“A spanner in the works…” International action of US unionism in Spain, 1945-1975

The Republican defeat in the Spanish Civil War generated a kind of “feeling of remorse” across much of the European and American left. During World War II, international unionism did not lose interest in Spain, but it was relegated in importance. After the defeat of Hitler, American unionism promoted numerous aid campaigns to support those who fought against the Franco dictatorship, which was considered a remaining vestige after the defeat of fascism elsewhere. But this Transatlantic solidarity took place in an adverse context. The politicized atmosphere of the Cold War hindered the foreign action of US unions, a circumstance which their European counterparts sometimes failed to understand. Nevertheless, support from the other side of the Atlantic contributed to the survival of anti-Franco trade unionism and was important in denouncing the repression exercised by the Franco regime in a number of international forums. The following pages seek to clarify what happened during the 1945-1975 period, comparing unpublished documentation from US archives with Spanish sources