The Spanish Civil War International Brigades to fascists: ‘They shall not pass!’

“No Pasarán.” They will not Pass.
These gripping words of the Spanish communist leader Dolores Ibarruri (“La Pasionaria”) captured the anti-fascist determination that brought thousands of working-class volunteers to the battlefields of Spain eighty-five years ago. Now fascism is rearing its racist head again – all over the world. The international working class must rise up again, but this time to smash fascism and its capitalist masters forever with communist revolution, where the working class rules.
The Spanish Civil War preceded World War II in Europe. The Spanish fascists, led by General Francisco Franco, fought to overthrow the liberal, capitalist Spanish government. These fascist “insurgents” were backed by most of the Spanish ruling class. They were armed and trained by the German Nazis and the Italian Fascists.
Only communism can destroy fascism
The Loyalists, fighting for the Spanish government, were a mixed bag of regular and irregular troops. They included communists, Trotskyists, and assorted liberals. They wanted a liberal, capitalist democracy in Spain. But capitalism turns to fascism in any crisis. Today capitalists are turning to fascism everywhere from China, Russia, the U.S. and everywhere in between. Only destroying capitalism with communist revolution can destroy fascism.
The Loyalists received arms and some training from the fledgling Soviet Union. Communists organized young men and women from all over the world into the International Brigade to fight alongside the Loyalists against fascism. These young workers fought well and bravely. They proved on battlefield after bloody battlefield that thousands of young workers would fight to the death against fascism. But the Loyalists lost the war. Franco's iron fist ruled Spain for the capitalists for nearly 40 years.
Eighty-five years ago, the communist movement did not understand that only communism could defeat fascism. Its strategy was to build an anti-fascist “Popular Front” that would pressure liberal capitalists such as U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to aid the Spanish government. But the “neutral” Roosevelt administration cut off support to the Loyalists, while GM, Texaco, and other U.S. companies funneled trucks and gasoline to the fascists. (The movie Blockade (1938) shows clearly the pro-fascist actions of the U.S. bosses). Worldwide, the fight to finally destroy fascism must be a fight for communism.
Who were the soldiers of the International Brigade?
In 1996, 500 members of the International Brigades were honored in Madrid. Here are some of their stories:
Sam Russell was preparing to finish his studies on Ancient Egypt, when he decided to fight in Spain. Why did he change his mind? “All governments were very permissive towards Hitler's and Mussolini's aggressions. Those of us who had certain values couldn't remain with our arms crossed against fascism.”
Trudel “Trudy” Van Reemst-de Vries, a Dutch Jewish woman, served as a nurse. After the war, she and her husband joined the anti-Nazi Resistance in Holland. Her only son was born while she was fighting in the Resistance. Van reesmst-de Vries was arrested and sent to a Nazi concentration camp and never saw her son. Still, she said: “I will do it again because I knew I was fighting for the future of my child and the children of all other mothers.”
Mikel Economides was a Cypriot volunteer. He says, “We are not the ones who deserve to be honored. It is the people of Spain who deserve … when fascism seemed unbeatable, they showed that common folks could fight fascism.”
The International Brigades were 40,000 strong coming from 52 countries Some 16,000 gave their lives fighting fascism. Communists were 60 percent of the volunteers and another 20 percent became communists during the civil war. Today as the imperialist powers prepare for world war once again, we must rebuild the communist movement to not only destroy fascism, but the worldwide capitalist system that breeds fascism.