Petroleum Revolution

Petroleum Revolution
	Part of the Sexenio Democrático
	; Death of Agustí Albors, the mayor of Alcoy
Date	9 July– 13 July 1873
Location	Alcoy, Spain
Result	Victory of the Spanish republican government.;
Belligerents
First Spanish Republic Alcoy City Hall;	Committee of Public Health; Spanish Regional Federation of the IWA
Commanders and leaders
Emilio Castelar; Agustí Albors †	Severino Albarracín

The Petroleum Revolution (Valencian: La Revolució del Petroli) was a libertarian and syndicalist leaning workers' revolution that took place in Alcoy, Alicante, Spain in 1873. The event is called the Petroleum Revolution since the workers, desperate due to living conditions, carried as their standard petroleum-soaked torches. During those days, according to chroniclers, the city stank of petroleum.

This situation placed the city of Alcoy on the frontlines of the social conflicts of this era, due to the poor situation of the workers, who organised themselves and were pioneers in the establishment of the International Workingmen's Association (AIT) in Spain. During the Petroleum Revolution, workers seized control of the city for days in July 1873, in the course of a general strike which eventually became a riot against the republican mayor Agustí Albors (better known as Pelletes). During the revolt, Albors gave the order to fire on demonstrators, who defended themselves by assaulting the town hall and executing the mayor and trapping the rest of the municipal leadership in the building.

The city declared itself independent, and was governed from 9–13 July 1873 by the Committee of Public Health, presided over by Severino Albarracín. The demonstrators declared a series of pay raises and reducing the work day. Finally, the revolt ended with the intervention of the federal army and the military occupation of the city, hefty repression against the revolutionaries, and practically no improvements for the labouring class. More than 600 workers were put on trial, including minors between 12 and 17 years of age. Many of the accused were condemned to death.