Victorio Codovilla
Encyclopedia
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
.
in 1894 and joined the Italian Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Italiano) in 1911. He emigrated to Argentina
in 1912, where he remained active in international socialist politics. He then joined the Communist Party of Argentina, being elected to its central committee
and politburo
(on which he would serve until his death in 1970).
In 1924 he represented the Argentinian communists at the Executive Committee of the Communist International
(ECCI) in Moscow
. Afterwards he worked for the communist social service organization International Red Aid
. In December 1926 he made an address before the ECCI and was made one of its alternate members. Attending the congress of the League Against Imperialism
in Brussels
in 1927, he led the eighth congress of the Communist Party of Argentina in 1928 and participated in the first conference of Latin American
communist parties in Buenos Aires
the following year.
to advise the Communist Party of Spain (Partido Comunista de España or PCE) on behalf of the Comintern. He presented a paper to the PCE's fourth congress in March 1932, proclaiming that the new Second Republic was supported by monarchism on the right and "social fascists
" (such as the members of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
or PSOE) on the left. He further predicted that the administration of President Manuel Azaña
would quickly become a "clear-cut fascist dictatorship" and stressed the need for Spanish communists to create revolutionary committees and establish soviets
in order to stem the counterrevolution.
With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War
in 1936, Codovilla remained in Madrid advising the PCE, but has been regarded as generally less effective than his Barcelona
-based counterpart Ernő Gerő
. His position was further eclipsed by the arrival of Boris Stepanov, a favorite of Joseph Stalin
, in February 1937. By the summer of 1937 reports to Moscow by fellow Comintern advisor Palmiro Togliatti
were critical of both the state of the PCE leadership and Codovilla himself. In September Codovilla was recalled to Moscow and superseded by Togliatti.
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
/Argentinian socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and later 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 was a member of the Italian Socialist Party
Italian Socialist Party
The Italian Socialist Party was a socialist and later social-democratic political party in Italy founded in Genoa in 1892.Once the dominant leftist party in Italy, it was eclipsed in status by the Italian Communist Party following World War II...
and held leadership posts in the Communist Party of Argentina
Communist Party of Argentina
The Communist Party of Argentina is a communist party from Argentina. It was founded in 1918.At the 2005 legislative elections, the Party joined the Encuentro Amplio with other left-wing parties in Buenos Aires and Buenos Aires Province...
and the 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...
.
Early life and politics
Codovilla was born in ItalyItaly
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...
in 1894 and joined the Italian Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Italiano) in 1911. He emigrated to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in 1912, where he remained active in international socialist politics. He then joined the Communist Party of Argentina, being elected to its central committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
and politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
(on which he would serve until his death in 1970).
In 1924 he represented the Argentinian communists at the Executive Committee of the Communist International
Executive Committee of the Communist International
The Executive Committee of the Communist International, commonly known by its acronym, ECCI, was the governing authority of the Comintern between the World Congresses of that body...
(ECCI) in 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...
. Afterwards he worked for the communist social service organization International Red Aid
International Red Aid
International Red Aid was an international social service organization established by the Communist International...
. In December 1926 he made an address before the ECCI and was made one of its alternate members. Attending the congress of the League Against Imperialism
League against Imperialism
The League against Imperialism was founded in the Egmont Palace in Brussels, Belgium, on February 10, 1927, in presence of 175 delegates, among which 107 came from 37 countries under colonial rule. The Congress aimed at creating a "mass anti-imperialist movement" at a world scale, and was...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 1927, he led the eighth congress of the Communist Party of Argentina in 1928 and participated in the first conference of Latin American
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
communist parties in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
the following year.
Comintern advisor in Spain
Codovilla was sent to 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...
to advise the Communist Party of Spain (Partido Comunista de España or PCE) on behalf of the Comintern. He presented a paper to the PCE's fourth congress in March 1932, proclaiming that the new Second Republic was supported by monarchism on the right and "social fascists
Social fascism
Social fascism was a theory supported by the Communist International during the early 1930s, which believed that social democracy was a variant of fascism because, in addition to a shared corporatist economic model, it stood in the way of a complete and final transition to communism...
" (such as the members of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish 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...
or PSOE) on the left. He further predicted that the administration of President Manuel Azaña
Manuel Azaña
Manuel Azaña Díaz was a Spanish politician. He was the first Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic , and later served again as Prime Minister , and then as the second and last President of the Republic . The Spanish Civil War broke out while he was President...
would quickly become a "clear-cut fascist dictatorship" and stressed the need for Spanish communists to create revolutionary committees and establish soviets
Soviet (council)
Soviet was a name used for several Russian political organizations. Examples include the Czar's Council of Ministers, which was called the “Soviet of Ministers”; a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia; and the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union....
in order to stem the counterrevolution.
With the outbreak of the Spanish 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...
in 1936, Codovilla remained in Madrid advising the PCE, but has been regarded as generally less effective than his 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...
-based counterpart Ernő Gerő
Erno Gero
Ernő Gerő was a Hungarian Communist Party leader in the period after World War II and briefly in 1956 the most powerful man in Hungary as first secretary of its ruling communist party.-Life and career:...
. His position was further eclipsed by the arrival of Boris Stepanov, a favorite of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
, in February 1937. By the summer of 1937 reports to Moscow by fellow Comintern advisor Palmiro Togliatti
Palmiro Togliatti
Palmiro Togliatti was an Italian politician and leader of the Italian Communist Party from 1927 until his death.-Early life:...
were critical of both the state of the PCE leadership and Codovilla himself. In September Codovilla was recalled to Moscow and superseded by Togliatti.