Rafael Vidiella
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Rafael Vidiella Franch (1890 – 23 September 1982) was a trade unionist and communist politician from Catalonia. He served as a minister in the government of Catalonia during the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
(1936–1939).


Early years (1890–1936)

Rafael Vidiella Franch was born in
Tortosa Tortosa (, ) is the capital of the '' comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the hi ...
in 1890. He became a typographer, and as a young man joined the anarchist '' Confederación Nacional de Trabajadores'' (CNT, National Confederation of Workers). During the dictatorship of
Miguel Primo de Rivera Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja, 2nd Marquis of Estella, Grandee, GE (8 January 1870 – 16 March 1930), was a Spanish dictator and military officer who ruled as prime minister of Spain from 1923 to 1930 during the last years of the Resto ...
from 1923 to 1930 he edited the newspaper ''Solidaridad Obrera'' (''Worker's Solidarity'') in
Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
. In 1925 Vidiella represented the CNT in the communist-anarchist-Esquerra discussions. He left the CNT and became an activist in the socialist ''
Unión General de Trabajadores The Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT, General Union of Workers) is a major Spanish trade union, historically affiliated with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). History The UGT was founded 12 August 1888 by Pablo Iglesias Posse i ...
'' (UGT, General Workers' Union). From 1931 Vidiella was head of the Catalan Federation of the ''
Partido Socialista Obrero Español The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( , PSOE ) is a Social democracy, social democratic Updated as required.The PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources: * * * * List of political parties in Spain, political party ...
'' (PSOE, Spanish Socialist Workers' Party). Efforts to merge the small left-wing parties of Catalonia began in March 1935. The ''Bloque Obrero y Campesino'' and the ''Izquierda Comunista'' merged in October 1935 to form the '' Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista'' (POUM, Workers' Party of Marxist Unification). The ''Unió Socialista de Catalunya'' was linked to the ''Esquerra Catala'' led by
Lluís Companys Lluís Companys i Jover (; 21 June 1882 – 15 October 1940) was a Catalan politician who served as president of Catalonia, Spain from 1934 and during the Spanish Civil War. Companys was a lawyer close to the labour movement and one of the mo ...
, and were reluctant to join. Negotiations over forming a unified party dragged out before the start of the civil war. The Catalan Communist Federation wanted the new party to join the
Communist International The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern and also known as the Third International, was a political international which existed from 1919 to 1943 and advocated world communism. Emerging from the collapse of the Second Internationa ...
, while Vidiella as leader of the Catalan federation of the PSOE wanted the new party to join the
Labour and Socialist International The Labour and Socialist International (LSI) was an international organization of socialist and labourist parties, active between 1923 and 1940. The group was established through a merger of the rival Vienna International and the Berne Intern ...
.
Joan Comorera Joan Comorera i Soler (or Juan Comorera y Soler; 5 September 1894 – 7 May 1958) was a Spanish Communist politician, journalist and writer from Catalonia who spent several years in Argentina before returning to Spain in 1931 at the start of the S ...
of the ''Unió Socialista'' did not want the new party to be affiliated with any international group. Eventually, however, Comorera and Vidiella agreed that the new party could adhere to the Comintern, and it was launched. In May 1936 Vidiella resigned from the PSOE national committee. After a few months Comorera and Vidiella became members of the '' Partido Comunista Español'' (PCE, Spanish Communist Party) central committee. At first the '' Partit Socialista Unificat de Catalunya'' (PSUC, Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia) had between two and five thousand members, but by March 1937 it may have had 50,000.


Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)

On 21 July 1936 the ''Generalitat'' passed a decree recognizing the Central Committee of Anti-fascist Militias of Catalonia. Vidiella and Fernández were given charge of the Investigation Commission. In the government of the Catalan ''Generalitat'' named by President Lluís Companys on 31 July 1936 the PSUC was given three ministries. Joan Comorera was Minister of the Economy, Rafael Vidiella was Minister of Communications and
Estanislau Ruiz Ponsetti Estanislau Ruiz Ponsetti, or Estanislau Ruiz i Ponsetí in Catalan (23 June 1889 – 1967), was a Spanish engineer and socialist politician who became one of the leaders of the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (Partit Socialista Unificat de Ca ...
was Minister of Supplies. The government wanted to avoid trials of people charged with murder during the revolutionary period that followed the defeat of the 18 July 1936 military uprising in Catalonia. Vidiella prepared a press release which said the Council of the Generalitat had unanimously accepted his proposal to order the courts not to treat "revolutionary events" as crimes. Companys said it should not be published, but Vidiella went ahead anyway and the report appeared in the newspapers. There was no public denial. The dominant CNT-FAI objected to the inclusion of the PSUC, and on 6 August 1936 a new government was formed that excluded the PSUC. On 17 December 1936 a new "syndical" government of Catalonia took office. Three members of the PSUC represented the UGT in this government: Vidiella (Justice), Comorera (Provisions) and Miquel Valdés (Labor and Public Works). On 16 April 1937 there was a cabinet reshuffle and Vidiella became Minister of Labor and Public Works. On 25 April 1937 Roldán Cortada, a PSUC leader, was murdered. Vidiella accused the anarchists of responsibility, and this led to the
May Days The May Days (, ), sometimes also called May Events (, ), were a series of clashes between 3 and 8 May 1937 during which factions on the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republican side of the Spanish Civil War engaged one another in str ...
clashes between the Stalinists and anarchists in the first week of May 1937. On 5 May 1937 the government resigned. Antonio Sesé, the PSUC secretary, was killed shortly after being appointed to the new Executive Council of the Generalidad. Vidiella was appointed Minister of Public Order, Justice and Labor in his place. On 28 June 1937 Companys formed a new government in which Vidiella was Minister of Labor and Public Works. He would hold this post for the remainder of the civil war. On 7 September 1937 Vidiella said "the judges cannot consider accusations having to do with the revolutionary events provoked by the rebellious generals, since to do so would be to prosecute the revolution itself."


Later career (1939–1982)

After the civil war Vidiella lived in exile in several countries before settling in Budapest. During the struggle between
Joan Comorera Joan Comorera i Soler (or Juan Comorera y Soler; 5 September 1894 – 7 May 1958) was a Spanish Communist politician, journalist and writer from Catalonia who spent several years in Argentina before returning to Spain in 1931 at the start of the S ...
and the leadership of the ''
Partido Comunista de España The Communist Party of Spain (; PCE) is a Communism, communist party that, since 1986, has been part of the United Left (Spain), United Left coalition, which is currently part of Sumar (electoral platform), Sumar. Two of its politicians are Spa ...
'' (PCE, Spanish Communist Party) he sided with the latter. For several years he was one of the leaders of the PCE. He contributed to the magazine ''Nous Horitzons'' founded in 1960. In 1976 he returned to Spain and settled in Barcelona, where he died on 23 September 1982.


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Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vidiella i Franch, Rafael 1890 births 1982 deaths Spanish communists