Petroleum Revolution
Encyclopedia
The Petroleum Revolution (Valenciano: La Revolució del Petroli) was a workers' revolt of a libertarian
and syndicalist nature, which took place in Alcoy, Alicante
, Spain
in 1873.
During the First Spanish Republic
, Alcoy was one of the few Spanish cities where the Industrial Revolution
had taken root. The city was occupied by the paper, textile, and metallurgic industries, which had engendred a great upswing in population and the implementation of a capitalist system of production, as well as introducing mechanisation as a substitute for much former manual labour. This provoked the appearance of Luddite
movements, which began to destroy the machinery in vindication and defense of the working class
.
This situation placed the city of Alcoy at the frontlines of the social conflicts of this era, due to the poor situation of the workers, who organised themselves and were pioneers in the establishment of the First Workers' International (AIT) in Spain. Other proletarian revolutions arose in Spain, but the most significant was Petroleum Revolution. In that event, the workers seized control of the city for days in July 1873, in the course of a general strike which eventually became a riot against the republican mayor Agustí Albors (better known as Pelletes). During the revolt, Albors gave the order to fire on demonstrators, who defended themselves by assaulting the town hall and executing the mayor and trapping the rest of the municipal leadership in the building.
The city declared itself independent, and was governed from 9–13 July 1873 by the Committee of Public Health, presided over by Severino Albarracín. The demonstrators declared a series of pay raises and reducing the work day. Finally, the revolt ended with the intervention of the federal army and the military occupation of the city, hefty repression against the revolutionaries, and practically no improvements for the labouring class. More than 600 workers were put on trial, including minors between 12 and 17 years of age. Many of the accused were condemned to death.
Those events broke the collaboration agreements between the republicans and anarchists, and gave the Marxists room to criticise the anarchists directing the workers' movement. After that point, the working class began to self-organise, aided by certain factors of the Catholic Church. They created various organisations and institutions: professional Catholic schools known as Salesianos, Catholic workers' clubs, and savings funds like the Monte de Piedad (1875).
The event is called the Petroleum Revolution since the workers, desperate due to living conditions, carried as their standard petroleum-soaked torches. During those days, according to chroniclers, the city stank of petroleum.
in her novel Julia (1983) narrates the history of Julia, a girl obliged to work in a fabric mill in Alcoy
after her father's death in prison as a result of participating in the Petroleum Revolution.isión a causa de haber participado como obrero en la
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
and syndicalist nature, which took place in Alcoy, Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1873.
During the First Spanish Republic
First Spanish Republic
The First Spanish Republic was the political regime that existed in Spain between the parliamentary proclamation on 11 February 1873 and 29 December 1874 when General Arsenio Martínez-Campos's pronunciamento marked the beginning of the Bourbon Restoration in Spain...
, Alcoy was one of the few Spanish cities where the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
had taken root. The city was occupied by the paper, textile, and metallurgic industries, which had engendred a great upswing in population and the implementation of a capitalist system of production, as well as introducing mechanisation as a substitute for much former manual labour. This provoked the appearance of Luddite
Luddite
The Luddites were a social movement of 19th-century English textile artisans who protested – often by destroying mechanised looms – against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution, which they felt were leaving them without work and changing their way of life...
movements, which began to destroy the machinery in vindication and defense of the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
.
This situation placed the city of Alcoy at the frontlines of the social conflicts of this era, due to the poor situation of the workers, who organised themselves and were pioneers in the establishment of the First Workers' International (AIT) in Spain. Other proletarian revolutions arose in Spain, but the most significant was Petroleum Revolution. In that event, the workers seized control of the city for days in July 1873, in the course of a general strike which eventually became a riot against the republican mayor Agustí Albors (better known as Pelletes). During the revolt, Albors gave the order to fire on demonstrators, who defended themselves by assaulting the town hall and executing the mayor and trapping the rest of the municipal leadership in the building.
The city declared itself independent, and was governed from 9–13 July 1873 by the Committee of Public Health, presided over by Severino Albarracín. The demonstrators declared a series of pay raises and reducing the work day. Finally, the revolt ended with the intervention of the federal army and the military occupation of the city, hefty repression against the revolutionaries, and practically no improvements for the labouring class. More than 600 workers were put on trial, including minors between 12 and 17 years of age. Many of the accused were condemned to death.
Those events broke the collaboration agreements between the republicans and anarchists, and gave the Marxists room to criticise the anarchists directing the workers' movement. After that point, the working class began to self-organise, aided by certain factors of the Catholic Church. They created various organisations and institutions: professional Catholic schools known as Salesianos, Catholic workers' clubs, and savings funds like the Monte de Piedad (1875).
The event is called the Petroleum Revolution since the workers, desperate due to living conditions, carried as their standard petroleum-soaked torches. During those days, according to chroniclers, the city stank of petroleum.
In popular culture
The authoress Isabel-Clara SimóIsabel-Clara Simó
Isabel-Clara Simó i Monllor is a Valencian journalist and writer.She is considered one of the most important writers in the Catalan language. She has been awarded several prizes, including the Premi Sant Jordi in 1993. As a journalist, she was the director of Canigó magazine and has a daily column...
in her novel Julia (1983) narrates the history of Julia, a girl obliged to work in a fabric mill in Alcoy
Alcoy
Alcoy may stand for:* Alcoy, Spain , a municipality in the province of Alicante, Spain* Alcoy, Cebu, province of Cebu, Philippines....
after her father's death in prison as a result of participating in the Petroleum Revolution.isión a causa de haber participado como obrero en la