"The International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War were" Topic

… the First Jewish Resistance to Fascism

"The Holocaust claimed six million Jewish lives. The Second World War, provoked by the same fascist regimes who slaughtered Jews, killed a further 70 million civilians and soldiers, including 405,000 Americans. Fascism was the 20th century's greatest trauma.

It seems obvious, then, that both the first Jews and the first Americans to take up arms and risk their lives to halt fascism's spread must go down in history as heroes, with their story widely taught.

Sadly, that is not the case. The honor of being "first armed resisters" to fascism goes to the men and women of the International Brigades, a remarkable volunteer army of 35,0000 people from 85 of today's countries who travelled to Spain in 1936 to defend its democracy against the fascist-backed rebels of future dictator General Francisco Franco…"

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Armand

I'm more inclined to think of them as supporters of communism rather than resisters against fascists.

Same same. I recently watched a show on the Science channel about the SCW. Who would have guessed that it was a war between the fascist and anti-fascist with any mention of the communist. I guess it was about as honest as calling it a war between the communist and anti-communist.

The "anti-fascists" were more than just communists.

The 2nd Republic was a tenuous consortium of socialists, labor, anarchists, Basque, and communists. The communists rose to power later as the Soviets were supplying most of the arms for Spanish gold. And the units the communists raised were better disciplined, as well as better armed.

Most International Brigades were indeed recruited under the flag of the CommIntern, but not every member who served was a card carrying communist.

Jhancock, true but the "anti-communists" we're more than just Fascists.

They were a mix of centerists, Royalists, Basque High Catholics, Supports of a different branch of the royal family, military officers who wanted to.maintain the the status quo. Falange party at the start was supported by about 1% of population, like the communists.

Franco was never a real Fascist, Italian Fascist party did not want to support him. Some account claim the Blue Division sent to Russia was a way of removing the more militant Fascists.

Fascist, Socialist, Communists, Nazis, Imperialists, Jihadis, white supremacists, the radical Go Green movement …

I'm getting too old for this 💩 !!!!

By my reading those flocking to Spain on the International Brigades were Communists

The Communist take military power when the Republicans became to fall down…

Mostly of desertion from that side began with that move…

It was the beginning of the end…

The Blue Division was half of volunteers and half of old Franco soldiers….

I cannot agree that the Spanish Jews were communists…..

Armand

@14Bore: Then your reading is limited. Jason Gurney wasn't a communist, neither were many other volunteers. Just because the Communist Party formed the IBs didn't make all their members communists. On top of that, the motivation was certainly not to impose communism in Spain, but to oppose Franco and his form of fascism.

Trebian you are right, One should never class together everyone.

Communist or useful idiot, does it really matter.

Fascist or communist are two sides of the same coin. When they fight and die, we all win.

Both sides were frankly appalling in a variety of ways. Franco and his lot cop more grief these days because, as the winners, they were in a better position to make more people suffer. There is no reason to think Spain would've been any better off with a victory for the other side.

Martin

Agree!….

Armand

The Soviet Communists had enough power that they started a purge of those volunteers who weren't loyal to Stalin. George Orwell barely escaped from Spain with his life.