Martyn in Europe

The men and women of the International Brigade are to be applauded for their effort to save Europe from fascism, and to save a democratic and constitutional state from the vicious onslaught of a band of internationally backed criminal insurgents.

Historically, conflict and strife almost invariably accompany the transition from a repressive regime to a secular, constitutional and democratic republic. In principle, this was no different in the case of Spain. That this attempted transition came at a time when much of Europe was embracing fascism is perhaps a major key to understanding part of the tragedy that is euphemistically termed "The Spanish Civil War".
 
The Spain of the Spanish Republic was by no means perfect, far from it, but it meant that Spain was a far better place than that which preceded, and that which was to follow.

Against tremendous odds and the weight of a corrupt and oppressive church hierarchy, sections of the army and much of the conservative ruling classes, the republic made great efforts to improve the situation in Spain. Women, of all classes, were free to study and to work, and to take part in society on a more egalitarian basis. Activities previously prohibited, by law or by taboo, were to become simply an exercise of liberty and rights. Education was to become accessible to all, regardless of class. Political pluralism flourished, as never before, regional autonomy and federalism were to become a reality and censorship pared back as never before. Real political power was now in the hands of the people.

It is difficult for people, in this day and age, where many of us see politics as merely another service, to fully understand the dramatic improvements that the republic signified for many ordinary working people and their families.

The Spanish Civil war was the first major confrontation with authoritarianism and fascism in Europe. When it came to the crunch, the so-called democracies were found desperately wanting. After a democratic, constitutional and secular Spain had been isolated and forced to fail in its resistance to fascism, the rest of the drama was to follow. In wilfully denying support to a legitimate government in Europe, the allies opened the floodgates that would eventually result in the millions of deaths, tremendous destruction and the fascist/nazi perpetration of The Holocaust.

A couple of additional things also worth bearing in mind:

1.    The church hierarchy in Spain overwhelmingly supported the insurgents against the established secular state, and was effectively complicit with them in their crimes from the very beginning, and primarily because the Republic, which declared Spain to be a secular and democratic state, lost its hegemony in Spain.

2.    The non-combat deaths, especially summary executions, were not a novelty and nuns and priests were by far the most effected; for example, the insurgents executed many anarchists, later claiming it was an act of the state.

3.    In the province of Córdoba alone, 2,300 people were executed by those loyal to the constitutional state, whilst  7,500 people were executed by the insurgents – in the city of Córdoba alone, more than 4,000 Republicans were executed.

4.    For forty long years, and with few honourable exceptions, the Catholic Church in Spain protected and encouraged the brutal fascist dictatorship of Franco. In that time, many people were tortured, murdered, imprisoned or exiled. Many of those who were tortured, murdered, imprisoned or exiled – por Rojos – were also Catholics, just not the type of Catholics that the fascists or the Church wanted.

5.    The anarchists have not formally apologised for the killing of nuns and priests, yet the Catholic Church has not apologised for its own explicit support of the Dictatorship, during its forty years of repression.
Of course, there is a lot more to the story than just these simple points.

It is to be remembered that the war in Spain was not a question of two bands opposed to each other, but the defense of a democratic republic and a democratically elected government, against a band criminal insurgents who sought to bring down the government and remove the republican system of democracy.

The criminal insurgents and their international backers sought to turn back the tide that had brought in – amongst other things - the separation of church and state; an established republic; secular education; a nascent public health system; greater equality; the removal of the interference of the catholic church; greater autonomy and local decision making in the regions of Spain; and, the acceptance and promotion of a secular society and culture.

Those who fought on the side of the republic against the criminal fascists were many, very few were trained soldiers, many who fought and died in defense of the republic were liberals, humanists, unionists, socialists, communists and idealists; from Spain, and elsewhere.

The brave and legitimate defense of a democratic republic against the criminal insurgence and their mercenaries failed, and Spain was consigned to 40 years of fascism; a damning indictment of the lies and betrayal of the allies in the run up to world war two.

Nothing will change the facts of history, yet it is shameful that people will still salute Nazis, talk of criminal insurgents as if they were on the same moral and legal footing as the established rule of law and the constitution in a democratic republic. To pretend that there is no difference between the democratic state and those who would wish to violently overthrow it and replace it with a repressive, murderous and brutal dictatorship is naturally seen by any self-respecting democrat as both mendacious and perverse.

The men and women of the International Brigade tried to save a country from the grips of fascism. They assumed the work that those who were too cowardly or self interested wanted to assume. The allies opened the door to fascism/nazism in Europe, the International Brigade tried to help in stopping a tremendous and horrendous crime in progress.

¡No pasarán!