Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

DEMOCRACY
Army men have a share in deciding the policy for which they serve." 81 Unlike the TA,
the YCL claimed the Red Army was inspired by "service for a people's Government,
service for the whole community, service for Socialism and Democracy." 82 If Chamberlain
actually supported democracy, the YCL stated he would "seek friendship with other
democratic peoples and their governments… pool our resources for defence with those of
other democratic peace-loving countries… and refuse to give dictators what they want." 83
Columns like "Make Britain Safe" helped youth to understand the YCL's analysis of
Chamberlain's policies and how he obstructed the defence of democracy.
The Popular Front programme led to a new YCL attitude towards the Labour Party.
Specifically, the YCL supported a number of LLOY candidates in the 1935 General
Election to show youth's "capacity to play a more responsible part in taking power" in a
government that "stands for the defence of youth." 84 The YCL revised their traditional
election strategies of running communist candidates in Labour strongholds. The YCL
contended that "unless progressives go into the next General Election on a two-candidate
fight… democracy in Britain will end ignominiously." 85 Other articles urged youth to
"work and vote for the return of a Labour Government which will fight for Youths
Charter of Life," emphasizing that the National Government were "enemies of Youth!" 86
The YCL stated that they supported Labour because "only by democracy will the workers
ever have a chance to defend themselves, and eventually build a system which knows no
class distinction." 87 The YCL believed that a strong Labour opposition in Parliament
could "defend the liberties of our people, and it can force even the National Government
to be less ruthless with the workers." 88 The YCL argued that previous Labour Governments
had failed because "years of leadership by people like MacDonald had made
Labour hopelessly weak and divided;" a new Labour leadership, in coordination with the
YCL, could "unify youth and lead them forward." 89 Under the leadership of Major Atlee,
MP the YCL believed that a new People's Government "would be a heavy blow" to the
fascists. 90
As future historians would later agree, the YCL began to assert in 1938 that only a
Labour Government could facilitate voluntary service for the defense of democracy. 91
Without a People's Government led by Labour, the YCL argued fascism would be
strengthened and Britain would be ill prepared to defend itself. The YCL argued, "Every
day that goes by without this unity of… democratic and progressive forces is a day lost
for peace and a day won for fascist advance" and that British youth "would gladly and
voluntarily support all measures of a People's Government of Peace and Democracy to
check reaction at home and abroad." 92 After Chamberlain signed the infamous Munich
Agreement, the YCL argued that a People's Government was "doubly imperative." Only
Labour could counter "Chamberlain's policy of betrayal" by standing "four square with
democracy in all parts of the world." 93 Britain's youth were eager to give "service to
defend liberty" and "service to the cause of democracy," but "not service in the cause of
Hitler or his friends in Britain or of Chamberlain." 94 National Government programmes
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