Malatesta was a principled anarchist — he would always adhere to anarchist principles no matter what the situation. He always rejected party politics and political revolution, preferring social revolution; he was even suspicious of the use of revolutionary trade unions, as anarcho-syndicalists advocate.
His constant work as an organizer and speaker embodied his ideals of free association: for Malatesta, it was only useful to join an organization for the purpose of doing something with that group of people. There was no sense in belonging to a group simply to belong.
Malatesta was born in Santa Maria Capua Vetere in the Caserta province of southern Italy. The first of a long series of arrests came at just fourteen, when he was apprehended for writing a letter to King Victor Emmanuel II, complaining about local injustice.
Malatesta was introduced to Mazzinian Republicanism while studying medicine at the University of Naples — however, he was expelled from those studies in 1871 for joining a demonstration. Partly via his enthusiasm for the Paris Commune and partly via his friendship with Carmelo P ...
