Seeds of Fire: A People’s Chronology

Recalling events that happened on this day in history.
Memories of struggle, resistance and persistence.

Compiled by Ulli Diemer

July 17, 1867
Birth of Leo Jogiches (1867-1919), Marxist revolutionary.
July 17 - August 10, 1903
The Second Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Rossiiskaia Sotsial-Demokraticheskaia Rabochaia Partiia) takes place in Brussels and London. Outlawed in Russia, the party is forced to meet abroad, and when the Russian government pressures the Belgian government, the delegates are forced to pack up in the middle of the Congress and reconvene in London. A sharp disagreement over elements of the party program results in a split between the majority (Bolshevik) and minority (Menshevik) factions. Related Topics: Bolshevism – Mensheviks
July 17, 1936
Right-wing military officers in Spain stage a coup. The coup is partially successful, but fails to take control of the whole country, and a three-year civil war ensues, resulting in the eventual victory of the right and the establishment of a fascist dictatorship headed by General Francisco Franco. Related Topics: Coups – Spanish Civil War
July 17, 1979
Fighters of the Sandinista National Liberation Front overthrow the U.S.-supported dictatorial regime of Anastasio Somoza in Nicaragua and force him to flee the country. The notorious and feared U.S.-trained National Guard crumbles and its surviving commanders negotiate a surrender, despite their superiority in armaments. Related Topics: Nicaragua – Nicaraguan Revolution – Sandinistas