In Germany, unlike the Latin countries, the anarchistic agitation has never had much significance. The "propaganda of action," however, has resulted in various deeds of violence—for instance, the at tempted assassination of Emperor Wil helm I., by Hoedel (1878), and the at tempt of Reinsdorf against the German princes at the dedication of the Nieder wald monument, in 1883. The latter caused the enactment of the law against the criminal use of explosives on June 9, 1884. In consequence of the assassi nation of the French President Carnot by an Italian anarchist, in December, 1894, there was an attempt made to in crease the severity of the German laws, but the proposition was rejected by the Reichstag. The assassination of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria, by an Italian anarchist, in 1898, and also that Of the Spanish statesman Canovas by an Italian anarchist led the Italian Gov ernment to feel that it was its duty to call for some international action for the suppression of anarchists and an anti anarchist conference was held at Rome in the latter part of 1878. It had, how ever, no further result than a propo sition to institute a sort of international intelligence service for the watching of anarchists. King Humbert of Italy was, notwithstanding this vigilance, assassi nated by an anarchist, in 1900 (July 29).
Francisco Ferrer, who at one period of his life had been actively engaged in lnarchistic propaganda, but had later abandoned it, was arrested in 1909, fol lowing serious riots in Barcelona, Spain. It was charged that his teachings were responsible for the uprising. In spite of the impossibility of proving these charges definitely, he was executed on Oct. 12, 1909. In November, 1910, an at tempt was made by a group of anarchist Socialists to assassinate the Mikado of Japan. Twelve of these were executed. King George of Greece was assassinated at Salonica on March 18, 1913.
Following the assassination of Presi dent McKinley in 1902 by an avowed anarchist, Leon Czolgosz, Congress passed laws excluding anarchists from the classes permitted to immigrate into the United States.
In 1892 France passed the law impos ing the death penalty upon those who should cause damage to property by the use of explosives. After the attempt of Vaillant in the Chamber of Deputies and the murder of President Carnot, special laws against anarchists were passed in 1893 and 1894, whereby the glorification of anarchistic crime and the incitement thereto were made criminal offenses and the punishment of anarchists was provided for. In 1894, Switzerland passed a law against the criminal use of explosives and the incitement of such crimes. Similar laws were also passed in 1894-1896 in Spain and Italy. Dis ordered conditions following upon the end of the World War gave the anarchists an opportunity for carrying on effective propaganda. Although anarchists as a class did not dominate in the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, both the leaders and the rank and file of the movement carried out to a large degree the princi ples of anarchism.
There was persistent propaganda carried on in the United States with the greatest audacity, following the war, by avowed anarchists, the most prominent of whom were Emma Goldman and Alex ander Berkman. The officers of the Gov ernment, under authority given by war measures, began vigorous measures ifi December, 1919, for the suppression of anarchistic and communistic propaganda. The headquarters of the radical societies throughout the country were raided and many of the leaders were taken prisoners for the purpose of deportation. In the same month about 300 anarchists, in cluding Emma Goldman and Berkman, were deported. Several thousand other anarchists were held in confinement pending examination.