Spanish Regional Federation of the IWA

Spanish Regional Federation of the International Workingmen's Association
Federación Regional Española de la Asociación Internacional de Trabajadores
AbbreviationFRE-AIT
SuccessorFederation of Workers of the Spanish Region (FTRE)
FormationJune 1870
Founded atTeatro Circo, Barcelona
DissolvedSeptember 1881
Location
Parent organization
International Workingmen's Association
Engraving of the Barcelona Workers' Congress of 1870

The Spanish Regional Federation of the International Workingmen's Association (Spanish: Federación Regional Española de la Asociación Internacional de Trabajadores), known by its Spanish abbreviation FRE-AIT, was the Spanish chapter of the socialist working class organization commonly known today as the First International.  The FRE-AIT was active between 1870 and 1881 and was influential not only in the labour movement of Spain, but also in the emerging global anarchist school of thought.

Through association with a significant number of trade unions in Spain, the Spanish Regional Federation quickly grew to become one of the largest national chapters of the IWA with upwards of 29,000 members by 1873.[1]: 71   Distribution of IWA membership was not homogeneous throughout Spain, however, with the local Barcelona section of FRE-AIT reaching 6,000 members compared to the Madrid section never exceeding 200 members.[2]: 60 

The FRE-AIT is considered a predecessor of the present-day CNT which was founded in 1910.[3]

  1. ^ Avilés Farré, Juan (2013). La daga y la dinamita: los anarquistas y el nacimiento del terrorismo (in Spanish). Barcelona: Tusquets. ISBN 9788483837535.
  2. ^ Termes, Josep (2011). Historia del anarquismo en España (1870-1980) (in Spanish). Barcelona: RBA. ISBN 9788490060179.
  3. ^ Woodcock, George (2004). Anarchism: A History of Libertarian Ideas and Movements. Broadview. ISBN 9781551116297.