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British Politics and Basque Refugee Children During the Spanish Civil War

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British Politics and Basque Refugee Children During the Spanish Civil War Intervention?: British Politics and Basque Refugee Children During the Spanish Civil War Senior Thesis Natalie Brewer May 9, 2006 On May 23 1937 at 7:30 in the morning, 4000 Basque children accompanied by señoritas, Catholic priests and auxiliaries arrived at Southampton in the United Kingdom on the SS Habana. Mattresses lined the decks though there was still insufficient room for the children to lie down and sleep comfortably. Many of them were weary, sleep deprived and sea-sick. Yet the arrival at Southampton was exciting for the children. The port had been recently decorated for the king’s coronation, and many of the children believed these extravagant decorations to be in their honor, adding to the excitement of their arrival and forging distinct memories. The children were greeted by doctors who gave them food in hopes of relieving their sea-sickness. Although the voyage was difficult, the unpleasantness was minimal compared to the experiences the children had had in war ravaged Spain. These children were being evacuated from the destructive bombs, extreme hunger and death wrought on the Republican Basque Country by the Nationalist Army during the Spanish Civil War. This evacuation was part of a larger humanitarian aid movement, and thousands of other Basque Children were evacuated primarily to France, the Soviet Union, and Belgium and in lesser numbers to Mexico, the United States, Switzerland and Denmark. This story of the Basque refugee children takes place in the context of international political turmoil and many have commented that it was the precedent to World War II, a battle in which democracy fought fascism. With the ascendancy of fascism, the Spanish Civil War gave fascist forces an opportunity to practice and perfect battle tactics and equipment that they would use later in World War II. Germany especially had the opportunity to strengthen its military by fighting in the Spanish Civil War. This story of evacuation of the Basque children to Britain during the Spanish civil war touches on many themes inherent to the interwar period in Europe such as the battle between 2 fascism and democracy, non-intervention and isolationist policy, humanitarian sympathy and aid, and political debate and policy. When placed in this broader context, the policy of allowing 4,000 children refugees into Britain becomes historically significant. The importance of this event, however, is not reflected in the historical literature. The literature fails to mention how the British policy of Non-Intervention, which essentially controlled all British foreign policy, affected the evacuation of the Basque children at three levels: in the government, in the public, and in the committees and volunteers that directly dealt with the children. To begin a historiographic discussion on the evacuation effort, it is necessary to examine the history of British aid to Spain during the civil war as well as Britain’s Non-Intervention Policy. The Policy of Simmering, by WM Laird Kleine-Ahlbrandt, and The Signal Was Spain: The Aid Spain Movement in Britain 1936-1939, by Jim Fyrth, together give a comprehensive view of British public opinion during the Spanish Civil War and very clearly discuss the significance of this public opinion on official government policy. They also complement each other because each explains how the British, although unsuccessful in influencing the outcome of the Spanish Civil War, achieved their goals of providing aid to the Spanish, upholding Spanish dignity, and containing the conflict to Spain through the policy of Non-Intervention. The Policy of Simmering, by Kleine-Ahlbrandt, is a study of British policy during the Spanish Civil War and how it was affected by its foreign and domestic relations by using extensive primary research from sources such as government documents, memoirs, newspapers and annuals. The author argues that in terms of Britain’s policy of Non-Intervention, Britain was successful. The author also proves in his book that although the policy of Non-Intervention helped Mussolini and Hitler form closer ties, Britain was still successful in containing the war to 3 Spain and was also successful in diminishing the strength of Italy’s forces, which caused Italy to be less significant in World War II. Jim Fyrth also argues that the Aid Spain Movement1 was successful in achieving their policy during the Spanish Civil War. The author argues that the Aid Spain Movement wanted to provide aid for the Spanish, both in Spain and in Britain. Through this movement, many different organizations traveled to Spain to provide services and aid to those in need. A large number of Quakers were involved, setting up colonies in Spain, mostly in Catalonia, to take care of Republican fighters. The International Brigades also traveled to Spain to fight on the side of the Republicans, proving especially helpful in keeping Madrid in Republican hands for so long. Fyrth also mentions the “Bilbao Babies Policy” that brought 4,000 Basque Children2 to Britain to live in colonies and be looked after for nearly three months until they were repatriated to Spain, met their parents in exile in a different country, or continued to live in Britain. The author argues that through this movement and in contributing money and other resources to these individual aid movements, the British public became highly politicized in favor of the Republicans and the Left wing government. This politicization ultimately morphed into an anti-fascism sentiment and unified many that would fight against fascism in the years to come during World War II. Like Kleine-Ahlbrandt, Fyrth argues that the British sympathies were ultimately capitalized upon after the Bombing of Guernica, and gives a comprehensive view as to how the British were reluctant at first to support the war, but driven by human sympathy, rallied to organize a mass movement to provide aid to the Spanish. When read together, Fyrth and Kleine-Ahlbrant successfully depict the aid movement in Britain, domestically and internationally. Kleine-Albrandt focuses more on the international 1 The Aid Spain Movement was a voluntary movement that raised supplies and money to send aid to Spain. 2 Jim Fyrth, The Signal Was Spain: The Aid Spain Movement in Britain 1936-1939 (London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1986), 220-242. 4 implications of British action during the Spanish Civil War and how these actions would affect Britain and the rest of Europe during World War II, discussing British policy in the larger diplomatic context and analyzing the consequences of Britain’s Non-Intervention policy. Fyrth gives a more comprehensive view of the aid given to Spain and the domestic ramifications of British policy on the British public. Kleine-Ahlbrant and Fyrth give insight as to the motivations and modifications of the British public opinion and the official policies of British leaders and the implications of these policies for Europe as a whole. Particularly, they explore the implications for World War II—fitting within a broad understanding that sees the events of the Spanish Civil War, in many ways, as a precursor to the events of World War II. These books provide insight to the British political scene in the 1930’s and throughout this discussion a predominant theme emerges: the British were very committed to their Non- Intervention policy. This policy caused a withdrawal of active military aid to Spain and was the cause for much smaller private mobilization by the British public—sending food and supplies, and evacuating 4,000 Basque children. They also point out that it was not until the bombing of Guernica that British public opinion shifted in favor of aiding Spain, which ultimately was the contributing factor in the evacuation of the Basque children. It is interesting to note, then, that there are only two definitive books dealing specifically with the Basque children’s evacuation, which was one of the more unique British efforts to provide aid to the Spanish. The Guernica Generation: Basque Refugee Children and the Spanish Civil War by Dorothy Legaretta, is the definitive scholarly study on the Basque Refugee Children. Seemingly, Legaretta is really the first historian to take on the study of the Basque Children (as they are still called today) and their experiences in Spain, in their host countries, and in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. Legaretta’s study is an analysis of oral interviews with various Basque 5 Children. Throughout the book, Legaretta uses their stories to form a narrative of the events and experiences of the Basque Children as a whole. Through these interviews, Legaretta formulates a series of criteria that can be used to determine the overall experience of the Basque Children in their host countries. She concludes that a child had a good experience in their host country if their first impression of the country was good, they were well fed, if the host country accepted them, if there were mentors present, if the children were able to maintain speaking their own language, if some sort of culture and religion was maintained while the children were in the host country (many Basques were very Catholic—and the presence of this religion played a factor in their overall experience). While Legaretta’s study ultimately gives the field of study the most comprehensive information about the Basque children refugees’ experiences in general, she does not provide a detailed study of the political implications of the Basque children in specifically England. Through her criterion of a successful stay in a host country, she concludes that in Britain it was overall a good experience.3 Where Legaretta is successful in providing information about the Basque children’s stay in England, she does not provide analysis of the British Non-Intervention policy and the Basque Children, two elements that are very much connected as British Non- Intervention provides the framework that made the evacuation possible.
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