How the Spanish Civil War Changed the Landscape of American Anti-Fascism
By: Benjamin Gruchy
Tags: Antifascism, History, Spanish Civil War, American History

In July 1936, Francisco Franco staged a fascist coup attempt in Spain. The quick reaction of the Spanish people prevented Franco’s coup from immediate success. This quick response developed the incident into a civil war. The Nationalist forces Franco headed would fight for traditionalism, monarchism, and fascism. The Republican side fought to safeguard democracy but was quickly taken over by various leftist factions. Anarchists took hold in Catalonia, but the communists backed by the Soviet Union would ultimately be the dominant faction. And this is where most American volunteers would serve in the war.

Around 3000 Americans volunteered to fight for the Republican Spanish. The Communist Party USA (CPUSA) oversaw the transport of these men to Spain, and even this relatively low number had exceeded their expectation. The number of volunteers reflected how the Spanish Civil War had captivated the American left. The Daily Worker devoted one-third its front-page coverage to the war a week after the conflict’s start. Once they arrived in Spain most men would join the Abraham Lincoln Brigade within the communist lead Popular Front. This brigade is one of the first instances of American anti-fascism, and it was a leftist movement.

Front Page of The New York Daily Worker a week after Franco’s coup attempt.

While they served with the communists, not every volunteer was a communist. The bulk of volunteers were leftists with experience in labor strikes and had a passing interest in Marxist writing. There wasn’t ideological unity beyond general leftist ideas. What united the volunteers was their dedication to fighting fascism internationally. From these commonalities the volunteers developed various political ideas during their time in Spain. Connections between Liberalism and Fascism, appreciation for the Soviet Union, and a growth in internationalism, would be the main developments. These ideas came from the reaction to the war, and from their own experiences in the war.

When liberal nations saw the Spanish Civil War, they decided to stay neutral. America, France, and the U.K. all signed neutrality agreements. The volunteers saw these neutrality agreements as little more than giving the fascists full reign over the conflict, and that the agreements indirectly supported the fascist cause. They saw the continuation of indirect fascist support in the ideas of appeasement from the U.K. and France, and isolationism in America. Meanwhile the Soviets backed the Republicans and helped the CPUSA get the volunteers to Spain despite the neutrality agreements the U.S signed. Where liberal nations failed the Soviets came in, and the volunteers noticed this. The volunteers came to see the Soviets and communist movements in a more positive light due to their aid. While liberal nations lost their reputation among the volunteers due to inaction.

Liberal nations lost most among African American volunteers who saw various connections between white supremacy within liberalism, and the idea’s prevalence in fascism. The U.K. and France still had significant colonial holdings at the time and looked down on their colonial subjects. African American volunteers saw this aspect of liberalism reflected in Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia. In America Jim Crow laws were still prevalent, and racism was still present throughout society. Hitler and Mussolini played off race in similar ways, and this didn’t go unnoticed by African American anti-fascists. Langston Hughes often wrote about these connections in The Daily Worker, and even wrote a poem about Spain and decolonization. African American volunteers looked at the larger international picture of the war, and it gave them these conclusions.

This focus on the international picture was developed by the war’s existence. The conflict was heavily international with many nations taking part, and many people coming from their nation to fight. Germans, Italians, British, French, Americans, and even a Chinese man came out to fight in Spain. The volunteers were similarly internationalists, they had to be to even volunteer for a foreign war. Experiences of the war would reinforce this view. George Orwell recounts about interacting with many people of different nationalities during his time fighting in Spain. The volunteers saw how their goal of stopping fascism was an international pursuit. As well they saw that the fascists had banded together to support Franco. As such the Nationalists had supplies while the Republicans were left to dry. Through these experiences they came to understand its importance more than they already had.

The volunteers are an important part of American anti-fascism, and understanding their political movements helps us understand it better. The move towards the left and away from liberalism, and their focus on the international picture were the most important developments. These ideas can still be seen in America’s modern anti-fascists. They are often leftists with an interest in globalism. By understanding the roots of anti-fascism in America it be comes clear how it evolved into what it is today. Many ideas of today originated from the work of these men did in Spain.