José Bullejos
Encyclopedia
José Bullejos y Sanchez was a Spanish
communist
politician. He served as the second general secretary of the Communist Party of Spain from 1925 to 1932.
he joined in the postal strike of 1918-19 and joined the Unión General de Trabajadores
(UGT) trade union
. He also participated in the original Spanish Communist Party
formed in 1920 and remained with the party after it merged with another communist organization, the Spanish Communist Workers' Party
, in 1921 (forming the new Communist Party of Spain or PCE). Heading the party's Vizcayan
section, he advanced to the leadership position upon the arrest of the first general secretary, Antonio García Quejido, in January 1925. Bullejos would continue to hold the top post for nearly eight years.
but having less success with the PCE-affiliated FCC-B
in Barcelona
. He also conducted a purge of politically suspect members, which weakened the already divided party further. Bullejos was himself arrested in 1928 and temporarily replaced as leader of the PCE by Gabriel León Trilla.
Bullejos struggled to maintain PCE relations not only with other Spanish leftists, but with the Soviet Union. Visiting Moscow
with other PCE leaders in May 1931, Bullejos was astonished when asked by Comintern
official Dmitry Manuilsky
whether in Spain feudal lords still forced Spanish peasants to do unpaid labor; he was further told that, "there is more feudalism in Spain than you think." Bullejos told Manuilsky that there were no overt remnants of feudalism in his country but failed to convince him that the "revolution" in Spain was opposed not by feudal monarchists but by a modern bourgeoisie
.
He was re-confirmed as general-secretary at the PCE's fourth party congress in Seville
in March 1932. When Bullejos and other PCE leaders backed the Republican
government against the sanjurjada coup
in August and produced pro-Republic slogans, Victorio Codovilla
, the Comintern advisor in Madrid, denounced him and two other leaders as counter-revolutionaries. Bullejos resigned his post. When an initial vote failed to officially condemn him as counter-revolutionary, he was called to Moscow. In his absence, Codovilla arranged a new vote which settled the matter and completely denounced Bullejos and the others, who were then expelled from the PCE in October. The general secretaryship passed to José Díaz Ramos.
(PSOE). With the end of the civil war
and the defeat of the Second Republic by the forces of Francisco Franco
he fled to Mexico. There in 1945 he published a book entitled Europa entre dos guerras, 1918-1938. Later he wrote several more works including: Movimiento y Doctrina Sociales, La Comintern en España, and Espana en la segunda Republica.
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
politician. He served as the second general secretary of the Communist Party of Spain from 1925 to 1932.
Early life and political activities
Bullejos earned a university law degree. Gaining a job as a postal clerk in BilbaoBilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
he joined in the postal strike of 1918-19 and joined the Unión General de Trabajadores
Unión General de Trabajadores
The Unión General de Trabajadores is a major Spanish trade union, historically affiliated with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party .-History:...
(UGT) trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
. He also participated in the original Spanish Communist Party
Spanish Communist Party
Spanish Communist Party , was the first communist party in Spain, formed out of the Federación de Juventudes Socialistas . The founders of the party, that had belonged to leftwing within FJS, included Ramón Merino Gracia, Manuel Ugarte, Pedro Illescasm Luis Portela, Tiburicio Pico and Rito Estaban...
formed in 1920 and remained with the party after it merged with another communist organization, the Spanish Communist Workers' Party
Spanish Communist Workers' Party (1921)
The Spanish Communist Workers' Party was a communist party founded on April 13, 1921 by the terceristas, who had been trying to persuade the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party to join the Comintern...
, in 1921 (forming the new Communist Party of Spain or PCE). Heading the party's Vizcayan
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
section, he advanced to the leadership position upon the arrest of the first general secretary, Antonio García Quejido, in January 1925. Bullejos would continue to hold the top post for nearly eight years.
General secretary of the PCE
Inheriting a politically divided party, Bullejos attempted to unify the disparate factions, achieving greater unity in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
but having less success with the PCE-affiliated FCC-B
Iberian Communist Federation
Catalan-Balear Communist Federation was a communist group in Spain. Formed in 1924, it joined the Communist Party of Spain , and functioned as the PCE federation in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. He also conducted a purge of politically suspect members, which weakened the already divided party further. Bullejos was himself arrested in 1928 and temporarily replaced as leader of the PCE by Gabriel León Trilla.
Bullejos struggled to maintain PCE relations not only with other Spanish leftists, but with the Soviet Union. Visiting Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
with other PCE leaders in May 1931, Bullejos was astonished when asked by Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
official Dmitry Manuilsky
Dmitry Manuilsky
Dmitriy Manuilsky, or Dmytro Zakharovych Manuilsky was an important Bolshevik. He was the son of an Orthodox priest from a Ukrainian village. After secondary school he enrolled in the University of St...
whether in Spain feudal lords still forced Spanish peasants to do unpaid labor; he was further told that, "there is more feudalism in Spain than you think." Bullejos told Manuilsky that there were no overt remnants of feudalism in his country but failed to convince him that the "revolution" in Spain was opposed not by feudal monarchists but by a modern bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
.
He was re-confirmed as general-secretary at the PCE's fourth party congress in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
in March 1932. When Bullejos and other PCE leaders backed the Republican
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
government against the sanjurjada coup
José Sanjurjo
General José Sanjurjo y Sacanell, 1st Marquis of the Rif was a General in the Spanish Army who was one of the chief conspirators in the military uprising that led to the Spanish Civil War.-Early life:...
in August and produced pro-Republic slogans, Victorio Codovilla
Victorio Codovilla
Victorio Codovilla was an Italian/Argentinian socialist and later communist politician. He was a member of the Italian Socialist Party and held leadership posts in the Communist Party of Argentina and the Comintern....
, the Comintern advisor in Madrid, denounced him and two other leaders as counter-revolutionaries. Bullejos resigned his post. When an initial vote failed to officially condemn him as counter-revolutionary, he was called to Moscow. In his absence, Codovilla arranged a new vote which settled the matter and completely denounced Bullejos and the others, who were then expelled from the PCE in October. The general secretaryship passed to José Díaz Ramos.
Post PCE
Following his expulsion from the PCE and Comintern, José Bullejos joined the Spanish Socialist Workers' PartySpanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
(PSOE). With the end of the civil war
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
and the defeat of the Second Republic by the forces of Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
he fled to Mexico. There in 1945 he published a book entitled Europa entre dos guerras, 1918-1938. Later he wrote several more works including: Movimiento y Doctrina Sociales, La Comintern en España, and Espana en la segunda Republica.
External links
- http://www.gutenberg-e.org/kod01/kod26.html
- http://www.tdr.cesca.es/TDX/TDR_UM/TESIS/AVAILABLE/TDR-1215106-121642//MGarridoCaballero19de19Fuentesyreferenciasbibliograficas.pdf
- http://de.scientificcommons.org/magdalena_garrido_caballero
- http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_D%C3%ADaz_Ramos