Lessons of Spain

The Spanish Revolution resulted in a big defeat, which paved the way for the coming to power of Franco’s fascism. This Marxist classic goes through the reasons for the defeat, dealing with the policy of the Stalinists, the anarchists and the POUM.

This edition also contains an introduction by Ted Grant, a founding member of the International Marxist Tendency. This introduction, originally published in 1938, was praised by Trotsky as being “excellent” in a recently discovered letter. The story of how this letter was found is also told in this pamphlet.

Trotsky concludes the pamphlet by saying:

“A new generation of revolutionists is now being educated by the lessons of the defeats. This generation has verified in action the ignominious reputation of the Second International. It has plumbed the depths of the Third International’s downfall. It has learned how to judge the Anarchists not by their words but by their deeds. It is a great inestimable school, paid for with the blood of countless fighters! The revolutionary cadres are now gathering only under the banner of the Fourth International. Born amid the roar of defeats, the Fourth International will lead the toilers to victory.”

It is the job of Marxists to appreciate the lessons of the past so that the same mistakes are not made again.