"Never will the Anarchists in Spain be made to suffer as they have been and are in Russia"

Frederica Montseny, a prominent figure in the Spanish anarchist movement and a minister in Spain's 2nd Republic, made a poignant declaration with her quote, "Never will the Anarchists in Spain be made to suffer as they have been and are in Russia". The context of this assertion is rooted in the comparative experiences of anarchists in Spain and Russia throughout the early 20th century, especially focusing on the difficulties dealt with by Russian anarchists under Bolshevik guideline after the October Revolution of 1917.

In Russia, after the Bolsheviks took power, the relationship between the anarchists and the brand-new Soviet federal government quickly degraded. At first allied in their opposition to the Tsarist routine and the Provisional Government, anarchists soon found themselves at chances with the Bolshevik management, who sought to combine power and suppress dissenting ideologies that threatened their vision of a central socialist state. This led to serious persecution of anarchists in Russia, defined by arrests, executions, and suppression of anarchist companies.

Montseny's declaration suggests her belief that Spanish anarchists would not face such severe injustice as their Russian equivalents. This could originate from several elements. To start with, the anarchist motion in Spain was deeply rooted and extensive, with considerable impact amongst workers, particularly in Catalonia and Andalusia. The strength and organization of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) and the Federación Anarquista Ibérica (FAI) supplied a formidable force that was not as easily reduced.

Moreover, the socio-political environment in Spain throughout the Second Republic offered a relatively more open space for anarchists to operate compared to the authoritarian nature of Lenin's Russia. There was a more pluralistic political landscape that enabled a diversity of political ideologies to exist side-by-side, albeit contentiously.

Montseny's optimism or assertion could likewise be interpreted as a call to action, a suggestion for vigilance among Spanish anarchists, highlighting the need to secure their freedoms and learn from the battles dealt with by their Russian equivalents. It highlights the complicated dynamics of innovative politics and the continuous hazard of authoritarianism, even from within expected revolutionary motions.