---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The communists were mainly responsible…"
description: "\"The communists were mainly responsible for the destruction of the Spanish anarchists. Not just in Catalonia - the communist armies mainly destroyed the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/noam-chomsky-42_anarchist_the-communists-were-mainly-responsible-f_3100139.jpg"
---

#  The communists were mainly responsible for the destruction…

![“The communists were mainly responsible for the destruction of the Spanish anarchists. Not just in Catalonia - the communist armies mainly destroyed the collectives elsewhere.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/noam-chomsky-42_anarchist_the-communists-were-mainly-responsible-f_3100139.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/noam-chomsky-42_anarchist_the-communists-were-mainly-responsible-f_3100139.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/noam-chomsky-42_anarchist_the-communists-were-mainly-responsible-f_3100139.jpg)

> “The communists were mainly responsible for the destruction of the Spanish anarchists. Not just in Catalonia - the communist armies mainly destroyed the collectives elsewhere.”

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Communist forces largely destroyed anarchist collectives across Spain, not just in Catalonia.

**In simple terms:** Communists crushed anarchist collectives.

Key Takeaway

Recognize intra‑left conflicts in history.

Themes

history politics conflict Spain

Mood

critical historical

Type

analytical educational

When to use this quote

- Spanish Civil War studies
- political analysis
- education curricula

Key Concepts

ideology revolution power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How did internal leftist conflicts shape the war?
- What lessons apply to modern movements?

A Different Perspective

The statement simplifies complex alliances and motivations.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Anarchist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchist/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Catalonia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catalonia/) [Communist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communist/) [Communists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communists/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/)

## Related quotes

> [There are Anarchists in other parts of the world who are unable to, comprehend the position of the Spanish Anarchists. I do not pretend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-anarchists-in-other-parts-of-the-world-who-are-unable-to/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ The communists basically acted as the police force of the security system of the \[Spain\] Republic and were very much opposed to the anarchists,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-communists-basically-acted-as-the-police-force-of-the-security/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [“On one of those nights in January 2014, we sat next to each other in Maria Vostra, happy and content, smoking nice greens, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-adam-nyapi/on-one-of-those-nights-in-january-2014-we-sat-next-to-each-other-in/)

[Tomas Adam Nyapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-adam-nyapi/)

> [FC Barcelona is the national team of Catalonia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puyol/fc-barcelona-is-the-national-team-of-catalonia/)

[Carles Puyol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puyol/)

> [Millions of Spaniards have Catalonia in their hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-felipe-vi/millions-of-spaniards-have-catalonia-in-their-hearts/)

[King Felipe VI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-felipe-vi/)

> [The only problem is that there are a lot of people here in Catalonia who want to separate from Spain and a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-pique/the-only-problem-is-that-there-are-a-lot-of-people-here-in-catalonia/)

[Gerard Pique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-pique/)

> [“Before we had finished the third round of beers, little Johnny and I had been poisoned. Someone must have put something in his beer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-adam-nyapi/before-we-had-finished-the-third-round-of-beers-little-johnny-and-i/)

[Tomas Adam Nyapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-adam-nyapi/)

> [The welfare of Catalonia is only possible outside of Spain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/the-welfare-of-catalonia-is-only-possible-outside-of-spain/)

[Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/)

> [“Sabrina surely had one dead ex-boyfriend on her record. But did Martina have a deceased ex-boyfriend in her past too? Biggie’s words swirled in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-adam-nyapi/sabrina-surely-had-one-dead-ex-boyfriend-on-her-record-but-did/)

[Tomas Adam Nyapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-adam-nyapi/)

> [I express Catalonia's wish of being in the E.U. We'll see what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/i-express-catalonia-s-wish-of-being-in-the-e-u-we-ll-see-what-happens/)

[Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/)

> [“- Can you keep secrets? - Yesss. - We are going to make one of the biggest coffeeshops in Barcelona with my boss, Adam.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-adam-nyapi/can-you-keep-secrets-yesss-we-are-going-to-make-one-of-the-biggest/)

[Tomas Adam Nyapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-adam-nyapi/)

> [We're seeing a reaction - and people taking to the streets with pots and pans - in areas where the independence movement isn't supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/we-re-seeing-a-reaction-and-people-taking-to-the-streets-with-pots/)

[Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/)

> [With Rajoy, there is a taboo topic, which is the aspiration of Catalonia to decide its future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carles-puigdemont/with-rajoy-there-is-a-taboo-topic-which-is-the-aspiration-of/)

[Carles Puigdemont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carles-puigdemont/)

> [“One of those days we were in Maria Vostra getting weed; while we were sitting at the bar during some festive day—I think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-adam-nyapi/one-of-those-days-we-were-in-maria-vostra-getting-weed-while-we-were/)

[Tomas Adam Nyapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-adam-nyapi/)

> [“I was standing by the car when two police officers showed up in the alley, very interested in me and the BMW in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomas-adam-nyapi/i-was-standing-by-the-car-when-two-police-officers-showed-up-in-the/)

[Tomas Adam Nyapi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tomas-adam-nyapi/)

## More by Noam Chomsky

> [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

[Explore all 2,129 Noam Chomsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

## More Anarchist quotes

> [The minimum that most minimalists want leaves in place just the institutions who protect their interests. That's libertarians for you - anarchists who want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/the-minimum-that-most-minimalists-want-leaves-in-place-just-the/)

[Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/)

> [Anarchism is a definite intellectual current in the life of our times, whose adherents advocate the abolition of economic monopolies and of all political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/anarchism-is-a-definite-intellectual-current-in-the-life-of-our-times/)

[Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/)

> [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/)

[Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/)

> [“An anarchist government somehow creates an impression in the hearts of citizens that no one cares.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-anarchist-government-somehow-creates-an-impression-in-the-hearts/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [“Bruno was a musician with the temperament of an anarchist and the breath of a bartender's dishrag. He gave the lie to bookselling as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheridan-hay/bruno-was-a-musician-with-the-temperament-of-an-anarchist-and-the/)

[Sheridan Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheridan-hay/)

> [In the sixties, during the Vietnam war, when anarchists and pacifists and socialists, Democrats and Republicans, decent-hearted Americans, all recoiled with horror at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/in-the-sixties-during-the-vietnam-war-when-anarchists-and-pacifists/)

[Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/)

> [Creativity comes by breaking the rules, by saying that you're in love with the anarchist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-roddick/creativity-comes-by-breaking-the-rules-by-saying-that-you-re-in-love/)

[Anita Roddick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-roddick/)

> [The modern day anarchists known as the Tea Party, they believe in no government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/the-modern-day-anarchists-known-as-the-tea-party-they-believe-in-no/)

[Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/)

> [ \[On an anarchist acquaintance:\] Everything in appearance the most alarmist aunt could wish. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-townsend-warner/on-an-anarchist-acquaintance-everything-in-appearance-the-most/)

[Sylvia Townsend Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-townsend-warner/)

> [Anarchists are opposed to violence; everyone knows that. The main plank of anarchism is the removal of violence from human relations. It is life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errico-malatesta/anarchists-are-opposed-to-violence-everyone-knows-that-the-main-plank/)

[Errico Malatesta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errico-malatesta/)

> [The Anarchists are simply unterrified Jeffersonian Democrats. They believe that 'the best government is that which governs least,' and that which governs least is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-tucker/the-anarchists-are-simply-unterrified-jeffersonian-democrats-they/)

[Benjamin Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-tucker/)

> [I am in total opposition to any institutional power. I favor a world of neighborhoods in which all social organization is voluntary and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-hess/i-am-in-total-opposition-to-any-institutional-power-i-favor-a-world/)

[Karl Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-hess/)

> [I'm an anarchist. I'm implacably opposed to heirarchical systems of power and control. I also mistrust crowds, as they often operate according to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/i-m-an-anarchist-i-m-implacably-opposed-to-heirarchical-systems-of/)

[Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/)

> [We must therefore turn to history for enlightenment; here we find that none of the proclaimed anarchist groups correspond to the libertarian position, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/we-must-therefore-turn-to-history-for-enlightenment-here-we-find-that/)

[Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/)

> [“I became an anarchist very early on. Anarchism, in my mind, meant taking democracy seriously and organizing prefiguratively- that is, in a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrej-gruba-i/i-became-an-anarchist-very-early-on-anarchism-in-my-mind-meant-taking/)

[Andrej Grubačić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrej-gruba-i/)

[Browse all 408 Anarchist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchist/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The communists were mainly responsible for the destruction of the Spanish anarchists. Not just in Catalonia - the communist armies mainly destroyed the collectives elsewhere.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Noam Chomsky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-communists-were-mainly-responsible-for-the-destruction-of-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Anarchist"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-communists-were-mainly-responsible-for-the-destruction-of-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/noam-chomsky-42_anarchist_the-communists-were-mainly-responsible-f_3100139.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/noam-chomsky-42_anarchist_the-communists-were-mainly-responsible-f_3100139.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/noam-chomsky-42_anarchist_the-communists-were-mainly-responsible-f_3100139.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The communists were mainly responsible for the destruction of the Spanish anarchists. Not just in Catalonia…” — Noam Chomsky",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Noam Chomsky",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The communists were mainly responsible for...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-communists-were-mainly-responsible-for-the-destruction-of-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-communists-were-mainly-responsible-for-the-destruction-of-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
