Abstract
‘When the fighting broke out on 18 July [1936] it is probable that every anti-Fascist in Europe felt a thrill of hope. For here, at last, apparently, was democracy standing up to Fascism. For years past the so-called democratic countries had been surrendering to Fascism at every step. […] It seemed — possibly it was — the turning of the tide.’1 So wrote George Orwell about the Spanish military revolt, backed by two of Europe’s fascist powers, Italy and Germany, against the Spanish popular front government.2 However, the national leadership of the ‘official’ (i.e. non-communist) British labour movement advocated support for the right-wing National’ government’s policy of non-intervention in Spain. By denying the Republic’s right under international law to buy arms for self-defence, this agreement effectively aided the rebels. Though the labour movement eventually reversed its policy, the national leadership took little positive action in support of the Republic.
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Notes
George Orwell, ‘Homage to Catalonia’ in George Orwell (ed.) Orwell in Spain (London: Penguin, 2001), p. 170.
Jim Fyrth, The Signal Was Spain. The Aid Spain Movement in Britain, 1936–39 (London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1986), p. 21.
See Hywel Francis, Miners Against Fascism. Wales and the Spanish Civil War (London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1984) and
Mike Squires, The Aid to Spain Movement in Battersea, 1936–1939 (London: Elmsfield Publications, 1994).
Nigel Todd, In Excited Times. The People Against the Blackshirts (Whitley Bay: Bewick Press, 1995), pp. 13, 23, 26, 28–33, 65, 74.
North Mail, 24 February 1937, 5 March 1937; Alec Robson, Spike: Alec ‘Spike’ Robson 1895–1979: Class Fighter (North Shields: North Tyneside TUC, 1987), p. 11.
Tom Buchanan, The Spanish Civil War and the British Labour Movement (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991), p. 212.
Don Watson and John Corcoran, An Inspiring Example: The North East of England and the Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939 (London: McGuffin Press, 1996), p. 20.
Jim Fyrth, ‘The Aid Spain Movement in Britain, 1936–39’ History Workshop Journal, 35, 1993, p. 162.
Jim Fyrth, History Workshop Journal, 35, 1993, p. 162.
Jim Fyrth, History Workshop Journal, 35, 1993, pp. 162–3.
Tom Buchanan, ‘Britain’s Popular Front? Aid for Spain and the British Labour Movement’ History Workshop Journal, 31, 1991, p. 71.
Jim Fyrth, History Workshop Journal, 35, 1993, p. 162.
Jim Fyrth, History Workshop Journal, 35, 1993, p. 161.
Jim Fyrth, History Workshop Journal, 35, 1993, p. 161.
Frank Graham, The Battle of Jarama (Newcastle: F. Graham, 1987), p. 34.
Noreen Branson, ‘Myths from Right and Left’, in Jim Fyrth (ed.), Britain, Fascism and the Popular Front (London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1985), p. 127.
Andrew Thorpe, ‘The Membership of the Communist Party of Great Britain, 1920–1945’, Historical Journal, 43, 3, 2000, p. 783.
David Blaazer, The Popular Front and the Progressive Tradition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), passim.
Jim Fyrth, History Workshop Journal, 35, 1993, p. 161.
Tom Buchanan, History Workshop Journal, 31, 1991, p. 65.
Tom Buchanan, History Workshop Journal, 31, 1991, p. 67.
Jim Fyrth, History Workshop Journal, 35, 1993, p. 160.
Tom Buchanan, History Workshop Journal, 31, 1991, p. 62.
Jim Fyrth, History Workshop Journal, 35, 1993, p. 156.
Tom Buchanan, History Workshop Journal, 31, 1991, p. 71.
Tom Buchanan, History Workshop Journal, p. 70; Jim Fyrth, History Workshop Journal, 35, 1993, p. 163.
Tom Buchanan, History Workshop Journal, 31, 1991, p. 71.
J. Klugmann, ‘The Crisis of the Thirties: A View From the Left’, in J. Clark, M. Heinemann, D. Margolies and C. Snee (eds), Culture and Crisis in Britain in the 30s (London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1979), p. 19.
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Mates, L.H. (2005). Practical Anti-fascism? The ‘Aid Spain’ Campaigns in North-East England, 1936–39. In: Copsey, N., Renton, D. (eds) British Fascism, the Labour Movement and the State. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230522763_7
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