How did Bakunin's followers gain influence in Spain and Italy?

Mikhail Bakunin’s followers gained influence in Spain and Italy primarily by establishing branches of the First International and organizing working-class movements that prioritized direct action and the rejection of state authority.12

In Spain, the spread of Bakunin’s influence was catalyzed in 1868 by his Italian disciple, Giuseppe Fanelli, who visited Barcelona and Madrid to establish branches of the International. These efforts were highly successful, leading to a movement that numbered tens of thousands of members by the early 1870s. Spanish anarchism eventually became deeply rooted among factory workers in Catalonia and impoverished peasants in Andalusia, who were drawn to the movement's militant stance against army and employer oppression.3

In Italy, Bakunin’s influence was established through his own revolutionary networks and the subsequent activities of his followers, who remained a significant force in the region after the split within the First International. Anarchists were particularly active in areas like the Romagna and the south, where they engaged in insurrectionary activities, such as the 1877 Matese uprising, to advocate for their principles. While some early leaders, such as Andrea Costa, eventually transitioned toward socialist parliamentary politics, Bakunin’s collectivist and insurrectionary ideas remained a foundational element of the Italian radical movement.1245