A-Infos (en) France, Monde Libertaire - Ideas and Struggles: When Night Falls (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

The Antechamber to the Second World War ---- They numbered over 35,000 
from 53 countries, forming the International Brigades (IB). From the 
moment of Franco's coup d'état on July 16, 1936, informal groups 
mobilized to fight against fascism. Italians, Germans, and Austrians, in 
particular, were among them, as they knew the consequences of 
dictatorship. Jean Batou, Stéphanie Prezioso, and Ami-Jacques Rapin, 
along with some forty contributors, paint a portrait of these women and 
men who found themselves under fire from Franco's troops, far from their 
homelands, defending their values: fraternity, solidarity, and the 
urgent need to react. Their book, When Night Falls: International 
Volunteers Against Fascism (Spain 1936-1939), is published by Syllepse.

Ninety years ago, the Spanish Civil War began, and it was essential to 
highlight the stakes and the threats of war that preceded the conflict. 
This conflict served as a prelude to the Second World War. Western 
democracies were paralyzed under pressure from Great Britain. A 
Francoist minister would later emphasize that the policy of 
non-intervention had almost helped them more than the support of 
dictatorships. The book (900 pages) is divided into two parts: the first 
analyzes the political context, and the second compiles profiles of the 
volunteers from various countries, including France, of course, but also 
China, the United States, Greece, and others. Beyond the respect due to 
these volunteers, it is unfortunately necessary to emphasize the 
neglect, or worse, the trivialization of this tragedy-a form of 
denialism. This reinterpretation of history, this reduction of the 
opposing forces to a sinister "they are all equal," alienates today's 
youth at a time when the danger of the far right is once again a reality.

Who were these brigadistas? Young workers, mostly single, were militants 
with a class consciousness, identifying with the cause of the Spanish 
people. The communist movement, through the Comintern, invested in this 
growing awareness. Let's remain clear-sighted about Stalin's 
motivations, including Spain's gold reserves. But political nature 
abhors the vacuum left by Western democracies, and by the end of August, 
the USSR had become involved. On September 18, 1936, the International 
Brigades (BI) were created in Moscow. Their military officers came from 
the communist parties, while political and police control was ensured by 
the NKVD. Accusations and arrests, assassinations like those of 
Buenaventura Durruti, Camillo Berneri, and Andreu Nin, and 
disappearances aimed to eliminate anarchists and Trotskyists. In short, 
to carry out the same repression as in the USSR.

The Anarchist Presence
And the Armament? It was smuggled in by the Committee for a Free Spain 
and Louis Lecoin's Anarchist Union. Various networks were structured 
through Marceau Pivert, the POUM, and the CNT. In France, Minister 
Pierre Cot and senior civil servant Gaston Cusin provided discreet but 
effective support.

French anarchists found themselves in CNT-FAI combat units, such as the 
Durruti Column. Others, like Pierre Besnard, participated in propaganda 
and information campaigns.

Then, in 1938, the returns began to be organized. Was it a form of 
disillusionment? The Spanish Republic was primarily expecting weapons 
and ammunition. Bloody rivalries contributed to this return. After the 
Retirada, some foreign brigadistas were "welcomed" in French camps, such 
as the infamous Gurs camp, or even handed over to dictatorships. What 
became of the survivors? Often, they joined the Resistance in France or 
their respective countries because they had experience in armed 
struggle. The Germans and Austrians intended to continue the fight until 
their countries were liberated.

After the war, some became involved in anti-colonial struggles. Can we 
consider this revolutionary commitment irrelevant today? The authors of 
the book recall these volunteers in the early years of Nicaragua and 
more recently in Rojava. Approximately 700 went to participate in this 
remarkable experience. The slogan of anti-fascism possesses a 
revolutionary force. For them, "armed left-wing volunteers continue to 
represent an important element in the history of transnational conflicts 
and contemporary politics."

* Jean Batou, Stéphanie Prezioso, and Ami-Jacques Rapin
When Night Falls: International Volunteers Against Fascism (Spain 1936-1939)
Ed. Syllepse, 2026

https://monde-libertaire.net/?articlen=9028
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