Dolores Ibárruri: "¡No Pasarán!, They shall not pass!', Defense of 2nd Spanish Republic - 1936

19 July 1936, Government Ministry Building, Madrid, Spain

Workers! Farmers! Anti-fascists! Spanish Patriots! Confronted with the fascist military uprising, all must rise to their feet, to defend the Republic, to defend the people's freedoms as well as their achievements towards democracy! Through the statements by the government and the Popular Front (parties), the people understand the graveness of the moment. In Morroco, as well as in the Canary Islands, the workers are battling, united with the forces still loyal to the Republic, against the uprising militants and fascists. Under the battlecry 'Fascism shall not pass; the hangmen of October shall not pass!' workers and farmers from all Spanish provinces are joining in the struggle against the enemies of the Republic that have arisen in arms. Communists, Socialists, Anarchists, and Republican Democrats, soldiers and (other) forces remaining loyal to the Republic combined have inflicted the first defeats upon the fascist foe, who drag through the mud the very same honourable military tradition that they have boasted to possess so many times. The whole country cringes in indignation at these heartless barbarians that would hurl our democratic Spain back down into an abyss of terror and death. However, THEY SHALL NOT PASS! For all of Spain presents itself for battle. In Madrid, the people are out in the streets in support of the Government and encouraging its decision and fighting spirit so that it shall reach its conclusion in the smashing of the militant and fascist insurrection.

Young men, prepare for combat! Women, heroic women of the people! Recall the heroism of the women of Asturias of 1934 and struggle alongside the men in order to defend the lives and freedom of your sons, overshadowed by the fascist menace! Soldiers, sons of the nation! Stay true to the Republican State and fight side by side with the workers, with the forces of the Popular Front, with your parents, your siblings and comrades! Fight for the Spain of February the 16th, fight for the Republic and help them to victory! Workers of all stripes! The government supplies us with arms that we may save Spain and its people from the horror and shame that a victory for the bloody hangmen of October would mean. Let no one hesitate! All stand ready for action. All workers, all antifascists must now look upon each other as brothers in arms. Peoples of Catalonia, Basque Country, and Galicia! All Spaniards! Defend our democratic Republic and consolidate the victory achieved by our people on the 16th of February.

The Communist Party calls you to arms. We especially call upon you, workers, farmers, intellectuals to assume your positions in the fight to finally smash the enemies of the Republic and of the popular liberties. Long live the Popular Front! Long live the union of all anti-fascists! Long live the Republic of the people! The Fascists shall not pass! THEY SHALL NOT PASS!

Translated from the original Spanish

¡Obreros! ¡Campesinos! ¡Antifascistas! ¡Españoles patriotas!... Frente a la sublevación militar fascista ¡todos en pie, a defender la República, a defender las libertades populares y las conquistas democráticas del pueblo!...

A través de las notas del gobierno y del Frente Popular, el pueblo conoce la gravedad del momento actual. En Marruecos y en Canarias luchan los trabajadores, unidos a las fuerzas leales a la República, contra los militares y fascistas sublevados.

Al grito de ¡el fascismo no pasará, no pasarán los verdugos de octubre!... los obreros y campesinos de distintas provincias de España se incorporan a la lucha contra los enemigos de la República alzados en armas. Los comunistas, los socialistas y anarquistas, los republicanos demócratas, los soldados y las fuerzas fieles a la República han infligido las primeras derrotas a los facciosos, que arrastran por el fango de la traición el honor militar de que tantas veces han alardeado.

Todo el país vibra de indignación ante esos desalmados que quieren hundir la España democrática y popular en un infierno de terror y de muerte.

Pero ¡NO PASARÁN!

España entera se dispone al combate. En Madrid el pueblo está en la calle, apoyando al gobierno y estimulándole con su decisión y espíritu de lucha para que llegue hasta el fin en el aplastamiento de los militares y fascistas sublevados.

¡Jóvenes, preparaos para la pelea!

¡Mujeres, heroicas mujeres del pueblo! ¡Acordaos del heroísmo de las mujeres asturianas en 1934; luchad también vosotras al lado de los hombres para defender la vida y la libertad de vuestros hijos, que el fascismo amenaza!

¡Soldados, hijos del pueblo! ¡Manteneos fieles al gobierno de la República, luchad al lado de los trabajadores, al lado de las fuerzas del Frente Popular, junto a vuestros padres, vuestros hermanos y compañeros! ¡Luchad por la España del 16 de febrero, luchad por la República, ayudadlos a triunfar!

¡Trabajadores de todas las tendencias! El gobierno pone en nuestras manos las armas para que salvemos a España y al pueblo del horror y de la vergüenza que significaría el triunfo de los sangrientos verdugos de octubre.

¡Que nadie vacile! Todos dispuestos para la acción. Cada obrero, cada antifascista debe considerarse un soldado en armas.

¡Pueblos de Cataluña, Vasconia y Galicia! ¡Españoles todos! A defender la República democrática, a consolidar la victoria lograda por el pueblo el 16 de febrero.

El Partido Comunista os llama a la lucha. Os llama especialmente a vosotros, obreros, campesinos, intelectuales, a ocupar un puesto en el combate para aplastar definitivamente a los enemigos de la República y de las libertades populares. ¡Viva el Frente Popular! ¡Viva la unión de todos los antifascistas! ¡Viva la República del pueblo! ¡Los fascistas no pasarán! ¡No pasarán!

Miguel de Unamuno: 'You will win, because you possess more than enough brute force, but you will not convince', Unamuno's Last Lecture - 1936

12 Ocrtober 1936, Salamanca Unversity, Spain

Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo is one of Spain's most eminent novelists, poets and playwrights. He was rector of Salamanca University, and a professor in Greek. On the day of this speech, General Franco's chief advisor, General Millán Astray, a military hero with an eye patch and a missing arm, spoke from the audience's midst, shouting the paradoxical phrase, 'Viva la Muerte!”  — Long Live Death! This was Unamuno's response.

All of you are hanging on my words. You all know me and are aware that I am unable to remain silent. I have not learned to do so in seventy-three years of my life. And now. I do not wish to learn it any more. At times, to be silent is to lie. For silence can be interpreted as acquiescence. I could not survive a divorce between my conscience and my word, always well-mated partners.

I will be brief. Truth is most true when naked, free of embellishments and verbiage. Let us waive the personal affront implied in the sudden outburst of vituperation against the Basques and Catalans in general by Professor Maldonado. I was myself, of course, born in Bilbao in the midst of the bombardments of the Second Carlist War. Later, I wedded myself to this city of Salamanca, which I love deeply, yet never forgetting my native town. The Bishop [here Unamuno indicated the quivering prelate sitting next to him], whether he likes it or not, is a Catalan from Barcelona.

I want, however, to comment on the speech — to give it that name — of General Millán Astray who is here among us.

[the general was sitting on the stage and had given a pro fascist speech moments before].

Just now, I heard a necrophilic and senseless cry, ‘Long live Death!’ To me it sounds the equivalent of ‘MUERA LA VIDA!’ — ‘To Death with Life!’ And I, who have spent my life shaping paradoxes that have aroused the uncomprehending anger of others, I must tell you, as an expert authority, that this outlandish paradox is repellent to me.  Since it was proclaimed in homage to the last speaker, I can only explain it to myself by supposing that it was addressed to him, though in an excessively strange and tortuous form, as a testimonial to his being himself a symbol of death.

And now, another matter. General Millán Astray is a cripple. Let it be said without any slighting undertone. He is a war invalid. So was Cervantes. But extremes do not make the rule: they escape it. Unfortunately, there are all too many cripples in Spain now. And soon, there will be even more of them if God does not come to our aid. It pains me to think that General Millán Astray should dictate the pattern of mass psychology.

That would be appalling. A cripple who lacks the spiritual greatness of Cervantes — a man, not a superman, virile and complete, in spite of his mutilations — a cripple, I said, who lacks that loftiness of mind, is wont to seek ominous relief in causing mutilation around him.

General Millán Astray is not one of the select minds, even though he is unpopular, or rather, for that very reason. Because he is unpopular, General Millán Astray would like to create Spain anew — a negative creation — in his own image and likeness. And for that reason he wishes to see Spain crippled, as he unwittingly made clear.

At this General Millán Astray was unable to restrain himself any longer. ‘Death to intellectuals! Down with intelligence!’ ‘¡Mueran los intelectuales!’ [‘¡Abajo la inteligencia!’] he shouted. ‘Long live death!’ [‘¡Viva la Muerte!’]

This is the temple of intellect. And I am its high priest. It is you who are profaning its sacred precincts.

I have always, whatever the proverb may say, been a prophet in my own land. You will win, but you will not convince. You will win, because you possess more than enough brute force, but you will not convince, because to convince means to persuade. And in order to persuade you would need what you lack — reason and right in the struggle. I consider it futile to exhort you to think of Spain. I have finished.

Orders were initially made to kill the rector for making the speech, but this was commuted to house arrest when the regime decided the execution would create an international incident, and injure its nascent “National Movement of Salvation”. Unamuno died under house arrest on the last day of 1936, two months after the speech.