Bakunin: The Destructive Urge
George Woodcock introduces the great rival of Marx and the founder of organised anarchism.
On a rainy night of June 1840, the future anarchist Michael Bakunin departed for the first time from Russia. Only Alexander Herzen had come to see him off on his journey – appropriately, perhaps, since Herzen, that unofficial banker for so many European revolutionaries of the mid-nineteenth century, had provided the funds that made Bakunin's departure possible. 'I expect from this journey a rebirth and a spiritual baptism’, Bakunin had written when he asked for the loan. 'I feel within myself so many great and deep possibilities, and I have realised so little.'
To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive.
Buy Online Access Buy Print & Archive Subscription
If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in.
Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.
