883
ISSN 1130-2402 – eISSN 2340-0277
HC
* Co espondence o: Adelino Cunha. Uni e sidade Eu opeia, Quin a do Bom Nome, Es ada da Co eia, 53 (1500-
210 Lisboa) – [email p o ec ed] – h p://o cid.o g/0000-0002-9502-7913
How o ci e: Cunha, Adelino (2020). «The Roo s o he Po uguese Communis Pa y. The In oduc ion o Ma xis Ideas in
Po ugal and he C ea ion o he Po uguese Maximalis Fede a ion»; His o ia Con empo ánea, 64, 883-918. (h ps://doi.
o g/10.1387/hc.20729).
Recei ed: 2 Ap il, 2019; Accep ed: 17 Sep embe , 2019.
ISSN 1130-2402 - eISSN 2340-0277 / © 2020 UPV/EHU
This a icle is dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he
C ea i e Commons A ibu ion 4.0 In e nacional License
hE oo s o hE po uguEsE CommuNis pa y.
hE iN oduC ioN o ma xis idEas iN po ugaL aNd hE
C Ea ioN o hE po uguEsE maximaLis EdE a ioN
LAS RAíCES DEL PARTIDo CoMUNISTA DE PoRTUGUÉS.
LA INTRoDUCCIóN DE LAS IDEAS MARXISTAS EN PoRTUGAL
y LA CREACIóN DE LA FEDERACIóN MAXIMALISTA PoRTUGUESA
Adelino Cunha*
Uni e sidade Eu opeia, Lisboa, Po ugal
IHC - NO A FCSH, Uni e sidade NO A de Lisboa, Po ugal
abs aC : This a icle is di ided in o h ee complemen a y pa s. Fi s ly, an analysis o he in-
oduc ion and dissemina ion o Ma xis ideas in Po ugal is pu o wa d o assess he dynamics ha
led o hei poli ical e i o ialisa ion h ough he c ea ion o he Po uguese Maximalis Fede a ion
(FMP) in 1919. How did hese ideas pene a e in o he public space and which mechanisms led o
hei di usion om he in ellec ual ci cles? Secondly, he con en s o he newspape A Bandei a
Ve melha a e analysed o assess i s ole in his dissemina ion and i s impo ance in he subsequen
p ocess o he es ablishmen o he Po uguese Communis Pa y (PCP) in 1921. Wha we e he
main ideas dissemina ed by he maximalis s’ o icial p opaganda body and wha was i s impac on
he sp eading o Ma xism? Finally, his a icle pu s in o pe spec i e he impo ance o he newspa-
pe s o Comunis a and A an e! in he dissemina ion o Ma xis ideas and hei impac on he com-
plex and leng hy p ocess o he PCP’s Bolshe isa ion.
KEYWORDS: Po uguese Communis Pa y, Po uguese Maximalis Fede a ion, Ma xism, Ban-
dei a e melha, O A an e, O Comunis a.
esuMen: Es e a ículo es á di idido en es pa es complemen a ias. En p ime luga , se ea-
liza un análisis de la in oducción y di usión de las ideas ma xis as en Po ugal pa a e alua las
dinámicas que lle a on a su e i o ialización polí ica a a és de la c eación de la Fede ación
Maximalis a Po uguesa.¿ Cómo pene a on es as ideas en el espacio público y a a és de qué
mecanismos? ¿Se di undie on? En segundo luga , se es udian los con enidos del pe iódico A Ban-
dei a e melha pa a e alua su papel en es a di usión y su impo ancia pa a el pos e io p oceso
de es ablecimien o del Pa ido Comunis a Po uguês. ¿Cuáles ue on las p incipales ideas di undi-
das po los maximalis as y cuál ue su impac o en la di usión del ma xismo? Pa a inaliza , el a -
ículo si úa en pe spec i a la impo ancia de los pe iódicos O Comunis a y A an e! en la di usión
de las ideas ma xis as y su impac o en el complejo y la go p oceso de bolshe ización del PCP.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Pa ido Comunis a Po uguês, Fede ação Maximalis a Po uguesa, Bandei a
e melha, O A an e, O Comunis a.
His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/hc.20729
884 His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
Adelino Cunha
I. in oduc ion
Li le was known abou Ma xis ideas in Po ugal. A he end o he 19 h
cen u y and he beginning o he 20 h cen u y, only he meaning o he « e o-
lu ion aken o i s maximum» was known. The e we e igno ance and con u-
sion. Mos o he s udies analysed and compa ed in his a icle iden i y he
1917 Russian e olu ion as a u ning poin , gi en ha i c ea ed a ce ain
need, also in Po ugal, o a e olu iona y o ce o ganised as a poli ical pa y.
This o ce was only wai ing o an oppo uni y o be ma e ialised, in-
so a as i al eady demons a ed some social exis ence. An ónio Ped o
Pi a summa ises ha «Al hough dispe sed [...] i would be indispensable
o p o ide i wi h heo e ical and o ganic cohesion so ha i could be he
oice o a popula will s ill wi hou poli ical exp ession»1.
This o ce would be he Po uguese Communis Pa y, which was o
be ounded in 1921.
The p ocess unde wen successi e e luxes and p ojec ed beyond he
so-called 1940-41 eo ganisa ion2. This may be jus i ied by he weak-
nesses ound, i s , in he ecep ion o ideas ha we e limi ed o he e-
s ic ed in ellec ual ci cles, and hen, in i s complex p ac ical shape
h ough a pa y bo n o he o e has y labou mo emen and ana chis ac-
i ism.
The p ocess o pene a ion o Ma xis ideas in Po ugal was, he e o e,
slow and complex, ha ing known a i s accele a ion p ecisely h ough he
p ojec ion o he eal success embodied by he Russian e olu ion. Ben o
gonçal es3 e en announces e oac i ely «a new his o y» ha had opened
up o humani y o hen exal Russia as « he mos ali e, epic and exci ing
example ha p ole a ia will de ea bou geoisie»4.
I is s ill a pe iphe al knowledge, cen ed on he dimension o in ellec-
ual discou se.
This explains he di icul ies bo h in dissemina ing hese ideas and in
hei subsequen p ocess o assimila ion by a poli ical o ce o ganised as a
pa y: Césa Oli ei a ale s ha «The lack o knowledge abou he ole o
1 Pi a, 1994, pp. 89-108.
2 The ch onological span o his a icle ends wi h he a es o Ben o gonçal es in
1935, a e ha ing implemen ed he i s majo eo ganisa ion o PCP.
3 Ben o gonçal es was sec e a y-gene al o PCP be ween 1929 and 1942, he da e o
his dea h in he Ta a al p ison camp.
4 gonçal es, 1976, pp. 119-157.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/hc.20729 885
The Roo s o he Po uguese Communis Pa y
he Bolshe ik pa y and Leninism may explain much o he con usion»5.
Ben o gonçal es himsel ansla ed Bolshe ism as « he e olu ion aken
o i s maximum».
The es ablishmen o he Po uguese Maximalis Fede a ion (FMP) in
1919 is he i s a emp o o ganise wo ke s in o poli ical s uc u es ou -
side he logic o unions, ha is, he emb yo o a pa y shaped o ully ep-
esen Ma xis ideas and lead he poli ical s uggle o hei ul ilmen .
Unlike wha happened in o he Eu opean coun ies, Ma xism did no
come in o Po ugal h ough he doo o he Socialis Pa y, la gely be-
cause his pa y had plunged in o a « ei e a ed ine ec i eness»6 and had
long held a s ong « ail y and ins i u ional weakness»7. In hese coun-
ies, he communis pa ies eme ged om spli s caused in he socialis
pa ies a ilia ed o he II In e na ional: «In Po ugal, he es ablishmen o
PCP is due o he e o s o some e olu iona y unionis s, ana chis s and
ana chis -unionis s», in he wo ds o Césa Oli ei a8.
Socialism was disc edi ed and unable o a ac mili an s who wished
o in e ene in socie y wi h he legi ima e expec a ion o a adical change.
The glow o he ea ly yea s o he Republic had been los 9. «The Socialis
Pa y did ha e nei he signi ican social implan a ion, no i s c ea i e in-
e nal dynamics, no did i , as a le -wing pa y, ha e enough «s eng h»
o gene a e an al e na i e om wi hin in ace o he eal wo ke s’ mo e-
men », Césa Oli ei a sums up10.
II. he in oduc ion o ma xis ideas in po ugal
I is impo an o bea in mind ha «un il a ound 1930, he basic doc-
inal e e ence o Po uguese communis s is, s ic ly speaking, Bolshe-
5 Oli ei a, 1975, p. 30.
6 Pi a, 1994, pp.89-108.
7 Which ein o ces « he p o oundly na ional na u e o he communis mo emen in
Po ugal», as ad oca ed by João g.P. Quin ela, who adds: «This is how all he i s mi-
li an s and jou nalis s who complained abou he «Bolshe ik» s ances ha e a his o y o
known unionis s and p ole a ian igh e s», Quin ela, 1976, pp. 7-8.
8 Oli ei a, 1975, p. 17.
9 A he cong ess o May 1911, o example, 91 associa ions, wi h a o al o
35,000 membe s, we e ep esen ed. This was he mos ep esen a i e wo ke s’ assembly
held un il hen. C . en u a, 2000, p. 220.
10 Oli ei a, 1975, p. 17-18.
886 His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
Adelino Cunha
ism and no qui e Ma xism», as An ónio Ped o Pi a ale s11. This de alu-
a ion o he heo e ical dimensions clea ly hinde ed « he in lux o Ma x’s
hough in Po ugal» and limi ed bo h he PCP’s Bolshe isa ion and i s
ac ual implemen a ion in he pa y o ganisa ion.
The i s e e ence o Ka l Ma x in he public sphe e iden i ied in Po -
ugal ook place on Feb ua y 7, 1874, a a con e ence ha ook place a
he Ins i u e o Coimb a on he ini ia i e o José F ede ico La anjo: «[I
is] he i s a emp o explain i s heo e ical s ance, based on he eading
o The Capi al»12, Al edo Ma ga ido w i es.
I is a he o ic exe cise, ci cumsc ibed o a ce ain in ellec ual eli e.
An ónio Ped o Pi a an icipa es his i s con ac in a sligh ly di e -
en way. The au ho main ains ha «Ma x was spoken among us since he
middle o he 19 h cen u y», and ci es, in pa icula , he yea 1852, when
he Coimb a magazine o Ins i u o publishes an a icle on a «con o e sy
a oused by P oudhon’s wo k Philosophy o mise y, o which Ma x, as is
known, eplied wi h Mise y o philosophy»13.
The u h is ha he ew ex s on Ma x and Ma xism ci cula ed imidly
among he in ellec uals, being used basically in pamphle s o low-impac
wo ks, such as, o example, he s udies o guilhe me Al es Mo ei a (1891),
An ónio Augus o Pi es de Lima (1899-1900) and Basílio Teles (1901)14.
This ci cumsc ip ion may be explained mo e by he low le els o li -
e acy in he coun y and less by he in insic alue o he ideas and he
alue o hei dissemina ion15.
In 1912, he i s a emp o pa ially ansla e The Capi al eme ges,
on he basis o he summa y published by gab iel Dé ille in 1883. De-
spi e he sho comings, i was « o a long ime Ma x’s only exis ing ex
in Po ugal, o e en in he Po uguese language», Al edo Ma ga ido
ale s. An ónio Ped o Pi a sus ains ha «only in 1975 will he e be a new
edi ion, a e (in Janua y) 1974, he ull Po uguese publica ion (by i-
al Mo ei a and Teixei a Ma ins) was s a ed, which was incomple e»16.
11 Pi a, 1994, pp. 89-108.
12 Ma ga ido, 1976, p. 54.
13 Pi a, 1994, pp. 89-108.
14 Cas o, 1993, pp.16-27, ci ed in Pi a, 1994, pp. 89-108.
15 Ma ga ido, op. ci , p. 32, ale s ha «I he publica ions o Ma xis heo is s we e al-
eady ex emely ew in coun ies wi h li e a e and u banised popula ion, hey we e p ac i-
cally impossible among us».
16 Pi a, 1994, pp. 89-108.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/hc.20729 887
The Roo s o he Po uguese Communis Pa y
Césa Oli ei a adds h ee ansla ions o Ma xis wo ks and some ex s o
he jou nal o Ins i u o de Coimb a o s a e ha « he knowledge o Ma x-
ism in Po ugal was, a e all, ex emely low»17.
The dissemina ion o Ma xis ideas occu ed slowly a e his some-
wha dispe sed beginning. João g.P. Quin ela highligh s ha «Du ing an
ini ial pe iod, 1917-1918, he e is he u mos con usion and a lo o mis-
unde s andings: he mili an s a e los in he ac onyms and in Russian po-
li ical mains eams»18.
The newspape o Século began o publish some a icles om 1919
onwa ds, bu he i s biog aphy o Ma x eme ged only in 1930 by he
hand o he ana chis -unionis Emílio Cos a. This biog aphy, as An ónio
Ped o Pi a poin s ou , «seems o e eal subs an ial igno ance o he wo k
o The Capi al’s au ho , which is de ec able in he o e -simpli ica ion o
he ge man hinke ’s con ibu ion»19. The Mani es o Comunis a would
only be published in 192520, which leads, o some ex en , Césa Oli ei a
o w i e ha he pene a ion o Ma xis ideas was «ex emely piecemeal»
and wi h ob ious heo e ical weaknesses.
The pe cep ion o he poo heo e ical p epa a ion and he igno ance
o he ole o he Bolshe ik pa y and o Leninism is common21.
Ma x and Engels’ ideas and heses we e hus «in oduced wi h-
ou gi ing ise o he es ablishmen o pa ies o g oups wi h he aim o
p ac ising any Ma xism», Al edo Ma ga ido explains. The au ho sums
i up e ec i ely: «Fou yea s a e he p oclama ion o he mili a y and
ascis dic a o ship, he doo closes on he wo k o Ma x, no by he
g ace o he dic a o ship, bu by he i m and hea y hand o an ana -
chis -unionis mili an whose de o ion o he cause had always known
no limi s»22.
I is accep able, as Ben o gonçal es poin s ou , ha he sympa hy o
he Russian e olu ion was no «de e mined by he knowledge o Ma x-
ism». In ac , « he s a egy and ac ics o Lenin’s Pa y we e also un-
known». In a wo d, «The e was much con usion abou he g ea es his o -
ical e en in he li e o mankind».
17 Oli ei a, 1975, p. 30.
18 Quin ela, 1976, p. 9.
19 Pi a, 1994, pp. 89-108.
20 Quin ela, 1976, p. 67.
21 Oli ei a, 1975, p. 30.
22 Ma ga ido, 1976, p. 10.
888 His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
Adelino Cunha
Did people know enough? People knew he e ymological meaning o
he wo d Bolshe ik. People hus knew o link i s meaning o he « e olu-
ion aken o i s maximum»23.
Al edo Ma ga ido s a es ha Ma xis ideas we e in oduced «slowly
and insu icien ly». The au ho adds ha «Ma x and Engels’ ideas and
wo ks we e impo ed, ansla ed, dissemina ed, no by socialis s o by
«Ma xis s», bu simply by ana chis s. This was he case in I aly, and his
was also he case in Po ugal»24.
The di icul y in welcoming Ma xis ideas is also demons a ed in An-
onio Ped o Pi a’s wo ks: «I s dissemina ion among he wo ke s’ mo e-
men and among socialis in ellec uals was di icul [...] and slow». The
au ho adds ha «only om 1919 onwa ds does he socialis mo emen
embody he lessons o he Oc obe e olu ion»25.
This eali y was necessa ily e lec ed in he i s a emp s o in oduce,
and hen consolida e, Ma xism on he basis o he new poli ical o ganisa-
ions, ha is, on he la e o ganisa ion o he unionised p ole a ia in o a
new pa y.
III. he singula i ies o he eme gence wi hin he union mo emen
This aises, om he ou se , an addi ional ques ion: why ha e Ma xis
ideas iumphed in Po ugal among unionis s, ana chis s and ana chis -un-
ionis s, clea ly o e shadowing socialis s?
Acco ding o João g.P. Quin ela, i was p ecisely his pas o s uggle
in he union mo emen ha enabled he Bolshe ik op ion, ha is, a «con-
inua ion o he p e ious s uggle ha hey had led in a ou o he «ad-
anced» ideas»26. The concep o he dic a o ship o he p ole a ia and
he p omise o a adical shi in social o ganisa ion ep esen ed an «en-
ichmen ». Al edo Ma ga ido also e e s o «a poli ical eali y ha e-
qui ed unp eceden ed solu ions»27, bu João g.P. Quin ela goes u he by
adding ha i esul s om « he ui o he ma u a ion o he adicalisa ion
p ocess».
23 gonçal es, 2000, p. 82.
24 Ma ga ido, 1976, p. 10.
25 Pi a, 1994, p. 4.
26 Quin ela, 1976, pp. 8-9.
27 Ma ga ido, 1976, p. 89.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/hc.20729 889
The Roo s o he Po uguese Communis Pa y
Césa Oli ei a’s unde s anding ollows ha o he o he au ho s, and
adds he poli icised dimension o di e en ia e he wo le els o s uggle:
«Only he class e olu iona y poli ical o ganisa ion duly a icula ed wi h
he union o ganisa ion and en isaged by he e olu iona y heo y can, in
he di e en phases o he class s uggle, explo e he o ali y o con adic-
ions in he bou geois socie y in o de o conque o he exploi ed and op-
p essed new s ages o awa eness, o ganisa ion and class posi ion ha al-
low new ad ances in he e olu iona y s uggle»28.
This pa icula ea u e would jus i y, om he ou se , a compa a i e
pe spec i e wi h he c ea ion o he Spanish Communis Pa y (PCE).
The exis ence o a spli be ween he Spanish socialis s in he es ab-
lishmen o PCE ma ks a di e ence wi h he Po uguese expe ience,
bu he e a e p oximi ies o explo e ega ding he pi o al impo ance o
he union mo emen and he ana chis -unionism in he es ablishmen o
PCE. This led guy He me o w i e ha (also) PCE was bo n «imp eg-
na ed» by he ana chis and ana chis -unionis adi ion29. Mo eo e , ic-
o Alba would la e d aw he a en ion o his «double o igin»30, poin ing
o a (desi able) compa ison be ween he oo s o PCE and PCP on he ba-
sis o he expe ience o e olu iona y syndicalism, ana chism and ana -
chis -unionism.
I seems o us ha his compa ed pe spec i e o he oo s o Ibe ian
communism emains unaccomplished and ha i mus now also include
he ounda ional p ocesses o he F ench and I alian communis pa ies.
The ask o he li e a u e e iew is eased by he de elopmen s in academic
esea ch on F ench, I alian, and, mo e ecen ly, Spanish communism31.
In his speci ic s udy on he o ms o e i o ial o ganisa ion o he
Pa i Socialis a Uni ica de Ca alunya [Uni ied Socialis Pa y o Ca a-
lonia] (PSUC) du ing he igh agains F ancoism, giaime Pala ci es con-
g esses, wo ks and s udies ha indica e he upda ing o knowledge abou
communism in Spain, asse ing ha hese wo ks de eloped du ing he las
decade ha e allowed o « ema kably imp o e» he knowledge abou he
poli ical cul u e, he mili an p ac ices and he communis ideology, espe-
cially du ing F ancoism32.
28 Oli ei a, 1975, p. 25.
29 He me , 1967, p.2.
30 Alba, 1979, p. 17.
31 Bueno y gál ez, 2005, pp. 317-322.
32 Pala, 2015, pp. 195-222.
890 His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
Adelino Cunha
In he same pe iod as he publica ions o seminal au ho s in Po ugal,
he wo k o Ra ael C uz33 also o e s a global and dynamic iew o PCE
du ing he II Republic. This is also an una oidable wo k in he a ea o
communism s udies. The ole played by o icial p opaganda in he mobili-
sa ion o he Spanish communis s could be add essed he e, bu his a icle
ocuses on he ounda ional oo s, ha is, hey a e di e en ch onological
pe iods34.
Howe e , his di e en ia ion clea ly bene i s om a compa a i e pe -
spec i e when using an in e p e a i e amewo k ha can ame he wo
Ibe ian sec ions, o example, he o igins o he sec ions o he Commu-
nis In e na ional35. I is hus clea ha PCE esul s om a b eak wi h so-
cialis s, con a y o wha happened wi h PCP36.
In ac , s udies add essing he eme gence o Eu opean communis pa -
ies as Moscow’s «poli ical b anches» a e especially ele an o alida -
ing compa isons, o example, he ela ionships o he Po uguese and
Spanish communis s wi h he Communis In e na ional and he guiding
ole played in each o he wo cases by Moscow.
The same occu s wi h he common men al amewo k ha ma ked
he imagina y37 o he Po uguese and Spanish communis s in he ound-
ing p ocesses o hei pa ies, as i esul s, o a g ea ex en , om he
i s news abou he Russian e olu ion ha a i ed in he Ibe ian Penin-
sula and he subsequen a els o he i s leade s o he «homeland o
socialism»38.
33 C uz, 1987.
34 A compa ison, no o he ideological o igins, bu o he ea ly pa y s uc u es could
bene i om he a icle «La o ganización del PCE (1920-1934), Es udios de his o ia so-
cial, no. 31, 1984, pp. 223-312.
35 C uz Ma inez, 2007.
36 C . pp.12-13.
37 The ep esen a ions esul ing om hese con e sions can be seen in Fa é, 1999, and
Elo za, 1999. The au ho s add ess in de ail he « eligious» dimension p oduced wi h he
ad en o he Russian e olu ion, i.e., he in e p e a ion o communism as a «new ai h» o
a secula na u e. C . also C uz Ma inez, 1984, pp. 55-63.
38 This « e olu iona y hope» is e y much p esen in he a ious s udies published wi-
hin he scope o he 100 yea s o he Russian e olu ion, o example: gu ié ez-Ál a ez,
2017; And ade, 2017.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/hc.20729 891
The Roo s o he Po uguese Communis Pa y
I . he po uguese maximalis ede a ion
FMP was ounded in Sep embe 1919 by «many o hose who, in Po -
ugal, in he ad e se pos -wa con ex , did no accep he impasses and
limi a ions o adi ional union ac ion»39, a he han as a consequence o
some ma u a ion o he p ocess o Ma xis ideas’ welcome, Césa Oli ei a
ale s. The au ho also main ains ha i was a g oup o « e y ew mili-
an s», which did no call in o ques ion he dominan powe o union o -
ganisa ions: «They a e no , in ac , he o e on o a eal and global al e -
na i e a isen wi hin he Po uguese labou mo emen »40.
Manuel Ribei o ook up he posi ion o sec e a y-gene al and he
managemen o Bandei a Ve melha41, and b ough a la ge g oup o union-
is s wi h him42. I is p ecisely hese unionis s who will o e ake he union
mo emen i sel , which was a a elapse due o he ailu e o he gene al
s ike a emp in 1918, and showed di icul ies in add essing he wo sen-
ing o he class s uggle esul ing om he end o he wa 43.
FMP de ined he pa h o insu ec ion owa ds he ake-o e o powe ,
using he i s issue o i s o icial media body o ake on he goal o «sp ead-
ing he doc inal p inciples ending o he es ablishmen o he communis
unionism, admi ing empo a ily he ac ion o he e olu iona y powe exe -
cised in dic a o ship by he wo ke s’ councils o So ie s» (A icle 1).
I is added ha bo h he dic a o ship o he p ole a ia and he So i-
e s should be ega ded as «shee expe imen al p ac ices» (A icle 2), end-
ing wi h he assu ance ha hei ac ion «will be exe cised in p inciple and
no mally in he legal doc inal ield» (A icle 3)44.
João g.P. Quin ela iden i ies in a « e y clea ly» way he «ma k o an-
a chism» and ci es as an example he de ence o he combina ion o he
idea o e olu ion wi h local economic condi ions, complemen ing wi h
he p esen a ion o a sample o he opics add essed by Bandei a Ve -
39 Madei a, 2013, p.17.
40 Oli ei a, 1975, p. 26.
41 In i s i s ou issues, he newspape is called A Bandei a Ve melha. F om no. 5
onwa ds (No embe 1, 1919), he heading men ions only Bandei a Ve melha.
42 An ónio Peixe, Paulo Luíz, Clemen e iei a dos San os, Ma celino da Sil a, F an-
cisco Dias, A sénio Filipe, Leal Sal eda, Luíz La angei o, José da Sil a Oli ei a, gonçal-
es Co eia, J. Luíz do Nascimen o, c . J.P. Quin ela, 1976, p. 13.
43 Quin ela, 1976, p. 14.
44 «Es a u os da Fede ação Maximalis a Po uguesa», A Bandei a Ve melha, no. 1,
Oc obe 5, 1919; A Bandei a Ve melha, no. 14, Janua y 4, 1920.
898 His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
Adelino Cunha
So ie s’ ideal is a ede a ion o peoples eely linked by economic
ela ionships»76.
The ideological s uggle is cen ed on he p opaganda he o ic, and
he gene ali y o he e o s o heo ising ades in o seman ics.
Du ing he yea 1920, Bandei a Ve melha epo s in an isola e way
e en s o an in e na ional na u e, ha ing as agg ega o an idea o siege o
Bolshe ism and he co esponding « i anic s uggle» o he Bolshe iks
om all hese coun ies77. An edi o ial line is ein o ced wi h panegy ic
a icles on he iumphs o he So ie s and wi h a e e ence o ideological
issues o he seconda y pages78.
I emains o be known whe he his diminishing o he deba e esul s
om a ce ain pe cep ion by he maximalis s o ha ing o e come he ini-
ial ideological di icul ies, o only om a discu si e no malisa ion: «Bol-
she ism is nei he socialism no ana chism bu i is nea one and he o he ,
collec ing om all he ene gy needed o mo e o wa d»79.
In he in o ma ion sessions used o he «wa on he bou geoisie»,
he maximalis s emphasise wo c i ical issues: he need o b ing abou
an «immedia e a med e olu ion» and o es ablish a «dic a o ship o he
p ole a ia ». Bandei a Ve melha ollows he iolen he o ic: «No ag ee-
men s wi h he bou geois. Whoe e is o us comes o us. A e olu ion
which is no up oo ed, which is no nobly conque ed by he p ole a ia in
a ms, is no a comple e e olu ion no does i gi e he igh o demand –
e e y hing»80; «To b ing down he bou geoisie is a sac ed du y. One does
no deba e wi h he enemies o he people: hey a e execu ed»81; «Social
ans o ma ion is no ca ied ou h ough paci isms»82; «S uggle, igh o
he las bulle , o he las d op o blood»83.
76 «The a i ude o he So ie s’ go e nmen . The ideal o Bolshe ism is economic e-
de alism such as ana chism», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 11, Decembe 14, 1919.
77 «O Bolche ismo iun an e», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 18, Feb ua y 1, 1920.
78 Fo example: «A Ob a económica dos So ie s da Russia», Bandei a Ve melha, no.
20, Feb ua y 15, 1920; «O es o ço dos bolche is as em p ol da ins ução do po o», Ban-
dei a Ve melha, no. 21, Feb ua y 22, 1920; «Os So ie s na Alemanha – A Re olução So-
cial em ma cha!», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 26, Ma ch 28, 1920; «A oz da Amé ica»,
Bandei a Ve melha, no. 28, May 9, 1920; «A Re olução social na Alemanha», Bandei a
Ve melha, no. 28, May 9, 1920.
79 «Bolche ismo e Ana quismo, Bandei a Ve melha, no. 20, Feb ua y 15, 1920.
80 «Caminho a segui », Bandei a Ve melha, no. 25, Ma ch 21, 1920.
81 «Pala as cla as», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 27, May 2, 1920.
82 «De emos p ecipi a a Re olução», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 36, July 4, 1920.
83 «Às a mas», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 37, July 11, 1920.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/hc.20729 899
The Roo s o he Po uguese Communis Pa y
The app oaches o a pedagogical na u e become less equen .
The communis egime is dissec ed by explaining he c ea ion o he
Russian So ie s84, Bakoukine85 and K opo kine86 a e used o accoun o
episodes o he social e olu ion; he ep oduc ion o Lenin’s documen s
is also used so ha eade s can eel he «bea ing o he same spi i o e-
ol , he same lame o Lenin’s ebellion»87.
When i comes o explaining he poli ical op ions, he maximalis s jus-
i y adhesion o Bolshe ism as «a mo al issue»: «I we a e, he e o e, in
a ou o he immedia e e olu ion and consequen use o he p ole a ian
dic a o ship, i is because we a e ho i ied o see he g ow h o he mise y
o he peoples and, mo e han he mise y, he mo al o ».
I. he idea o a poli ical pa y
The idea o c ea ing a pa y ha would inco po a e hese Bolshe ik
alues and assume he poli ical o ganisa ion o he p ole a ia o a iolen
ake-o e o powe s a s o inc easingly eme ge in he pages o Bandei a
Ve melha.
This is (s ill) an un imely appeal o he au ho o he ans o ma ion
o Bolshe ism in o a doc ine o sal i ic na u e, and wi h an ex a-pa y
p ojec ion: «Bolshe ism has al eady le he es ic ed scope o a poli i-
cal pa y o become a social endency»88. The desi e was empo a ily sus-
pended in he lines w i en by Manuel Ribei o: «The need o a con en ion
o unde s anding be ween all he poli ical and social cu en s ha p edom-
ina e in he wo king en i onmen in Po ugal».
Bandei a Ve melha begins o epea g adual calls o he es ablish-
men o a commi ee in Lisbon and ano he in Po o « o o ganise a com-
munis cong ess in he sho es possible ime»89.
84 «O egime polí ico comunis a – O que é um so ie ?», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 29,
May 16, 1920.
85 «Bakoukine e a e olução social», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 31, May 30, 1920.
86 «Caminhamos pa a a e olução», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 35, June 27, 1920.
87 «A Ca a de Lenine ao ope a iado inglês», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 33, June 13,
1920.
88 «Po que somos bolche is as», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 41, Augus 8, 1920.
89 «Po que não se ez ainda um Cong esso comunis a em Po ugal?», Bandei a Ve -
melha, no. 43, Augus 22, 1920.
900 His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
Adelino Cunha
This idea o es ablishing a communis pa y eme ges clea ly in Au-
gus 1920, h ough he p oposal o c ea e an agg ega ing cong ess o un-
ionis s and ana chis s.
I is again he eeling o change o he poli ical s uc u es ha
eme ges, mobilised by he idea o «maximum u ili y»: «We mus pu
aside he com o s ha ha e held us back so much [...] [ o] o ganise he
dispe sed o ces, u ning hem in o a powe , in sho , o es ablish ou
on »90.
The idea e ol es signi ican ly wi h Bandei a Ve melha ad oca ing in
an inc easingly explici way he c ea ion o a new pa y: «The communis
o ganisa ion in Po ugal mus be ca ied ou as soon as possible!»91.
The exclama ion exp esses he eeling o some u gency, jus i ied wi h
he dange o demobilisa ion o he maximalis mili an s.
I is ime now o «o ganise a powe ul and disciplined poli ical o ce
ha a acks, in i s ounda ions, he bou geois-capi alis domina ion», ha
is, «o ganise he communis amily ac oss he whole coun y» and hus
mobilise «since e and unp e en ious wills, which, al hough di ided, wai ,
bu ning in he in e e a e belie o an egali a ian u u e».
The exp ession o his will begins o be designed as a p oposal ha ,
al hough i does no ye exp essly poin owa ds he c ea ion o a pa y,
is clea in i s pu poses o mobilisa ion owa ds new o ms o poli ical o -
ganisa ion: «We p opose o b ing oge he so many e o s sca e ed ou
he e».
The p oposal s a s o be a ou ably welcomed by some union sec-
o s, pa icula ly among young people, and he Union o You h Unionis s
o Po ugal exp essed i s suppo ea ly.
I is an «idea unde way!», he maximalis s eply92.
They ake up he s uggle o he o ganisa ion o he i s communis
cong ess wi h he in ol emen o unionis s, ana chis s «o socialis s», in
o de o uni y he «mili an p ole a ia » in wha hey classi y as a «wo k
o concilia ion».
Howe e , imes a e changing and, o he i s ime, he maximal-
is s ma e ialise he g ea goal o his desi ed cong ess: «I he communis
pa y came ou o his cong ess o ganised in solida i y, wi h he usion o
90 «A máxima u ilidade», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 48, Sep embe 26, 1920.
91 «O ganisemos o Comunismo em Po ugal», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 48, Sep embe
26, 1920.
92 «Uma ideia em ma cha!», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 50, Sep embe 10,1920.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/hc.20729 901
The Roo s o he Po uguese Communis Pa y
all ideological endencies, as was done in Spain, I aly and o he coun ies,
pe haps we could o m a gigan ic block».
The demons a ion o his ma u a ion is e lec ed in he associa ed
p opaganda he o ic, inasmuch as he maximalis s plan he c ea ion o he
communis pa y as a his o ical esponsibili y.
A e a ew mon hs o suspension due o Manuel Ribei o’s a es ,
Bandei a Ve melha is published again and assumes he i e e sibili y o
he c ea ion o he «Po uguese Communis Pa y»93.
This was due, on he one hand, o he ac ha « he mode n e olu-
iona y ac ics [...] ma e ialises in he so-called Communis Pa ies» ha
a e «a new a angemen o ac i e alues, a new disposi ion o he e olu-
iona y hos s o he inal decisi e ba le». On he o he hand, o he ac
ha his endency was al eady, also in Po ugal, «embodied in he soul o
a la ge pa o he Po uguese p ole a ia ».
The maximalis s claim ha , a his ime, he e is al eady a Communis
Pa y in Po ugal, «al hough in emb yo».
II. he bi h o pCp
On Ma ch 21, 1921, PCP was o icially bo n. I was bo n o he im-
pulse o «a dozen e olu iona ies and union mili an s»94 who conside ed
ha « he e olu ion [in Po ugal was] ine i able»95.
Sho ly be o e, on Decembe 12 o he p e ious yea , he i s a emp
o c ea e a new poli ical o ganisa ion ou side he union space had aken
place a he headqua e s o Associação de Classe dos Caixei os de Lis-
boa (Class Associa ion o Lisbon Cle ks). The disag eemen s be ween
maximalis s, ana chis s and unionis s had slowed his impulse, bu du ing
he same mon h o Decembe , an ag eemen was eached o he se ing
up o a Wo ke s’ O ganising Commi ee o he Cons i u ion o he Com-
munis Pa y.
Be ween Janua y and Ma ch o he ollowing yea , he p inciples, ob-
jec i es, unc ioning bases and leade s o he new pa y we e app o ed.
Among he i s communis s, as João Madei a desc ibes, « he maximal-
93 «Ressu gindo», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 55[54], Ap il 17, 1920.
94 o Comunis a, no. 1, Oc obe 16, 1921.
95 Pacheco Pe ei a, 1999, p.62.
902 His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
Adelino Cunha
is s, wi h a qui e insigni ican numbe o socialis s and some o me
epublicans»96 s ood ou .
The ounding o PCP ep esen s a sign o conc e e hope o hose in
a ou o he «immedia e e olu ion», as Ben o gonçal es claims.
The ounding e lec ed he need o o ganise he masses h ough he
dialec ical uni y be ween heo y and p ac ice, bu Césa Oli ei a imposes
some cau ion: «Al hough i is in line wi h he ac ion o he Po uguese
Maximalis Fede a ion, [ he ounding o PCP] does no esul om he
o ganisa ional g ow h o his o ganisa ion no does i co espond o he
inc ease o i s in luence o masses». The au ho also adds ha « he mil-
i an s who ound he Po uguese Communis Pa y a e e y ew and ill-
p epa ed»97.
The ounding p inciples we e embodied in he o ganic bases, being
he «sup eme goal» o ma e ialise a « e olu iona y ac ion made imely by
he ci cums ances o he Eu opean and na ional milieu», ha is, « he ull
socialisa ion o he means o p oduc ion».
The leade ship was ini ially handed o e o a Na ional Boa d com-
posed by Albe o Júlio das Ne es, Be na dino dos San os, Fe nando Ba -
bosa, João Nascimen o Cunha and Cae ano de Sousa. This body was sup-
po ed by a gene al Commi ee o Educa ion and P opaganda and an
Economic Council, wi h nine and se en membe s espec i ely98. On he
pa y base, he e we e ou communis cen es, loca ed in Lisbon, Po o,
San a ém and é o a99. The o icial p ess body, o Comunis a, began i s
96 Madei a, 2013, p. 20.
97 Oli ei a, 1975, pp. 35-36.
98 The unionis José de Sousa o ced a b eakdown in he Socialis You h o c ea e he
Communis You h wi h some o i s leade s. In 1922, he mo ed o he collec i e leade ship
o PCP. The c ea ion o he Communis You h bene i ed om his spli , and om he same
manoeu e wi h he unionis s. I is impo an o ake his in o accoun , in he sense ha
hese mili an s ook in o PCP much o hei social and poli ical adicalism ha cha ac e i-
sed he whole phase ha p ecedes he ise o Ben o gonçal es: iolen s ee ac ions and
ideological inconsis ency.
99 José Pacheco Pe ei a explains ha hese communis cen es wo ked as «poli i-
cal clubs based on membe s», which made i di icul o PCP o g ow and consolida e
as a pa y, inso a as « hey we e only going o a end he p opaganda sessions». This si-
ua ion changed pa ially a e he 1923 Cong ess, h ough he c ea ion ( o ced by he
Communis In e na ional) o adminis a i e-based communes o enable he pa icipa-
ion in he elec ions. These s uc u es e en ually ans o med in o cells, bu he neigh-
bou hood o e en s ee o ganisa ional gene ics was kep », c . Pacheco Pe ei a, 1981,
pp. 695-713.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/hc.20729 903
The Roo s o he Po uguese Communis Pa y
ci cula ion in Oc obe o ha yea , unde he managemen o Manuel
Ribei o, Nascimen o Cunha and Cae ano de Sousa100.
Acco ding o José Pacheco Pe ei a, «mo e han o me ana chis s o
ana chis s-unionis s, PCP’s ounde s and main ac i is s a e unionis s, ei-
he ac i e a he ime o he Pa y’s li e o o me union leade s o he
gene a ion o med in he 1910-12 s uggles and o he immedia e pos -wa
pe iod», ha is, «being pa o FMP is no , in e ms o union and poli ical
pa h, he mos cha ac e is ic biog aphical ea u e o mos Pa y membe s,
bu a he union ac i ism»101.
III. he na a i e su pluses
PCP’s speci ic oo s we e soon exp essed: «An o ganisa ion called
he Po uguese Communis Pa y was ounded in Lisbon, whose di ec i e
is no ye well de ined, since wi hin i he e a e he mos bi e pa isans o
he Dic a o ship o he P ole a ia and he mos e en suppo e s o he
Ana chic Communism»102, Bandei a Ve melha announces.
This leads José Pacheco Pe ei a o classi y PCP as «a e y peculia
o ganisa ion, which ha dly i he Leninis model o o ganisa ion, being a
kind o an i-ana chis epublican adical pa y, ac ing in he union milieu,
bu neglec ing he pa liamen a y «poli ics» and he endemic conspi acy
disease o he I Republic»103.
The i s c isis occu ed sho ly a e and o ced he cons i u ion o
a eo ganising commi ee be ween Ma ch and Oc obe 1921. A he ba-
sis, a up u e be ween le and igh , o a he be ween he wo ke s and
he employees: «He e may be he oo o he accusa ions made by «bou -
geois» add essed e ospec i ely o he membe s o he Pa y in he I
Republic»104, he same au ho con inues.
The di e gences o ced he in e en ion o he Communis In e na-
ional in 1922105.
100 Quin ela, 1976, p. 43.
101 Pacheco Pe ei a, 1981, pp. 695-713.
102 «O que penso do Pa ido Comunis a», Bandei a Ve melha, no. 63, June 19, 1921.
103 Pacheco Pe ei a, 1999, p. 63.
104 Pacheco Pe ei a, 1981, pp. 695-713.
105 Quin ela, 1976, pp. 50-70.
904 His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
Adelino Cunha
The i s di ec ion, which had succeeded he o ganising commi ee o
he ounding, alls a his ime. José Pacheco Pe ei a speaks o a «pu ge»
p ocess o ha ini ial s ee ing g oup, «whose na u e o e ec i e leade -
ship o he Pa y was i ually non-exis en »106.
The s uggle o powe o ced he I (Legal) Cong ess o ake place in
No embe 1923. Humbe -D oz in e ened o o ce PCP o adop ela i e
no mali y h ough he cons i u ion o a i s pa y s uc u e and he de i-
ni ion o poli ical o ien a ion. I is in e es ing o no e, in he memoi s o
Jules Humbe -D oz107, how, in his ole as a disc ee «head o he clan-
des ine o ches a»108, he decisi ely in luenced he e olu ion o he La in
pa ies in a pi o al pe iod o he in e na ional communis mo emen 109
and played a key ole in bo h Ibe ian sec ions110.
The nominal powe was deli e ed o Ca los Ra es111.
Al edo Ma ga ido classi ies him as « he i s mili an o ques ion
Ka l Ma x’s heo e ical p oposals as a ool o poli ical wo k»112, bu his
in luence was «sho -li ed», as An ónio Ped o Pi a poin s ou 113.
In his analysis o he PCP’s ounding ea u es, Ra es begins by cla i-
ying he wi hd awal o he Socialis s, highligh ing he «p o ound anae-
mia o e o s, will and e olu iona y awa eness» o he Po uguese So-
cialis Pa y114.
Ca los Ra es is, hen, ca ied away by a gene ous na a i e luc ua ion
o c i icise he an i-pa liamen a y s ance adop ed by PCP a he ounding:
«A nonsense ha needs o be amended». He sugges s ha he pa y «ac-
106 Pacheco Pe ei a, 1981, pp. 695-713.
107 Humbe -D oz, 1971.
108 S dou dzé, 1973, pp. 196-199.
109 S anek, 1972, p. 425.
110 He came o Po ugal se e al imes o in e ene di ec ly in PCP since he es ablish-
men and h oughou he whole s age o o ganic and ideological consolida ion, c . p. 24.
111 Ca los Ra es se ed in he na y, wo ked in he canne y indus y o Se úbal and be-
came sec e a y-gene al o he ci y’s Unions Mo emen in 1911. He joined he so-called
wo ke - a me b igades om he ollowing yea onwa ds and de eloped in ense union p o-
paganda ac i i y all o e he coun y. He s ood ou in he 1914 Na ional Wo ke s’ Con-
g ess and was among he main unionis s o he Po uguese labou mo emen , c . Quin ela,
Pa a a his ó ia…, p. 68. He e en ually became a «p o- ascis », a co po a e o icial and
membe o he Na ional Union, c . Oli ei a, 1975, p. 36.
112 Ma ga ido, 1976, p. 81.
113 Pi a, 1994, pp. 89-108.
114 «O Pa ido Comunis a – Causas da sua cons i uição e seus objec i os», Bandei a
Ve melha, no. 55, Ap il 24, 1921.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/hc.20729 905
The Roo s o he Po uguese Communis Pa y
cep s he pa liamen a y s uggle» so as no o become ano he o he « ake
i es ha le no ace o hei passage», and also because i is «in Pa lia-
men [ ha ] he e is opposi ion and i is his ha should be es ablished and
de eloped».
He hen eminds ha he maximalis s had eme ged o «p opagandise
he Bolshe ism o he popula masses» and hus became «modes ly» a
«shee g ouping o ha dwo king mili an s». PCP ep esen ed a new s age
h ough i s main objec i e: «To adap he na ion o he new egime o
p ole a ian ins i u ions, successo o he o en and weakened bou geois
sys em»115.
Manuel Ribei o showed he same he o ical lexibili y by placing PCP
be ween he union mo emen and he exe cise o execu i e powe : «The
Po uguese Communis Pa y is ei he pa liamen a y o ceases o be a
pa y», seeking o explain ha , by na u e, «i should ac wi h some elas-
ici y, ou side he igid dogma ism o heo ies and schools». A e s a ing
ha «we do no wan o coope a e, we wan o sweep», he asse s ha «i
he communis Pa ies aim a he conques o powe by he wo king class,
and i he pa liamen is he main headqua e o powe and a ulne able
poin o bou geois go e nmen s [...] i is only logical ha he communis s
should go s uggle in he pa liamen ».
Ra es also ques ions he powe o union o ganisa ions o b ing abou
adical poli ical and social change, e en i he does ha in ambiguous
ways. Fi s , he assumes he «de iciency o he union o ganisa ion» and i s
«limi ed sphe e o ac ion», bu wa ns ha «he would ha e p e e ed o ex-
end he ac ion and di ec i e o he union o ganisa ion».
Manuel Ribei o is clea e , ea ing he Con ede ação Ge al do T a-
balho (CgT) as a «neu al and colou less body o p o essionals and wo k-
e s, wi h no poli ical c eed ha does no allow i o ha e i s s a us o
any o he p og am han he aboli ion o wages and emancipa ion om
employe s»116.
The ollowing yea s we e e y hea y. «No communis wo k was ca -
ied ou du ing he whole pe iod un il 1927», João g.P. Quin ela claims,
cla i ying: «Ra es is an appoin ed leade , no a egula ly elec ed leade ;
115 «O Pa ido Comunis a Po uguês ou é pa lamen a ou deixa de se um pa ido»,
Bandei a Ve melha, no. 59, May 22, 1921.
116 «O Pa ido Comunis a Po uguês ou é pa lamen a ou deixa de se um pa ido»,
Bandei a Ve melha, no. 59, May 22, 1921.
906 His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
Adelino Cunha
he pa y, ei he does no hing o is lagging behind he bou geoisie»117.
José Pacheco Pe ei a accuses him o ha ing hough o himsel as « he
Po uguese Lenin»118.
This hea iness le a hea y legacy: «Ou Pa y is s ill weak. Weak in
numbe s and weak in ideology»119.
IX. he ups and downs o o comunis a
Bandei a Ve melha published i s las issue in June 1921 and, in Oc o-
be , o Comunis a began i s i s pe iod o exis ence as he PCP’s o icial
p ess body. The i s issue begins by assuming ha he ounding o PCP
esul s om he will o «a dozen e olu iona ies and union ac i is s» and
cla i ies ha «i is a om being a dissidence in he o me mili an s o
he p ole a ia »120.
Communis s ully assume he need o he p ole a ia o be o ganised
h ough a new pa y s uc u e o a e olu iona y na u e, bea ing in mind
he e y limi a ions o he union mo emen , bu hey make li le p og ess
wi h ega d o he Bandei a Ve melha’s he o ic: «PCP seems o ha e in-
he i ed bo h he con ac s and he implemen a ion o he o me Maximal-
is Fede a ion as i s ideological ambigui ies», João gP Quin ela claims121.
The g ow h o PCP would ha e o be done a he expense o he union
mo emen , and c i icism o i s leade s eme ges in he pages o o Comuni-
s a: «The ac s o ce us o acknowledge i s e olu iona y incapabili y; i is
i s lack o idealism. And wi hou idealism, he e is no ai h, he e is no en-
husiasm, he e is no e olu ion»122.
In o de o ha e a e olu ion, i was necessa y o ha e PCP.
Fu he mo e, unionism was exhaus ed: «I was g ea hope in he
soul», bu he ime had come o communis s o ca y hese lags in hei
hands. Since « he e olu iona y insu iciency o union ac ion [was dem-
ons a ed], i is necessa y o eso o poli ical ac ion, o pa y ac ion».
117 Quin ela, 1976, p. 57.
118 Pacheco Pe ei a, 1999, p. 63.
119 «O Pa ido Comunis a pe an e as eleições – Resolução do Sec e a iado Polí ico»,
A an e!, no. 6, se ies I, July 8, 1931.
120 «No os Ho izon es», o Comunis a, no. 1, Oc obe 16, 1921.
121 Quin ela, 1976, p. 42.
122 «No os Ho izon es», o Comunis a, no. 1, Oc obe , 1921.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/hc.20729 907
The Roo s o he Po uguese Communis Pa y
The idea o he uni ica ion o wo ke s on a single e olu iona y on
mean now o se le he unions in «pu ely economic» s uggles o PCP o
ake he lead in he poli ical s uggle123, and PCP would begin o p omise
he social e olu ion o «when he ime came o he p ole a ia o ac and
impose i s will»124.
Compa ed wi h he con en s o Bandei a Ve melha, he communis
o icial p ess body inc eases he p essu e on unions and s ongly a acks
hei leade s. O he wise, he e a e no many he o ical no el ies b ough
by o Comunis a. Pe haps he con ession o igno ance: «The g ea social
e en ha ook place ou yea s ago in Russia and which has had epe -
cussions in he whole wo ld is s ill no well unde s ood oday by hose
who a e linked o he e olu iona y mo emen »125.
The announced sel -suspension o he newspape was decla ed in No-
embe 1921 as a «s ands ill», ha ing e u ned in May 1923 and ex ending
i s exis ence un il 1926. The new se ies assumes he need o PCP o ain
i s mili an s in he spi i o Ma xism and cla i ies he disag eemen s wi h he
ana chis s. I ies, hus, o de ine « he ole, he place, he concep ions o he
pa y», João Q.P. Quin ela summa ises, also emphasising he con inui y o
he e o o dema ca ion be ween he Ma xis ideas and ana chism126.
The II (Legal) Cong ess, which ook place in May 1926, an icipa es
he disappea ance o PCP in o illegali y.
I is a phase al eady ma ked by a mu a ion o he o iginal ma ix, in
he sense ha he e is some gene a ional exhaus ion ha ansla es in o
poli ical p ac ices ha a e close o a pa y and less o he adi ional p op-
aganda mo emen s.
I will be necessa y o wai o Ben o gonçal es o come o powe
(in 1928) so ha i becomes possible o iden i y ma ks o Bolshe isa ion:
«He was he g ea wo ke o he Leninis ans o ma ion o PCP, ha is,
o he b eak wi h he ana chis -unionis hegemony a he 1929 Con e -
ence», An ónio Ped o Pi a main ains.
I was necessa y o «wake up» PCP. Ben o gonçal es himsel would
s a e ha his ini ial phase o he in oduc ion o Ma xism was domina ed
by « heo e ical igno ance»127.
123 «A CgT não é polí ica», o Comunis a, no. 1, Oc obe 16, 1921.
124 «O momen o», o Comunis a, no. 2, Oc obe 23, 1921.
125 «A iloso ia da e olução ussa», o Comunis a, no. 4, No embe 6, 1921.
126 Quin ela, 1976, p. 58.
127 gonçal es, 2000, p.83.
914 His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
Adelino Cunha
e -Union Commi ee), which in p ac ice was al eady a union cen e al e -
na i e o he ana chis -unionis CgT»157.
The coo dina ion o he uphea al wo k included he c ea ion o lea -
le s ocused on he local on s o s uggle: «The unde g ound cen al
body ac s as a coo dina o and o a ma e ial and ideological basis o assis
he cells in he p oduc ion o hei lea le s acco ding o he Pa y’s gene al
line»158.
Se aside all he he o ical su plus, he e is a ma u a ion o ideas,
clea e om Janua y 1933 onwa ds: «The analy ical and p og amma ic
inno a ions [...] a e p o ound», João A sénio Nunes w i es, adding ha
he «in ensi ica ion» o he «deepening and dissemina ion e o », esul -
ing om Ben o gonçal es’ e u n o eedom a ha ime, co esponds o
a « e y igo ous unde s anding o Leninis concep s»159.
The Bolshe isa ion e o is now e y clea in he su eillance p oc-
esses o e he de ained mili an s.
PCP begins o «asce ain, om each imp isoned com ade, how a
hey ha e b ough he e ela ions o he police, ei he in hei own oli ion
o unde he g ea es opp ession, ill- ea men and agonising bea ings»,
announcing, a he same ime, ha «all hese whis leblowing beha iou s»
will be «punished» o being «a be ayal o he e olu iona y p ole a ia
and i s class pa y – he Communis Pa y»160.
The p ocedu es ake shel e on he «Leninis conscience», in sea ch o
« he mos pe ec e olu iona y co ec ness» and he i s ex eme Bolshe-
ik measu es a e jus i ied, such as he Sec e a ia p oclaiming «open he
b oades c i icism and sel -c i icism in he o ali y o i s o icials» and he
announcemen o he es ablishmen o o icials’ con ol commi ees161.
This dynamic inhe en o he leade ship o Ben o gonçal es will su -
e a se e e se back wi h his a es in 1935162.
I is no a e u n o da kness, bu he Bolshe isa ion p ocess will su -
e a signi ican slowdown, whose dynamics exceed he ch onological
ame jus i ied o his a icle.
157 A sénio Nunes, 1996, pp. 22-33.
158 «Si uação e a e as do nosso Pa ido», A an e!, no. 2, se ies I, Ma ch 1, 1931.
159 A sénio Nunes, 1981, pp. 715-731.
160 «Comissão Cen al de O ganização do P.C.P.», A an e!, no. 9, se ies I, Janua y
1933.
161 «Resolução do Sec e a iado», A an e!, no. 1, se ies II, June 1934.
162 Ben o gonçal es had been depo ed in 1930 and e u ned o he in e io in 1933.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/hc.20729 915
The Roo s o he Po uguese Communis Pa y
Conclusions
1. The en y o Ma xis ideas in Po ugal p o ed o be a slow and
complex p ocess, la gely due o he limi ed knowledge ha , o many
yea s, cha ac e ised Po uguese in ellec uals. The deba e was limi ed in
hese ci cles un il he news o he success o he Russian e olu ion mo i-
a ed a i s accele a ion, which led o he ounding o FMP in 1919;
2. I s ounde s, who o igina ed di ec ly om unionism and ana chism,
ook ad an age o he limi a ions o he union mo emen and began o
p ojec in o public space he new ideas (many o hem w ong ully) which
had long ci cula ed mo e o less e e ywhe e in Eu ope, bu wi h e iden
heo e ical limi a ions;
3. The newspape Bandei a Ve melha became he i s g ea ehicle
o he dissemina ion o he achie emen s o he Russian e olu ion and
he discu si e de ence o an iden ical p ocess in Po ugal, bu s ill e i-
dencing he s iking lack o knowledge abou he undamen al ideas o
Ma xism which had al eady occu ed among he maximalis s;
4. The beginning o he publica ion o A an e! is a clea b eak h ough
in he p ocess o bolshe isa ion. In he sho e m, due o he decisi e con-
ibu ion o he ma u a ion o Ma xis ideas and he conc e e o ien a ions
o he pa y o ganisa ion and he wo k wi h he labou mo emen . In he
long e m, because i was published unin e up edly du ing he nea ly i e
decades o s uggle as an illegal pa y, being o en he only link be ween
he Pa y and he unde g ound e olu iona ies;
5. The consolida ion o he Russian e olu ion led o he need o
uni ying, in Po ugal, he opposi ional o ces ha had hi he o been
mixed in he union mo emen . This need o cla i ica ion esul s in he
call o he c ea ion o a poli ical pa y – he Po uguese Communis
Pa y, wo yea s a e he ounding o i s ope a ional and ideological
basis, FMP;
6. The au ho s o e e ence in he s udies o communism in Po ugal
a e no unanimous abou he ch onological span when he so-called PCP’s
Bolshe isa ion ook place, ha is, i s ull ma u a ion as a Ma xis -Leninis
pa y. The au ho s who place he beginning o his p ocess s ill du ing he
I Republic poin ei he o he low o he 1923 cong ess o o he e lux
o he 1925-26 c isis. The emaining au ho s op o he posi i e dynam-
ics gene a ed ei he by he 1929 eo ganisa ion implemen ed by Ben o
gonçal es o by he 1940-41 eo ganisa ion ini ia ed by Júlio Fogaça and
concluded by Ál a o Cunhal.
916 His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
Adelino Cunha
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918 His o ia Con empo ánea, 2020, 64, 883-918
Adelino Cunha
No es on con ibu o
His o ian, p o esso o Con empo a y His o y and Jou nalism, and P o-
Rec o o he Uni e sidade Eu opeia, Lisbon, Po ugal. He g adua ed in His-
o y a Uni e sidade Lusíada, Lisbon, Po ugal, and has a doc o a e, wi h
dis inc ion and honou unanimously, in Con empo a y His o y a he Uni-
e sidade de Lisboa, wi h he hesis «Os Comunis as Po ugueses no Exílio
(1960-1974). He is he au ho o he books: «A Ascensão ao Pode de Ca aco
Sil a» (Edeline, 2005); «Ál a o Cunhal – Re a o Pessoal e Ín imo» (Es e a
dos Li os, 2010) – in eg a ed in o he Na ional Reading Plan; «An ónio Gu-
e es – Os Seg edos do Pode » (Alê heia, 2013); «Os Filhos da Clandes ini-
dade» (Es e a dos Li os, 2016) e «Júlio de Melo Fogaça – Biog a ia» (Edi-
ções Desassossego, 2018) – na ional op sales. The esea ch wo k o Adelino
Cunha ocuses on he s udy o communism in Po ugal.
