Platformism
Platformism is an organizational theory within anarcho-communism advocating for a unified anarchist federation structured around a shared platform that ensures theoretical unity, tactical coordination, collective responsibility, and federalist relations to enable effective revolutionary action.[1]
Originating in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, where anarchists attributed their defeat to chronic disorganization and lack of coordination against Bolshevik forces, Platformism was articulated in the 1926 Organisational Platform of the General Union of Anarchists, drafted by exiled members of the Dielo Truda ("Workers' Cause") group, including Peter Arshinov and influenced by Nestor Makhno's experiences leading the Makhnovshchina insurgency.[1][2] The platform proposed a "general union" of anarchist militants to centralize efforts in class struggle, reject individualist tendencies, and prepare for a violent social revolution toward stateless communism, while critiquing both state socialism and reformist anarchism.[1]
Central to Platformism are four organizational principles: unity of theory to align on anarchist communism and class-struggle orientation; tactical unity for consistent methods of action; collective responsibility, where members are accountable for group decisions even if personally dissenting; and federalism to link local groups under the union's executive committee for strategic direction without dissolving individual initiatives.[1] These elements aimed to overcome the fragmentation that plagued pre-revolutionary anarchist movements, enabling participation in mass organizations like unions to propagate revolutionary ideas.[1]
In contemporary anarchism, Platformism has influenced groups such as the Workers' Solidarity Movement in Ireland and Alternative Libertaire in France, fostering structured interventions in labor and social struggles, though its adoption varies and often adapts the original prescriptions.[3][4] Defining characteristics include a focus on specificity—distinguishing political organizations from broader affinity or syndicalist forms—and an emphasis on conquering positions of influence within working-class movements.[5]
Platformism remains controversial among anarchists, with critics like Errico Malatesta arguing that its executive structures and majority-rule mechanisms risk authoritarianism, potentially mirroring Bolshevik centralism and stifling the voluntary, decentralized agreements essential to anarchism, despite agreements on the need for organized action in revolutionary periods.[6] Proponents counter that such unity is pragmatically necessary for causal effectiveness in overthrowing capitalism and the state, though empirical revolutionary successes attributable to Platformist models remain limited.[7][6]
Core Concepts
Definition and Principles
Platformism constitutes an organizational tendency in anarchism advocating for the formation of a general union of anarchists structured around a specific platform that enforces unity in theory, tactics, and collective action. This approach aims to overcome the fragmentation observed in earlier anarchist movements by establishing a centralized yet federalist body capable of leading revolutionary struggles. The concept was systematized in the Organizational Platform of the Libertarian Communists, drafted in 1926 by Peter Arshinov, Nestor Makhno, Ida Mett, and Boris Zelevansky—former participants in the Makhnovshchina during the Russian Civil War (1917–1921)—as a critique of anarchism's inability to consolidate power against Bolshevik forces. The platform delineates four foundational organizational principles to ensure cohesive functioning:
- Theoretical Unity: Members must adhere to a shared ideological framework, viewing theory as the binding force that directs the organization's program and prevents dilution by divergent views. This principle posits that without unified theory, anarchism risks becoming a mere "ideological herd" lacking strategic direction.[8]
- Tactical Unity: Agreement on methods of struggle enables the organization to operate as a singular, disciplined force in revolutionary activities, rather than disparate individuals pursuing independent actions.[8][7]
- Collective Responsibility: The organization's executive bodies bear collective accountability for decisions and outcomes, with members obligated to implement collective tactics, subordinating personal initiatives to the group's mandate. This fosters internal discipline while avoiding authoritarianism.[8]
- Federalism: Autonomy is preserved at local and functional levels, but higher organs are elected by and accountable to lower ones, ensuring policy unity cascades downward without central diktat overriding base initiatives.[8][7]