The Last Lincoln Vet

In 1936, when the Generalissimo Francisco Franco and his Flanges Party imposede their Facist regime on Spain, they were opposed by republican Communist and Anarchist Groups. However, the only countries to lend help to this Civil War were the Nazi led Germany led by Adolf Hitler and Italy under the Facist Benito Mussolini. As for any opposition to Franco, the rest of the worlds leaders remained silent for fear of being involved in another European War.
However, this didnt mean that all the people were happy to let it pass. All around the world, people who were not willing to stand by and let their spanish fellow human beings be brutalised by Francos White Terror regime lent their support. Forming what became known as the International Brigades, they flocked from all around the Globe to fight in Spain on the republican side against Franco. Scotland, England, Yogoslavia, Russia, Australia all sent their own Brigades/. Frank Ryan famously led te Irish Brigade although Ireland also counteracted this when Eoin O'Duffy sent his Blue Shirted Fine Gael to lend support to Franco. But the support for the Republican side was phenomenal, and unlike WW2, no conscription was required. They were all volunteers. The reeal Anti-fascists.
Its all good and well Allied countries saying "When we went to fight the Nazis" but remember, at this time on streets of London, Fascists were marching by the Thousands under Oswald Msely and his British Union of Fascists, a Blackshirted movement founded on Mussolinis Ardente' to put down any form of Bolshevik threat at the time. Only Three years later, these same people would be fighting against the Germans. But, they were conscripted So, they fought because they were ordered to fight for their country. Not because they were neccessarily Anti-Fascist. The International Brigade members were the True AntiFascists who willingly gave their support without any order to do so.
Amongst these groups were the 15th International Brigade, Battallion 17, which became commonly known as the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. A Brigade of Volunteers from the United States.
This song is a Tribute to them.
Not surprisingly, this history is not the history that is included in most school curriculums for obvious reasons. If they did teach this in schools, theyd be highlighting the hypocrisy of the Transatlantic nations who stood by and let the Fascist dictator carry out attrocity after attrocity whilst behind the scenes, selling them oil and guns to shoot against their own people.

As much as I'd ;love to take the credit for this song, it is Indeed not mine but a rendition of a great song written by a friend and legendary American Folk Singer David Rovics.
Hope you Enjoy folks and may the spirit of the International Brigades be still with you today when and where necessary.
No Paseran!