Originally posted by Ignatz
Anarcist movements were stronger in countrys that heavily suppressed Labour Unions (such as Russia, Spain and USA).
Maybe suppression of unions should lead to growth of anarcism which, in turn, leads to assasinations?
Anarchism (as its commonly written in the English language) were very strong in the period 1870 to 1920 in many countries: not only the ones which heavily suppressed Labour Unions.
Anarchist assassinations of members of government after 1870 that I recall off the top of my head occured in:
France
The United States
Russia
Spain
This tendency was not central to anarchism. It arose out of a theory called in Russia "Propaganda of the Deed" associated with popularist movements (Narodniks, literally "Village People").
The idea was that killing the rulers was inspiring to ordinary working people, and would get them thinking politically and into armed revolt. The idea was not to disable the government by killing its elements. Propaganda of the Deed finds its natural apotheosis in the French "Bonnot Gang" of Anarchists, the first group to use get away cars in bank robberies.
For more information on the French anarchist scene, try Victor Serge's memoirs.
For more information on the role of Assassination in American Anarchism try Emma Goldman's Living my Life (vol. 1).
Incidentally, after assassination, Anarchism moved on to Industrial Unionism (IWW, CGT, CNT) which was quite successful. Before 1917 most governments feared Anarchism rather than Communism: the communism movements had been "brought to heel" in the form of the parliamentary socialist parties. Anarchism was still in favour of armed revolts and fighting bosses wherever whenever
.
