Spanish Civil War

Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War was a civil war and social revolution from 1936-1939 sparked by a military rising lead by right-wing General Franco.

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Recommended
:> Homage to Catalonia - Orwell

Additional
:> The Civil War in Spain - Broue/Themin
:> Wrong Steps: Errors in the Spanish Revolution - Juan Garcia Oliver
:> The Friends of Durruti Group, 1937-9 – A. Guillamon

The tragedy of Karaganda

Members of the CNT and other Spanish anti-fascists in the Soviet Union, 1938-1956.

Abstract: In March 1939, Republican soldiers who had been training as aviation pilots were stranded in the USSR along with the sailors of several vessels from the Spanish merchant navy. They were prevented from leaving and in 1941 were arrested and sent to Novosibirsk Transit Prison. Also detained were several civilians who had been working with children evacuated from the Civil War.

Paul, Willi, 1897-1979

A short biography of Willi Paul, lifelong anarchist militant, active in the Anarchist-Communist Federation of Germany (FKAD) and the Spanish Civil War.

Wilhelm Paul was born on the 1st July 1897 in Goettingen. After a carpentry apprenticeship, he worked during 1915/16 as a relief worker and then as a metal worker. He then served as a soldier in the First World War. After the war, he moved to Kassel and joined the USPD, and then the Spartakusbund.

Guerra, Armand, 1886-1939

Armand Guerra

Typesetter, film maker, scenario write, actor and anarchist active within the movement in Spain and internationally.

Born 4 January 1886, Liria, Spain. Died 10 March 1939, Saint Mande, France.

Armand Guerra was born Jose Estivalis Cabo at Liria near Valencia on 4th January 1886, the son of a farmer and of a mother who was already looking after a child of 5 years. First as a choirboy and then as a pupil at a seminary in Valencia, he developed an intense hatred for the Church.

The Foreign Legion of the Revolution

German CNT members in French detention camp, 1939

Dieter Nelles
"The Foreign Legion of the Revolution“[1]
German anarcho-syndicalist and Volunteers in Anarchist Militias during the Spanish Civil War

Borrell, Federico 1912-1936

Short biography of Spanish anarchist Federico Borrell, made famous by the iconic photo The Fallen Soldier by Robert Capa

Federico Borrell Garcia was born in Benilloba in Alicante, Spain on April 3 1912.

The son of Vicente Borrell and Maria Garcia, he was one of a large family with 3 brothers and 2 sisters, who lived in poverty-stricken conditions.

Estorach, Soledad

A short biography of Soledad Estorach, one of the most dynamic founders and activists of Mujeres Libres.

Soledad Estorach Esteri was born on the 6th February 1915 at the small village of Albatarrech near Lerida.

Silva Cruz, Maria, 1915-1936

Maria Silva Cruz

A short biography of the iconic figure of Maria Silva Cruz, "La Libertaria," heroine of the Casas Viejas uprising, murdered by the Francoists.

Maria was born into a family of day labourers and charcoal burners in the impoverished village of Casas Viejas in Andalucia on 20 April 1915.

Her father Juan Silva Gonzalez and her uncle Jeronimo were in the CNT. Her grandmother read anarchist novels out loud to her as a young girl.

International Volunteers in the POUM Militias

Poum international volunteers

Written by Andy Durgan, historical consultant for the Ken Loach film Land and Freedom, the article also contains a list of international volunteers in the POUM militia.

FUNDACIÓN ANDREU NIN

International Volunteers in the POUM Militias
Andy Durgan

Up to 700 foreigners fought with the 10.000 or so militia organised by the Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista (POUM) between July 1936 and June 1937 (1). They were from at least 28 different countries; French, Italian and, above all German fighters being the most numerous (2).

Texidor, Greville, 1902- 1964 and Werner Droescher 1911-1978

Werner Droescher

Short biographies of Greville Texidor and Werner Droescher who both fought with the Spanish anarchist militias.

Greville Texidor was born in 1902 at Wolverhampton, the daughter of William Arthur Foster and Editha Greville Prideaux. Her father, a barrister, committed suicide in 1920 due to a scandal. Her mother was an artist who had originally moved from Auckland in New Zealand to study art in London in 1895.

Salamé Miro, José, 1920-2007

A short biography of José Salamé Miro, militant of Spanish origin active in France and the Spanish Revolution.

José Salamé Miro was born in the small village of Vinebra in the Catalan province of Tarragona. His childhood was spent in Barcelona. His father was a saddler and sympathetic to the CNT, attending the libertarian ateneo of the neighbourhood. Jose was a choir boy as a child, but as he grew he started moving towards anarchist ideas. He became a member of the CNT and the Libertarian Youth (FIJL).

Götze, Ferdinand 'Nante', 1907-1985

A short biography of German anarcho-syndicalist, Ferdinand Götze, who was also active in Sweden and Spain.

Ferdinand Götze was born in Leipzig on March 28th, 1907, the son of the FAUD stalwart Anna Götze.

Self management and the Spanish revolution - Point Blank

Point Blank!

An article by Situationist journal Point Blank on the militias and workers' councils during the Spanish Revolution.

Self-Management and the Spanish Revolution

1936 ~ 37

I

The Anarchist Revolution in Spain - New Statesman

Collectivised CNT tram

Account by Cyril Connolly in the New Statesman or 21st November 1936 of the anarchist revolution during the Spanish Civil War

"It is in Barcelona that the full force of the anarchist revolution becomes apparent. Their initials, CNT and FAI, are everywhere. They have taken over all the hotels, restaurants, cafes, trains, taxis, and means of communication, as well as all theatres, cinemas, and places of amusement.

Bonomini, Ernesto, 1903-1986

A short biography of Italian anarchist and Spanish Civil War fighter, Ernesto Bonomini, who assassinated a leading fascist in France.

Ernesto Bonomini was born on 18 March 1903 at Pozzolengo in Italy. From a very young age he became interested in socialist ideas and became an active antimilitarist. He trained as a tailor, in which trade he was expert.

With the fascist repression against the workers’, socialist and anarchist movements, Ernesto was forced to emigrate to France in 1922.

Cieri, Antonio, 1898-1937

Antonio Cieri

A short biography of Italian anarchist rail worker, anti-fascist militant and Spanish Civil War fighter Antonio Cieri.

Born in Vasto near Chieti in the Abruzzi in 1898, Antonio Cieri served as an officer in the Italian Army during World War I and was decorated.

After the war he became active in the anarchist movement in Ancona. He got a job as a technical designer for the Italian railways.

Bifolchi, Giuseppe, 1895-1978

militia-fai.jpg

Biography of an Italian anarchist communist who fought in the Spanish Civil War and then later in the Italian Resistance to the nazis.

Giuseppe Bifolchi aka Viola aka V
Born Balsorano, Italy 1895. Died Avezzano Italy 1978

Born in the Abruzzi in Balsorano on 20th February 1895

Casildo Arteaga , Pantaleon, 1912-2006

Spanish anarchist militia parade

A short biography of anarchist, Spanish Civil War and French Resistance fighter Pantaleon Casildo Arteaga.

Pantaleon Casildo Arteaga discovered anarchist ideas at 18 and joined the anarcho-syndicalist union the CNT . At the beginning of the Francoist rising which sparked the Civil War, at the age of 24, he joined the Ascaso Column of the CNT-FAI (the FAI was the Iberian Anarchist Federation, linked to the CNT) and fought on the Aragon front.

Acín Aquilué, Ramón, 1888-1936

ramon-acin.jpg

A short biography of Spanish anarchist and artist Ramón Acín Aquilué who was shot by fascists at the start of the Civil War in 1936.

“We have as our flag the love of culture, the cult of fraternity and liberty”

Class collaboration - old and new, and Open letter to the CNT, 1937

"Class collaboration - old and new", a timely reminder of working class political experience by Joseph Wagner, and A. Shapiro’s Open letter to the CNT which criticised its actions during the Spanish Civil War.

Published in the IWW's One Big Union Monthly, August, 1937

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