Federación Ibérica de Juventudes Libertarias
Encyclopedia
The Iberian Federation of Libertarian Youth (FIJL, Spanish: Federación Ibérica de Juventudes Libertarias), sometimes abbreviated as Libertarian Youth (Juventudes Libertarias), was a libertarian socialist organisation created in 1932 in Madrid
. In February 1937 the FIJL organised a plenum of regional organisations (second congress of FIJL). In October 1938, from the 16th through the 30th in Barcelona, the FIJL participated in a national plenum of the libertarian movement, also attended by members of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
(CNT) and the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI).
During the purge of the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM
) and other dissident organisations that took place in Barcelona towards the end of the Spanish Civil War
many FIJL members were murdered by those who were acting on the orders of Joseph Stalin
. After the Civil War FIJL acted in two branches, one in exile situated in Paris
and one domestic as secret and illegal organisation under Franco's regime. Some FIJL members were associated with the militant First of May Group
.
The organisation's most famous member was Federico Borrell García
who was the subject of Robert Capa
's most well known photograph, The Falling Soldier
. This image, taken in 1936, depicts the moment of a republican soldier's death during the Spanish Civil War.
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. In February 1937 the FIJL organised a plenum of regional organisations (second congress of FIJL). In October 1938, from the 16th through the 30th in Barcelona, the FIJL participated in a national plenum of the libertarian movement, also attended by members of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo is a Spanish confederation of anarcho-syndicalist labor unions affiliated with the International Workers Association . When working with the latter group it is also known as CNT-AIT...
(CNT) and the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI).
During the purge of the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM
Poum
Poum is a commune in the North Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The town of Poum is located in the far northwest, located on the southern part of Banare Bay, with Mouac Island just offshore....
) and other dissident organisations that took place in Barcelona towards the end of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
many FIJL members were murdered by those who were acting on the orders of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
. After the Civil War FIJL acted in two branches, one in exile situated in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and one domestic as secret and illegal organisation under Franco's regime. Some FIJL members were associated with the militant First of May Group
First of May Group
The First of May Group was an anarchist anti-Franco resistance movement which took militant action against the Spanish dictator's regime. Formed in 1966 by exiles dissatisfied with what they perceived as the quietism of other opposition groups, actions attributed to the group include the occupation...
.
The organisation's most famous member was Federico Borrell García
Federico Borrell García
Federico Borrell García was a Spanish Republican and anarchist soldier during the Spanish Civil War known for appearing in the famous Robert Capa photo The Falling Soldier.-Biography:...
who was the subject of Robert Capa
Robert Capa
Robert Capa was a Hungarian combat photographer and photojournalist who covered five different wars: the Spanish Civil War, the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II across Europe, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and the First Indochina War...
's most well known photograph, The Falling Soldier
The Falling Soldier
The Falling Soldier is a famous photograph taken by Robert Capa, understood to have been taken on September 5, 1936 and long thought to depict the death of a Republican, specifically an Iberian Federation of Libertarian Youth soldier during the Spanish Civil War, who was later identified as the...
. This image, taken in 1936, depicts the moment of a republican soldier's death during the Spanish Civil War.
Sources
- Esenwein, George Richard. The Spanish Civil War: A Modern Tragedy, Routledge, 2005.
- Gómez Casas, Juan (1986). Anarchist Organisation: The History of the F.A.I., Black Rose Books Ltd., ISBN 0920057381.