Dolores Ibárruri
Date: July 19, 1936
Source: Speeches and Articles pp. 7-8, Foreign Languages Publishing House, 1938
First Published: Three Speeches by Pasionaria Madrid-Barcelona, 1936
Transciption/HTML Markup: Mike B. for MIA, April 2007
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2007). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.
Workers, anti-fascists, and labouring people!
Rise as one man! Prepare to defend the Republic, national freedom and the democratic liberties won by the people!
Everybody now knows from the communications of the government and of the People's Front how serious the situation is. The workers, together with the troops which have remained loyal to the Republic, are manfully and enthusiastically carrying on the struggle in Morocco and the Canary Islands.
Under the slogan, "Fascism shall not pass, the October butchers shall not pass!" communists, socialists, anarchists and republicans, soldiers and all the forces loyal to the will of the people, are routing the traitorous rebels, who have trampled in the mud and betrayed their vaunted military honour.
The whole country is shocked by the actions of these villains. They want with fire and sword to turn democratic Spain, the Spain of the people, into a hell of terrorism and torture. But they shall not pass!
All Spain has risen to the struggle. In Madrid the people have come out into the streets, lending strength to the government by their determination and fighting spirit, so that it may utterly exterminate the reactionary fascist rebels.
Young men and women, sound the alarm! Rise and join the battle!
Women, heroic women of the people! Remember the heroism of the Asturian women! And you, too, fight side by side with your menfolk, together with them defend the bread and tranquility of your children whose lives are in danger! Soldiers, sons of the people! Stand steadfastly as one man on the side of the government, on the side of the working people, on the side of the People's Front, on the side of your fathers, brothers and comrades! March with then to victory! Fight for the Spain of February 16!
Working people of all political trends! The government has placed valuable means of defence into our hands in order that we may perform our duty with honour, in order that we may save Spain from the disgrace that would be brought upon her by a victory of the bloodthirsty October butchers. Not one of you must hesitate for a single moment, and tomorrow we shall be able to celebrate our victory. Be prepared for action! Every worker, every anti-fascist, must regard himself as a mobilized soldier!
People of Catalonia, the Basque country and Galicia, and all Spaniards! Rise in the defence of the democratic republic, rise to consolidate the victory won by the people on February 16! The Communist Party calls upon all of you to join the struggle. It calls upon all working people to take their place in the struggle in order [to completely] smash the enemies of the republic and of the freedom of the people.
Long live the People's Front!
Long live the alliance of all anti-fascists!
Long live the People's Republic!
1. The fascist revolt in Spain broke out on July 8, 1936.