Biography Angelica Balabanoff

angelica balabanoff visiting david ben gurion in tel aviv, 1962

balabanoff born wealthy family in chernihiv, russian empire, rebelled against mother s strictness. while attending université libre de bruxelles in brussels, belgium, exposed political radicalism. after graduation degrees in philosophy , literature, settled in rome , began organize immigrant workers in textile industry, joining partito socialista italiano (italian socialist party, later became leader of) in 1900. became closely associated antonio labriola, giacinto menotti serrati, benito mussolini, , filippo turati (the founder of italian socialist party).

she moved further left during first world war, becoming active in zimmerwald movement. during war, spent time in exile in neutral sweden, affiliated left socialist movement , became close friend of swedish communist leaders ture nerman, fredrik ström, zeth höglund , kata dalström.

when russian revolution broke out in 1917, balabanoff joined bolshevik party , travelled russia. according emma goldman, became disillusioned style of socialism in russia , [she] had become rooted in soil of italy. balabanoff told goldman of discomfort temporarily living in narishkin palace. became secretary of communist third international in 1919 , worked alongside vladimir lenin, leon trotsky, grigory zinoviev, , emma goldman, many others. became open critic of bolshevism , left russia in 1922, travelling italy , joining giacinto menotti serrati. after serrati left rejoin communists, led maximalist group until rise of fascism forced exile in switzerland, edited avanti! , became secretary of paris bureau. moved paris, in new york city @ outbreak of second world war. when war ended, returned italy , joined socialist workers party, became italian democratic socialist party (after including united socialist party).