One Man's Education: A Testimony to Internationalism

Bill Bailey was working as a union organizer in Hawaii in 1936 when the Spanish Civil War broke out. Fascist troops led by Franco rebelled against Spain's democratically elected Republican government. The U.S. government declared a policy of nonintervention that prohibited the shipment of arms to the Republican Loyalists and banned travel to Spain. This policy contributed to the Fascist cause and outraged many Americans, including Bailey. Early in 1937, Bailey joined a group of American volunteers forming the Abraham Lincoln Battalion, an unpaid and nonprofessional troop of men and women who chose to fight with the International Brigade alongside the Republican Loyalists. In this article, the complexity of internationalism is expressed through Bailey's commitment to support the Spanish democracy, a decision in which he places the international cause of fighting fascism above his nation's choice not to participate. Bailey shares his memories of that period and describes his reasons for choosing the path that led him to Spain.

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Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. Civil War, and the International Press

Journal of American Studies Eurasian Perspective ◽

10.15340/21473498111846 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 49-60

Author(s):

David W. Bulla

Keyword(s):

Civil War ◽

Abraham Lincoln ◽

The U.S

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Local Government, Passive Defense and Aerial Bombardment in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War, 1936–9

Journal of Contemporary History ◽

10.1177/0022009421997898 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 002200942199789

Author(s):

David A. Messenger

Keyword(s):

Civil War ◽

Local Government ◽

Spanish Civil War ◽

Regular Feature ◽

The Public ◽

Republican Government ◽

The Republic ◽

Civilian Defense ◽

Regional Authorities

The bombardment of civilians from the air was a regular feature of the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939. It is estimated some 15,000 Spaniards died as a result of air bombings during the Civil War, most civilians, and 11,000 were victims of bombing from the Francoist side that rebelled against the Republican government, supported by German and Italian aviation that joined the rebellion against the Republic. In Catalonia alone, some 1062 municipalities experienced aerial bombardments by the Francoist side of the civil war. In cities across Spain, municipal and regional authorities developed detailed plans for civilian defense in response to these air campaigns. In Barcelona, the municipality created the Junta Local de Defensa Passiva de Barcelona, to build bomb shelters, warn the public of bombings, and educate them on how to protect themselves against aerial bombardment. They mobilized civilians around the concept of ‘passive defense.’ This proactive response by civilians and local government to what they recognized as a war targeting them is an important and under-studied aspect of the Spanish Civil War.

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Lincoln and His Admirals: Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. Navy, and the Civil War (review)

Civil War History ◽

10.1353/cwh.2011.0011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

pp. 84-85

Author(s):

R. M. Browning

Keyword(s):

Civil War ◽

Abraham Lincoln ◽

The U.S

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Frida Stewart in Spain: Administering humanitarian aid during the Spanish Civil War

International Journal of Iberian Studies ◽

10.1386/ijis_00030_7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 33 (2-3) ◽

pp. 227-240

Author(s):

Linda Palfreeman ◽

Jon Arrizabalaga

Keyword(s):

Civil War ◽

Spanish Civil War ◽

Humanitarian Aid ◽

Military Coup ◽

Social Conscience ◽

Women’S Experiences ◽

Women's Experiences ◽

International Solidarity ◽

Republican Government

When a failed military coup provoked civil war in Spain in July 1936, the Spanish government made a worldwide plea for assistance. More than 2500 British men answered the call, taking up arms in defence of the democratically-elected Republican government. While this show of international solidarity has been widely documented, much less attention has been given to the massive response made by British women. Thousands of women organized nationwide campaigns to send aid to Spain. One of these women was Frida Stewart (1910–96), a young musician with a strong social conscience. As is the case with so many other women, Frida’s recollections, her memoir and correspondence, upon which the following essay is closely based, constitute a valuable historical resource for the analysis of women’s experiences during the war and give voice to those whose stories have previously gone unheard.

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