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Far from the shores of America raged the
struggle against Franco's brutal fascist regime. No other
international issue had managed so fervently to capture
the hearts and souls of American intellectuals and
radicals. Their experiences during the Depression moved
them to a greater urgency in fighting against injustice
and repression. The response of the Spanish working class
against Franco advanced their ideals of building an
egalitarian society by collectivizing land, industry, and
public utilities, and closing down the pro-fascist
Catholic churches. The U.S. Government did not enter this
war, but nearly 3,000 Americans volunteered with the
International Brigades, leaving behind home and family,
and establishing the first racially integrated military
unit in U.S. history. As many as one million people are
believed to have died during the War, and many others
were forced into exile.
Franco's regime continued for several decades after the
official ending of the Spanish Civil War, until his death
in 1975.
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Introduction
