Spanish Civil War: 70th anniversary: 18th July 1936
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Seventy years ago on 18th July 1936, General Franco speaking from his base in Morocco declared "war across the whole of Spain" and unleashed the three years of bloody conflict that we know as the Spanish Civil War.
On Saturday 15th July, on London's Thames embankment survivors of the International Brigades who volunteered to fight Franco's nationalist forces met in remembrance of those who died and of their continuing support for the ideas of democracy and freedom
The anniversary was a commemoration of a past time and past events - but it was also history in the making; how Spain is developing it's democracy, how Europe can work together and how younger generations can face the global issues of to-day and to-morrow.
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"The International Brigaders were defending the same liberties that we in Spain are enjoying today."
For the first time a representative of the Spanish Government, The Ambassador to London, Carlos Miranda, was present and spoke about his country's journey to democracy. He recognised in those volunteers from other countries in 1936 who came to Spain, "to defend the democracy abandoned by other Western democracies... (their) memory has helped build the democratic Spain of today."
On July 28th, several days after the anniversary, the Spanish Government announced a draft bill which included the offer of Spanish nationality to the International Brigaders. Read the full story.
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Listen to part of Carlos Miranda's speech
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Download text of Carlos Miranda's speech
Courtesy Spanish Embassy in London and IBMT.
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"...a land of liberty and co-existence": Josep Borrell's declaration at the European Parliament
Carlos Miranda began his speech by referring to the declaration made by The President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell about Spain; "...in the 70 years that have passed since the coup d'état of General Franco of 18th July 1936 in Spain...(when)..great hopes were dashed for democray and necessary reform. ...he (Borrell) underlined that fact from 1975 (when it became a consitutional monarchy with an elected government) Spain started to evolve into a land of liberty and co-existence."
Read the full text of the Josep Borrell: declaration on Spain, Starsbourg, 4th July 2006.
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Why do we meet now? We meet...to pay homage to an idea; the idea of democracy......
Rodney Bickerstaffe - a long-time supporter of the IBMT and former General Secretary of Unison - gave one of the keynote speeches and asked the question "Why do we meet now?". He discussed the idea of democracy and challenged the UK government to send a representative to next year's event, the seventy-first anniversary, "...to acknowledge what happened in Spain...remembering the past; standing up for the present; looking forward to the future."
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Slide Show: meet the Brigaders, London: 17th July 2006
Over 35,000 men and women, from over 50 countries, left their homes to volunteer for the Republican forces. About 2,200 of these came from Britain and Ireland, of whom over 500 were killed.
Today there are only 24 Brigaders from the British Isles still alive who served in Spain; most are well over ninety years of age. The slides show some of the seven who attended the Anniversary event with sound from the speeches and singing.
"¡No Pasarán!" ("they shall not pass!")
Click the red button twice; it will go green and start the slide show running.
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"...to keep the flag of freedom flying..."
Jack Jones, from Liverpool, is a veteran of the Spanish Civil War who became a leading trade unionist in Britain and is now president of the IBMT.
"...it's so important to preserve the ideas of democracy ...children today should be encouraged to enquire about the ruling of their own country and the ruling of other countries..."
Read the Jack Jones story
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"...our open eyes could see no other way."
Sam Lesser, a veteran of the International Brigades, reads the opening verse of C.Day-Lewis's poem 'The Volunteer':
"We came because our open eyes Could see no other way.
There was no other way to keep Man's flickering truth alight:"
Read Sam Lesser's story.
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"...as if it was another world..."
Penny Feiwel was a nurse for two years during the Civil War until she was wounded in a bomb blast. She is now 97. She said the two years she spent in Spain signify “a wonderful experience. When I think about it, it’s as if I was watching a film. It’s as if it was another world.”
Read Penny Feiwel's story.
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"...I sat on my leg to stop the bleeding..."
Paddy Cochrane, from Dublin, volunteered for the British Mediical Unit as a ambulance driver. After serving on the front east of Madrid he was posted to the mountain village of Belchite which was being bombed, and where he was wounded by a 'sniper' and rescued by an American brigader who carried him to safety.
"...the next morning I heard a voice crying, "Any Americans?"...I shouted "No! Just an Irishman!"...and he carried me, fireman style, under fire, to safety..."
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"Where shall we find you George Brown?"
George Brown was a brigader from Manchester who was killed on the 7th July 1937 in the battle of Brunete. The poem in his memory is anonymous and was found in the Working Class Museum library in Salford.
The poem is read by Jim Jump who edited the collection of poems written by members of the International Brigades from Britain and Ireland - titled 'Poems from Spain' - which was launched at the 70th commemoration event. ...read book details here
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"...democracy doesn't just happen..."
Michael Portillo MP, a Minister in past Conservative governments, was born in North London in 1953. His father, Luis, was a Spanish republican who came to Britain as a refugee at the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1938.
"...democracy is not something that happens automatically; it had to be gained over a long period of time; it had to be defended. A lot of people had to die in order to defend it ...let's not take it for granted."
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"You are history. You are legend. We shall not forget you."
The words of Dolores Ibarruri, known as La Pasionaria, were quoted by Dolores Long at the IMBT memorial event. La Pasionaria was a charismatic leader in the Communist party in Spain and the quotation is from her speech to the International Brigades as they assembled in Barcelona in October 1938 before leaving Spain.
It was quoted today in memory of all those who died and of the veterans in the UK who had died in the previous year. The photograph is of La Pasionaria recieiving the Lenin Prize in Moscow. British Pathe Film 2689.16 Still 60 Read the La Pasionaria starter which includes the full text of the speech and the story of why there is a statue to her in Glasgow.
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International Brigades Memorial
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International Brigades Memorial Trust.
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Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements:
:: International Brigades Memorial Trust (IBMT) www.international-brigades.org.uk
:: Marlene Sidaway, Secretary of the IBMT. Geraldine Abrahams, Editor IBMT Newsletter.
:: Veterans: Jack Jones; Sam Lesser; Paddy Cochrane; Penny Feiwel; Bob Doyle.
:: His Excellency, Carlos Miranda, the Spanish Ambassador.
:: Rodney Bickerstaffe; Unison and Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick.
:: Jim Jump editor of 'Poems from Spain'. published by Lawrence & Wishart, 2006. ... £10.99 paperback version details here. The IBMT have a hardback, commemorative version at £16.99. details from IBMT.
:: Michael Portillo, MP. official website
:: Socialist Worker; the Spanish Revolution, 2004.
This material about the the Spanish Civil War is recorded, written and edited by Marshall Mateer for the national RBC Content Development Group. the RBC
Feedback always welcome .
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