The limits of anarchist anti-imperialism: Class, national identity, and transnationalism in the encounter between anarchism and imperialism in Cuba (1898-1902)

Following significant research dedicated to foregrounding the global dimensions of the anarchist movement, anarchism is increasingly appreciated as a transnational movement which was not contained solely within Europe. In spite of this, the literature remains markedly Eurocentric and consequently there is an acute lack of understanding of anarchism’s interplay with imperialism. Yet, anti-imperialism is often viewed as a core feature of anarchism, and accounts of the movement’s relationship to it tend to shirk assessments of the extent to which it was capable or constrained in challenging imperialism. Accordingly, this dissertation critically analyses the encounter between anarchism and imperialism in Cuba between 1898-1902. In particular, the dissertation will explore the themes of the nation, nationalism and national identity, all of which are poorly documented within anarchist studies. This dissertation demonstrates that the Cuban anarchist movement constructed a clear anti-imperialism based on class struggle and social revolution, but it simultaneously insists that this was constrained by antagonisms revolving around national identity. To demonstrate this, the dissertation will a) examine the anarchist conceptualization of imperialism, b) foreground divisions relating to national identity and class c) analyse the workplace and anarchist praxis. Throughout there will be a consideration of how transnationalism was a key process to the formation and constraints of anarchist anti-imperialism in Cuba.