The fan was signed by 31 men who volunteered in the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. No women signed it, though many women had also joined the fight against Franco’s Nationalists. Some American women volunteered in Spain to take care of the wounded in makeshift hospitals while others, like journalist Martha Gellhorn, contributed by reporting from Spain. Women in the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) were not only motivated to fight against fascism but also looked for organizations that supported gender equality, body autonomy, and children’s safety at home and abroad. For them, the Spanish Nationalist insurrection was not just a class war but also a war against women’s rights.
Under the democratically elected Spanish Republic, progress had been made concerning women’s rights, including their right to vote. Following Franco’s military uprising, Republican women joined the fight against Franco’s forces. Some of these milicianas (mostly anarchists and communists) fought on the front lines and became an iconic image of the war in its early months. In Nationalist Spain, however, women’s rights were revoked. Civil divorces were suspended, access to education restricted, and safe abortions outlawed. Schools were segregated again by gender, which severely impacted the education of young girls.
One of the primary roles of American women in the Spanish Civil War was to volunteer as nurses. Among them was Salaria Kea, a Black American woman who attended nursing school in Harlem. She became an activist for the Republican cause in the United States before joining the International Brigades in Spain as a nurse. Another American nurse and member of the CPUSA, Lini Fuhr, described her experience in Spain as “something overwhelmingly worthwhile.” Fuhr served at the battle of Jarama, where the makeshift hospital was quickly overcome with the number of injured soldiers. Another American woman, Evelyn Hutchins, became the only female ambulance driver in the International Brigades. Hutchins complained about “male chauvinism” among her fellow male volunteers, who argued that driving trucks was a “man’s job.” Ambulance drivers were carefully selected: not only did they drive trucks but also had to be able to perform mechanical work.
Spanish Civil War. Virtual Museum. “An African American Nurse in Republican Spain.”
NYU Libraries. “Guide to the Lini M. De Vries Papers.”
Other American women worked as journalists in Spain, some of whom were members of the CPUSA. From 1937 to 1938, Martha Gellhorn told stories of wartime through the eyes of the civilians she encountered. She worked alongside Ernest Hemmingway, who later became her husband. Milly Bennett (Mildred Bremler) was another American journalist who, despite the fact that her application to become a member of the CPUSA was rejected, traveled to Spain in December of 1937 from the Soviet Union, where she had lived since 1931. During her time in Spain, Bennett worked for the press and propaganda services in the English language department of the Spanish Government. After her time in Spain, Bennett was accused by the FBI of spying for the Spanish Republic.
Sam Knight. “A Memorial for the Remarkable Martha Gellhorn.” New Yorker. 18 September 2019.
Bennett, Milly et al. Spanish Women Doing Great Work
Women also played important roles at the home front, supporting male volunteers as mothers, sisters, companions, and wives. At times, mothers were deeply worried about their sons fighting in Spain. For example, one of the signatories of the fan, Michael Feller, joined the International Brigades with his nephew Hyman Katz. Their correspondence includes letters to mothers and sisters explaining the importance of fighting fascism, despite the dangers. As wives, women also supported their husbands. Anne Hanusiak, for example, married Michael Sidorovich, a signatory of the fan, in 1941. While she did not know him during the war, she played a pivotal role in his later political life. According to the records of the Rosenberg trial, the FBI suspected Anne and her husband of espionage for the Soviet Union. Another example is Agnes Cecelia Jessen, the wife of another signatory of the fan, Carl Slater. As an artist, Agnes was also politically active and worked in the WPA (Work Progress Administration) during the 1930s. Later, during the Vietnam War, she was involved in the antiwar movement and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
Abraham Lincoln Brigades Archives (ALBA). “Women and the Spanish Civil War (Workshop).
Jim Firth et al. Women’s Voices from the Spanish Civil War. Lawrence& Wishart. 2008.
Julia Newman (Director). 2003. “Into the Fire: American Women in the Spanish Civil War.”