. I think they had one or two ministers in the Catalan autonomous government at least. I don't think this is a direct result of their having disagreed with Trotsky though.
There was one member of POUM in "Anti Fascist milita's council" as far as I knew when I was writing my essay. (http://www.anarhizam.hr/povijest/85-juraj-katalenac-revolucija-i-panjolski-graanski-rat-1936-1937)

Their "millita" had 6000 members and it was smallest and haven't achieved much. There was also one milita with POUM forces but I was some kind of mixed milita (anarchists, Stalinists etc) and it was lead by one anarchist.

[Random Precision]

I think you probably have the numbers a little high. I have no idea how many people were with them when they entered the Socialist Party, but I do know that the Sección Bolchevique-Leninista had eight members.

Devrim

You are correct. Thanks.