On the Correspondences between R. Michels and the Syndicalists

Abstract

The Robert Michels’ Archive at the Fondazione Einaudi in Turin keeps the correspondences between the German sociologist and several Italian Revolutionary syndicalists, including Arturo Labriola and Enrico Leone. Furthermore, it contains the mails that Michels received from Georges Sorel and Hubert Lagardelle. Compared to other historical sources (autobiography, diary, etc.), this consistent set of documents provides not only important information about the Michels’ political placement in the socialist movement, but permits also understanding his relevance in the European cultural context, reconstructing his network ofpersonal relationships. These unpublished documents cross the bounds of the studies about Michels, representing an important source for the political and cultural European history.

Key words: Revolutionary Syndicalism, Robert Michels, Georges Sorel, The Second International, Marxism