The anarchist militia that tried to reshape Spain while fighting a brutal civil war.

Science · Published 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Led by Buenaventura Durruti, the Durruti Column was a self-organized anarchist militia that rejected traditional military hierarchy. While fighting to capture Zaragoza from Nationalist forces, they simultaneously established agricultural collectives, abolished money, and attempted to build a new society from the ground up, all while facing severe equipment shortages.

Formed in July 1936 following the defeat of a military uprising in Barcelona, the Durruti Column represented a radical experiment in anti-authoritarian warfare. Unlike the conventional armies favored by the Republican government, the column operated without a formal chain of command, relying instead on committees of elected representatives. This structure faced immediate skepticism from professional military advisors like Enric Pérez Farràs, who doubted its feasibility in combat. Despite these internal tensions, the column mobilized thousands of volunteers, ranging from metalworkers to miners, who were united by the goal of pushing back against fascist forces in Aragon.

The column’s strategy was defined by a dual focus: military engagement and social revolution. As they advanced toward Zaragoza, they occupied villages to dismantle private property and establish agricultural collectives. This process was often coercive, causing friction with local peasants who feared the influence of Soviet-style collectivization. Militarily, the column struggled with a chronic lack of ammunition and outdated weaponry. By mid-August 1936, the front had largely stagnated, forcing the militia to rely on guerrilla tactics, such as surprise raids and supply looting, to maintain pressure on Nationalist lines. Their failure to capture Zaragoza was attributed by some to Durruti’s inexperience, while others, like historian Antony Beevor, argued that the lack of strategic concentration of the militia forces hampered their effectiveness.

The column’s trajectory shifted dramatically in November 1936 when they were transferred to defend Madrid during the city's siege. During the intense fighting at the Battle of Ciudad Universitaria, Durruti was killed, an event that sparked lasting controversy and rumors of assassination by political rivals. Following his death, the unit was eventually reorganized into the 26th Division of the Spanish Republican Army by mid-1937. This transition marked the end of the column's existence as an independent, self-governing entity, as the Republican government moved to centralize control over all militia forces, effectively absorbing the anarchist experiment into the broader, more conventional structure of the state military.

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