Grandizo Munis

Who was Grandizo Munis?

Grandizo Munis was a Spanish politician.

Grandizo first entered revolutionary politics as a member of the Izquierda Comunista de España or Left Communists of Spain. This group was led by Andrés Nin and was in sympathy with the views of Leon Trotsky and therefore affiliated to the International Communist League.

Trotsky was opposed to the name of the group which he argued was imprecise and badly expressed the program of the Bolshevik-Leninists. In addition he entered into dispute with Nin and the ICE when they refused his suggestion to enter the youth organisation of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party. The majority of the ICE then split with Trotsky leaving a small remnant grouping which included Grandizo Munis.

With the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 Munis was a member of the tiny Seccion Bolshevik-Leninista. This organisation sought to influence the ranks of the larger Workers' Party of Marxist Unification and also worked closely with the more left wing anarchists of the Durruti Column.

The Trotskyists were among the very few to oppose the Popular Front government and openly took part in the May Days of 1937. This event led to their suppression by the government which was now dominated by the Stalinists. This meant that Munis was forced into illegality and had to flee for fear of his life.