Emma Gold is recognized as the FBI's unchallenged head by Edgard Hoover "America's most dangerous woman." Who is she? Why was she given the nickname Red Emma? And how did she influence the assassination of the American president? All this in more detail in the article.
Birth
Emma Goldman was originally from Russia, more precisely from the Russian Empire. She was born in Lithuania, in the city of Kovno, on June 27, 1869. Today this city is called Kaunas. Her parents were considered petty-bourgeois Jews, they kept a small mill, which served as a source of their existence. When Emma was 13 years old, the family moved to St. Petersburg.
Revolutionary life was boiling in the capital at that time: Emperor Alexander II died at the hands of two terrorist bombers. Passion for revolutionary ideas was then considered a fashionable activity among young people. It was during these years that Emma “became infected” with such ideas.
First emigration to the USA
At 17, Emma emigrated to the United States. In Rochester (New York), she began working in a textile factory. In 1887, she married a worker and received citizenship. However, the rebellious spirit made itself felt: the girl learned about the four hanged anarchists who participated in the riot in Chicago, and immediately decided to join the anarchist movement.
Political Views
Until now, many people are interested in one question: what exactly did Emma Goldman preach - anarchism, anarcho-communism, anarcho-individualism, anarcho-feminism? There is no answer to it. Emma was one of those who sincerely believed in the bright ideals of democracy and democracy. It is in anarchism, in her opinion, that freedom of thought, conscience, and word is manifested. It was oppressed by the rigid framework of a centralized state, which is designed only to enslave, oppress one class for the sake of others. But the distinguishing feature of "Red Emma" was that she never called for death for the "bright ideas of the future." On the contrary, she loved life, she loved faith in future changes. Her enemies became those for whom life was not the main value.
Was Emma a revolutionary?
Until now, some publicists and journalists have asked the question: was Emma revolutionary at all? Was she rightly expelled to Russia in 1917 on an old dirty steamer? If you carefully analyze her political views, then in these matters there is nothing surprising. Political activist Emma goes beyond the usual image of a revolutionary. The main thing in it is to completely immerse yourself in the ideas of a brighter future, in the ideas of revolution. He should have neither his interests, nor feelings, nor deeds, nor affections. Even the revolutionary should only have dreams about the realization of his goals. Naturally, he should not doubt for a second whether he should give his life for the bright ideals of the future.
Emma had a completely different opinion. She respected and idolized the theoreticians of the Russian revolution: Mikhail Bakunin, Sergey Nechaev, Nikolai Ogaryov. However, Emma did not agree with them in the thoughts of total absorption by the revolutionary idea. She believed that such thoughts were no different from the thoughts of large bankers from Wall Street, who are also completely immersed in their business for profit. Why deprive yourself of sex, creativity, joy of life for the sake of revolution? Isn’t it in building a bright future? Then why sacrifice them now?
Emma believed that without joy, a person turns into a biorobot, into a mindless animal that is being slaughtered for unknown future purposes. Her friends became those who, like her, refused to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the bright life of future generations. All this raises one logical question: was Emma really a revolutionary? Or was she just a representative of that group of people who in the future will be called "civil society"?
Emma's fight
Emma Goldman fought not for the abstract ideas of “building a bright future”, but for completely understandable and ordinary things that were considered insignificant and trifling in the circles of American anarchist revolutionaries: for sexual freedom, reform of the institution of marriage, refusal to draft in the army, etc.
The American authorities did not consider the propaganda of the refusal to draft in the army "trifling": in 1917 the First World War was on. The United States helped the Allies not only with material and technical support, but also sent their soldiers to the front. Ordinary Americans did not want to go to war, the ideas of desertion and sabotage of the call found practical application. Therefore, Emma’s activity during this period of time was considered dangerous. In 1917, she and many other anarchists were sent to Russia, where at that time the Great October Revolution had already taken place.
Sailing away from the US on a boat and looking at the Statue of Liberty from afar, Emma will say: "And this country is proud of freedom of speech, independence of opinion, and I am being deported for just that."
Arrival in Russia
The road to our country inspired Emma. She considered Soviet Russia to be an advanced country, which should set an example to the world. Still, if such a powerful Russian empire had collapsed under the blows of the revolutionary forces, then the rest of the countries would certainly not stand it. Did Emma know the true state of affairs in Soviet Russia, sailing on a boat? Unknown By this time, Lenin and the Bolsheviks had long been isolated from all revolutionary forces, seized power, and sent to prison many anarchists and social revolutionaries. The "hunt" for party comrades from the Menshevik wing has already begun.
Meeting with Lenin
Emma Goldman met with many revolutionaries in our country. I visited even the anarchist Nestor Makhno, but she especially remembered the meeting with V. I. Lenin. She completely changed the attitude of Red Emma towards the Russian revolution. Emma and Vladimir Ilyich did not like each other. The leader of the Russian revolution did not even remember her at all, and the “most dangerous woman of America” rarely recalled her, but with a negative connotation. Emma believed that the revolution gave the world an example of democracy, freedom of speech, religion, etc. However, Lenin's words completely changed this idea: Vladimir Ilyich at the meeting said that all this was just bourgeois prejudice.
In fact, the leader of the Bolsheviks bluntly stated that the bloody events in our country not only did not improve the situation of all working people, but, on the contrary, only worsened. Fear and terror are the main ideals of a new life. Naturally, Emma could not support this. Later she writes about Lenin that “he knows how to play on people's weaknesses with flattery, awards, and medals. "I remained convinced that after reaching his plans, he could get rid of them." She was frankly disappointed in Lenin and in the ideals of the Russian revolution.
Deportation back
In 1921, a paradoxical thing happened: Emma was sent by boat to the place from where she had previously been deported - to the United States of America. The reason is the same: she refused to be silent.
In 1924, her book My Disappointment in Russia was published. She proves how sincere this woman was that she spoke only the truth, was not politically engaged. Nobody could reproach her for corruption, protection of someone's interests. Indeed, at first in the USA there was propaganda of anarchism. After deportation to Russia, she did not fight the “decaying West”. On the contrary, seeing the even worse situation of people in Russia after the revolution, she began to uphold the democratic principles of the West, for which she was sent back.
The appearance of the book “My Disappointment in Russia” pushed many left-wing friends from it. Emma didn't care. The main thing, she believed, was to tell people the truth, what you really believe in. It was not in her style to deceive herself and others for the sake of momentary preferences.
The murder of McKinley
Emma's contemporaries considered her indirectly involved in the murder of the American president. However, there are many inconsistencies in this story.
The 25th President of the United States, William McKinley, died on September 14, 1901. The official version is as follows: the first person in the state could not cope with the consequences of the attempt. On September 5, 1901, “after listening to Emma Goldman’s fiery speeches,” zealous anarchist Leon Frank Cholgosh shot the president twice at the Pan American exhibition in Buffalo.
A strange combination of circumstances
The murder of the American president in 1901 is not so simple.
Firstly, the activity of the guard is puzzling. At first, employees stated that they did not notice any suspicious people. Then the testimony changed: behind the Cholgosh there was a huge growth black waiter, who seemed dangerous to them. Then why didn’t they notice the gun in the hands of the anarchist next to him? By the way, it was this waiter who neutralized Cholgosh with a blow to the head with his fist after the second shot.
Secondly, further events are puzzling. The president did not die right away. In addition, friends and relatives claimed that he will live, is recovering. On September 13, 1901, the press loudly trumpeted that McKinley had begun to eat solid foods, that he would recover soon, and on September 14, the president died unexpectedly.
After his death, Theodore Roosevelt became the acting president , who did not step away from the sick president. A little later, he himself will become the first person of the state.
Emma's latest political activity
So who is Emma Goldman? The biography of this woman makes it clear to posterity that she is a living example of unwavering views and judgments. All people over the years change their attitude to certain things, statements, considering this a momentary weakness, youthful maximalism, etc. Emma did not stop believing her ideals for a minute even when she became disappointed in the Russian revolution. In her last years, she also devoted herself to political struggle: in 1936 she went to Spain to support the Spanish anarchists in the Civil War on the side of the republican government.
She will not return to her second Motherland anymore. May 14, 1940 Emma will die from a brain hemorrhage. She will be allowed to be buried next to the shot anarchists in Chicago, because of which her struggle for an ideal society began.