International anarchistic congress of Amsterdam

the international anarchistic Congress of Amsterdam was held from August 24th to August 31st 1907 with Amsterdam (Netherlands). This Congrès gathered delegates of 14 different countries among which appeared large fig of the libertarian movement of the time: Errico Malatesta, Pierre Monatte, Luigi Fabbri, Benoit Broutchoux, Emma Goldman, Rudolf Rocker, Christiaan Cornelissen…

During all the week of this congress various topics were approached in connection with the Anarchisme and its organization, with the development of the movement, education or with the General strike. One of the topics the main thing was the Antimilitarisme, the congress international antimilitarist being held simultaneously with the anarchistic international congress. But the major debate of this congress went on the relation between anarchism and Syndicalisme. This debate was the witness of a sharp opposition between Errico Malatesta and Pierre Monatte .

Monatte thought that the trade unionism was revolutionist and would allow the social Révolution. Malatesta was opposed to this idea affirming: " The conclusion to which Monatte came from there, it is that the trade unionism is a means necessary and sufficient of social revolution. In other words, Monatte declared that the trade unionism is enough â itself. And here, in my opinion, doctrines radically fausse" . For Malatesta the trade unionism was indeed Réformiste and could even be in certain cases Conservateur (the example of the Trades-Unions to the the United States, trade unions made up of skilled workers being opposed to the unskilled workers sometimes in order to defend their privileged position). This opposition between two visions of the trade unionism during this congress will thereafter be exceeded with the emergence of anarcho-syndicalism, synthesis to some extent of a revolutionary design of the trade unionism with associated with the principles of anarchism.

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