Remembering
the Anarchist Resistance to fascism
The history we learn in school would have us believe that the working
class of Germany and Italy hardly even complained about the rise of
fascism in the 1920s and 1930s. Nothing could be further from the
truth.
The Arditi del
Popolo in Italy - the first anti-fascist organization
(1921-22)
The anti-fascist organization had at least 144 sections with a total
of about 20,000 members. As it was being founded, its first successes
arrived - the defence of Viterbo against the Perugian blackshirt
attack - and at Sarzana where about 20 fascists were killed.
Britain:
For King and Country
British Establishment support for Fascism in the 20ies and 30ies and
the history of Fascist groups in the Conservative Party since then
Ireland:When
the bishop's blessed the blueshirts
The Fascist origins of one of Ireland's main political parties and
establishment support for Franco during the Spanish Civil War.
Forgotten
heros
The role Spanish anarchists played in fighting fascism in France in
WWII
Gladio : The
stratergy of tension
Te use of Fascist groups by the Italian secret state in the 1970ies
to stall a 'slide to the left'.
The
irresistible correctness of anarchism
A lengthy review of the SWP's "The Resistible Rise of Benito
Mussolini," exposing its distortions of history (particularly about
anarchism during this period) and indicating the flaws in their
anti-fascist front, the Anti-Nazi League.
The
crushing of the FAUD by Hitler
On 5th November 1937, Julius Nolden, a car plant worker from Duisburg
was sentenced by the "The People's Court" in Berlin to a ten year
prison term f Arrested with him were 88 other male and female
anarcho-syndicalists who stood trial in the Rhineland in early 1938.
The
Death of Michael Schirru
M. Schirru was arrested on February 3rd, 1931 in a hotel room in
Rome. He had gone to Rome to assassinate Mussolini.
CNT
Militants and the Liberation of Paris
It's little known but in 1944 Paris was liberated by Spanish
anarchists serving in the Free French army.
Analysis
'Ecology'
and the Modernization of Fascism in the German Ultra-right
Today's fascists have a distinct ideological legacy from their
fascist forebears upon which to draw. Indeed, 'ecology' and a
mystical reverence for the natural world are hardly new to German
nationalism
Tactics to fight
fascism
Fighting fascism can not be done just in terms of ideas. Fascists do
not wait until they have convinced a sufficient number of people to
put their ideas into power before they put their ideas into practise.
Even tiny groups of a dozen or less organise and carry out terror
attacks on those they oppose or scapegoat. Only physical
confrontation can deter and prevent these activities
Fascist terror
grows across Europe [1992]
Today the fascists are not on the way to taking state power anywhere
in the world. However this does not mean that they can be safely
ignored. Tapping into widespread discontent, they are providing the
leadership and stimulus for growing racist hatred and terror. Should
they continue to grow they will pose a major threat to all working
class and left-wing organisations.=
Can the European
fascists take power in the 1990s? [1993]
THE GROWTH of the far-right throughout Europe in the last few years
has alarmed many who thought fascism died with Hitler. It also has
given rise to a debate on the left over the nature of fascism, one
that has spilled over into the letters pages of Workers Solidarity.
The debate continues with Andrew Flood discussing some of the
historical features of fascism and the importance of racism as the
central plank of fascism to-day.
The fight
against fascism...yesterday and tomorrow [1997]
On February 15th, the 'Plume Noire' anarchist bookstore was plastered
with fascist stickers. At around 5am the bookshop was completely
destroyed in an obviously well orchestrated incendiary attack.
Fascism leading
the racists
Rostock recently became infamous as we all witnessed pictures of the
Neo-Nazi youth hurling petrol bombs at the asylum hostel containing
mostly Bulgarian and Romanian refugees. One local activist in Germany
reported the following. " On Sunday night, a line of riot police
could not prevent a second night of attacks, this time by nazi youths
armed with molotov cocktails"