Kropotkin

Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin (1842–1921)

Early Life and Education

Born December 9, 1842, in Moscow to an aristocratic family. Attended Page Corps military academy, served Tsar Alexander II. Later served in Siberia (1862-1867) while developing social consciousness.

Radicalization and Activism

Witnessed tsarist oppression in Siberia, resigned from military in 1867. Joined revolutionary circles in 1870s, embraced anarchism in Switzerland. Arrested in 1874, escaped prison in 1876.

Exile in Europe (1876–1917)

Became leading anarchist theorist, wrote foundational works while in Switzerland, France, and England. Developed concept of "mutual aid" as evolutionary principle.

Return to Russia and Final Years

Returned post-1917 Revolution, criticized Bolshevik authoritarianism. Died February 8, 1921. Massive anarchist funeral procession.

Legacy

Influenced anarchism, labor movements, and ecological activism. Concepts revived in 21st-century mutual aid networks.

Major Works

• The Conquest of Bread (1892)
• Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution (1902)
• Fields, Factories, and Workshops (1899)
• Memoirs of a Revolutionist (1899)
• The State: Its Historic Role (1897)

Other Notable Writings

• Words of a Rebel (1885)
• In Russian and French Prisons (1887)
• The Great French Revolution (1909)
• Ethics: Origin and Development (1924)