Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

THE POPULAR FRONT GENERATION
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt took part in the Second World Youth Congress held in
New York at Vassar College in 1938. The Second Congress brought together youth
delegates from 56 countries around the world. Recalling the event, Eleanor later stated:
The more I see of this group made up of young people from many nations, the more important
I realize that it is that in every nation older people who can see the desirability of
certain changes in our civilization should work with them. In this way their thought and
action will not be one-sided and the impetuousness of youth should gain some benefit
from the experience of age. 132
Sheila Cater, a YCL delegate from the British Youth Parliament, later reflected how
empowered she had felt when Eleanor Roosevelt, who had been sitting in the front row
during her speech, "put down her knitting to applaud" Cater's speech on inequality in the
British Empire. 133 Delegates at the Second WYC perceived they had the active support of
two of the world's most powerful leaders, President Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin. Unlike
the Leninist Generation, Popular Front youth felt a sense of political inclusion in world
politics due to institutions like the WYC.
The Spanish Civil War was the focal point of Popular Front youth activism and political
propaganda. YCL publications asserted the interests of all youth were represented by
the struggles and sacrifices associated with Spain. Young communists became active in
collecting money, food, medical relief and clothing for the Spanish Republic. The
Spanish Civil War helped create a considerable sense of international solidarity between
the British and American YCLs by participation in the International Brigades. 134 Of the
over 3,000 American and 2,300 British volunteers, a large proportion came from the
ranks of the YCL. 135 For young communists the struggle in Spain became the focal point
of their rhetoric positing democracy against fascist aggression. Both the British and
American YCLs propagated that in order to avert the outbreak of a fascist world war that
"the key to the situation is Spain." 136
Communist Popular Front policies and experiences in Spain seemed contradictory to
many anti-war youth. 137 Young communists took up arms against fascism in Spain while
arguing against domestic militarism. Communists contended the key to containing
fascist aggression was a resolute and unified military struggle in Spain. A complete
military defeat of fascism in Spain could stop the fascist drive for further wars and save
world peace. Communist propaganda insisted the Spanish Republic was "defending the
liberty and peace of the world." 138 Other statements contended, "Germany wants to finish
quickly with Spain in order to direct the guns elsewhere." 139 The disunity of the democracies
in supporting Republican Spain simply facilitated further fascist aggression. In
order to save peace and defeat fascism, communists considered limited anti-fascist wars
of defense to be just.
The divergent policies of the British and American governments on Spain and appeasement
led communist youth to form two very distinct interpretations of their own
national governments. Dimitrov's characterization of fascism identified fascists as
representatives of the most reactionary and imperialistic elements of finance capital.
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