Charles Curtiss
Encyclopedia
Charles Curtiss was an American Communist.
Born on July 4, 1908, in Chicago
as Samuel Kurz, the son of poor immigrants from Poland
, he changed his name to Charles Curtiss and earned his living by working as a miner and sailor and finally became a skilled printer.
In 1928, Charles Curtiss joined the Communist League of America
, the Trotskyist movement
led by James P. Cannon
. As a printer, Curtiss took the responsibility for producing the movement’s weekly paper The Militant
.
In 1932, Curtiss moved to Los Angeles
to build the Trotskyist movement on the West Coast. In 1938, the Communist League became the Socialist Workers Party
.
Charles Curtiss, who was fluent in Spanish, was repeatedly sent as a representative of the American Trotskyist movement to Mexico
in the 1930s. There he was known as Carlos Curtiss. He also visited Leon Trotsky
in Coyoacán
several times. From June 1939 to August 1940, Curtiss lived in the Trotsky household and his wife, Lillian Ilstien, who he had married in 1935, served as secretary for Trotsky’s wife Natalia Sedova
.
Charles Curtiss functioned as Trotsky’s primary link with the Mexican Trotskyists. It would have been illegally and unwise under the terms on which Trotsky was granted asylum in Mexico for Trotsky to maintain direct political contact with radical communist revolutionaries in his host country. Curtiss also tried to resolve the personal differences between Trotsky and the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera
.
Charles Curtiss was not present on August 20, 1940, when Trotsky was attacked and killed by the Stalinist agent Ramón Mercader
who had infiltrated the household. But it is said that Curtiss had always been suspicious of Mercader and had warned Trotsky to be careful around him.
After the assassination of Trotsky, Curtiss and his wife returned to the United States and the Socialist Workers Party
, living and working in Los Angeles for a couple of years. When 18 of the SWP’s most prominent leaders, including James P. Cannon
, Farrell Dobbs
and Carl Skoglund
, were sentenced to jail according to the Smith Act
, for opposing US involvement in World War II
, Charles Curtiss moved to New York City
to help take over the leadership of the party. However, Curtiss was soon drafted into the US army and sent to Italy
to fight in the war.
After the war, Curtiss returned to the Socialist Workers Party
, but he left the party in 1951. However, his wife Lillian remained in the SWP for many years.
Charles Curtiss died of heart failure in Los Angeles on December 20, 1993.
Born on July 4, 1908, in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
as Samuel Kurz, the son of poor immigrants from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, he changed his name to Charles Curtiss and earned his living by working as a miner and sailor and finally became a skilled printer.
In 1928, Charles Curtiss joined the Communist League of America
Communist League of America
The Communist League of America was founded by James P. Cannon, Max Shachtman and Martin Abern late in 1928 after their expulsion from the Communist Party USA for Trotskyism. The CLA was the United States section of Leon Trotsky's International Left Opposition and initially positioned itself as...
, the Trotskyist movement
Trotskyism
Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
led by James P. Cannon
James P. Cannon
James Patrick "Jim" Cannon was an American Trotskyist and a leader of the Socialist Workers Party.Born on February 11, 1890 in Rosedale, Kansas, he joined the Socialist Party of America in 1908 and the Industrial Workers of the World in 1911...
. As a printer, Curtiss took the responsibility for producing the movement’s weekly paper The Militant
The Militant
The Militant is an international Socialist newsweekly connected to the Socialist Workers Party and the Pathfinder Tendency. It is published in the United States and distributed in other countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Sweden, Iceland, and New...
.
In 1932, Curtiss moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to build the Trotskyist movement on the West Coast. In 1938, the Communist League became the Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (United States)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
.
Charles Curtiss, who was fluent in Spanish, was repeatedly sent as a representative of the American Trotskyist movement to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in the 1930s. There he was known as Carlos Curtiss. He also visited Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
in Coyoacán
Coyoacán
Coyoacán refers to one of the sixteen boroughs of the Federal District of Mexico City as well as the former village which is now the borough’s “historic center.” The name comes from Nahuatl and most likely means “place of coyotes,” when the Aztecs named a pre-Hispanic village on the southern shore...
several times. From June 1939 to August 1940, Curtiss lived in the Trotsky household and his wife, Lillian Ilstien, who he had married in 1935, served as secretary for Trotsky’s wife Natalia Sedova
Natalia Sedova
Natalia Ivanovna Sedova is best known as the second wife of Leon Trotsky, the Russian revolutionary. She was, however, also an active revolutionary in her own right and wrote on cultural matters pertaining to Marxism...
.
Charles Curtiss functioned as Trotsky’s primary link with the Mexican Trotskyists. It would have been illegally and unwise under the terms on which Trotsky was granted asylum in Mexico for Trotsky to maintain direct political contact with radical communist revolutionaries in his host country. Curtiss also tried to resolve the personal differences between Trotsky and the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez was a prominent Mexican painter born in Guanajuato, Guanajuato, an active communist, and husband of Frida Kahlo . His large wall works in fresco helped establish the Mexican Mural Movement in...
.
Charles Curtiss was not present on August 20, 1940, when Trotsky was attacked and killed by the Stalinist agent Ramón Mercader
Ramón Mercader
Jaime Ramón Mercader del Río Hernández was a Spanish communist who became famous as the murderer of Russian Communist ideologist Leon Trotsky in 1940, in Mexico...
who had infiltrated the household. But it is said that Curtiss had always been suspicious of Mercader and had warned Trotsky to be careful around him.
After the assassination of Trotsky, Curtiss and his wife returned to the United States and the Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (United States)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
, living and working in Los Angeles for a couple of years. When 18 of the SWP’s most prominent leaders, including James P. Cannon
James P. Cannon
James Patrick "Jim" Cannon was an American Trotskyist and a leader of the Socialist Workers Party.Born on February 11, 1890 in Rosedale, Kansas, he joined the Socialist Party of America in 1908 and the Industrial Workers of the World in 1911...
, Farrell Dobbs
Farrell Dobbs
Farrell Dobbs was an American Trotskyist and trade unionist.He was born in Queen City, Missouri where his father was a worker in a coal mine. They moved to Minneapolis, and he graduated from North High School in 1925. In 1926, he left for North Dakota to find work, but returned the following fall...
and Carl Skoglund
Carl Skoglund
Carl Skoglund was a Swedish-American socialist, affectionately called Skogie by all his American friends and comrades. He was born in Dalsland and went to the United States in 1911. After spending some time in the I.W.W...
, were sentenced to jail according to the Smith Act
Smith Act
The Alien Registration Act or Smith Act of 1940 is a United States federal statute that set criminal penalties for advocating the overthrow of the U.S...
, for opposing US involvement in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Charles Curtiss moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to help take over the leadership of the party. However, Curtiss was soon drafted into the US army and sent to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to fight in the war.
After the war, Curtiss returned to the Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (United States)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
, but he left the party in 1951. However, his wife Lillian remained in the SWP for many years.
Charles Curtiss died of heart failure in Los Angeles on December 20, 1993.
External links
- The Lubitz TrotskyanaNet provides a biographical sketch and a selective bibliography on Charles Curtiss