Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

DEMOCRACY
statements like, "We speak for all youth when we say: Spain's fight is ours – it is the fight
of humanity against tyranny – the fight of freedom against those who seek to destroy
it." 232 A Challenge article stated that in order to prevent the betrayal of "Britain’s people
and democracy" that everyone needed to be set "into action for peace, for democracy, for
Spain and for the British people!" 233 Articles in the World Youth Review linked the
future of Spain with the future of youth worldwide. One article commented that a
growing "realisation among young people that fascism can bring only ruin and despair"
led youth to recognize "that its destiny is intimately linked with that of young Spain." 234
YCI rhetoric praised the resistance of the Spanish youth. The YCI posited to the Spanish
youth that young people worldwide had "become conscious of their allegiance to democracy
mainly because of the struggle which you have put up." 235 The Spanish JSU made
similar associational pleas to world youth. Santiago Carrillo insisted, "Your future, like
ours, is being decided on the battle fields of Spain; if you do your duty as Spanish young
people are doing theirs… to save the peace and independence of all democratic nations…
fascism will soon be crushed." 236 For communist youth, the anti-fascist struggles of Spain
and its youth served as an international inspiration at the heart of their pro-democracy
rhetoric.
To aid Spanish democracy, the British and American YCLs participated in fundraising
and material support campaigns. YCLGB activities in support of Spain were a central
feature of its Popular Front program. Within days of Franco's revolt in 1936, the British
left and anti-fascist youth swung into action in support of Spanish democracy, organizing
not just political demonstrations, but practical aid and assistance. In areas like London,
national committees were immediately formed to send medical aid to "relieve the suffering
in Spain" and to "assist the Spanish Democrats against fascist aggression." 237 Challenge
headlines urged youth to pressure the National Government into lifting the arms
embargo against Spain. Challenge headlines like "Every Gun in Spain Defends Us in
Britain" made the point that Spanish anti-fascists were helping to protect both British and
Spanish democracy and were essential to defeating dictatorship. (See Appendix) 238
In the beginning of 1937 the British YCL, in association with other youth, sent three
food-ships to Spain in opposition to National Government policy and a naval blockade of
Spain. The YCL characterized this work as "the greatest work the British YCL has ever
done in its history," work that reflected the true democratic "feeling and spirit of the
people." 239 The YCLGB also coordinated their efforts with French youth, giving up
"cinemas, chocolates and other luxuries, and sending the equivalent to the fund" to aid
Spanish democracy. 240 One article in the beginning of 1939 stated that in a period of less
than 2 months that British youth had independently collected and sent almost £5000 in
aid to Spain. 241 Outside of food, medical and financial aid, the YCL also sponsored
knitting competitions and encouraged young women to adopt Spanish children who had
become refugees in the war through the activities of the Save the Children Clubs. 242
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