Books by Morris Brodie
Routledge Studies in Modern European History, 2020
Between 1936 and 1939, the Spanish Civil War showcased anarchism to the world. News of the revolu... more Between 1936 and 1939, the Spanish Civil War showcased anarchism to the world. News of the revolution in Spain energised a moribund international anarchist movement, and activists from across the globe flocked to Spain to fight against fascism and build the revolution behind the front lines. Those that stayed at home set up groups and newspapers to send money, weapons and solidarity to their Spanish comrades. This book charts this little-known phenomenon through a transnational case study of anarchists from Britain, Ireland and the United States, using a thematic approach to place their efforts in the wider context of the civil war, the anarchist movement, and the international left.
Journal Articles by Morris Brodie
Journal of Contemporary History, 2020
This article explores the twin phenomena of anti-fascism and transnational war volunteering throu... more This article explores the twin phenomena of anti-fascism and transnational war volunteering through a case study of the International Group of the Durruti Column in the Spanish Civil War. This anarchist-led unit comprised approximately 368 volunteers with a variety of political views from at least 25 different countries. The article examines the relationship between these foreign volunteers and their Spanish hosts (both anarchist and non-anarchist), through, firstly, the militarization of the militias in the winter of 1936, and, secondly, the group’s role in the May Days of 1937 and its aftermath. These episodes show the often hostile attitude of Spaniards to foreigners within Spain and challenge the characterization of the conflict as distinctively internationalist. The lives of these volunteers also highlight the continuity of anti-fascism between the interwar and wartime period, with Spain acting as an ‘anti-fascist melting pot’ where volunteers of different backgrounds and political leanings came together in a common cause. This commitment, however, was not unconditional, and was frequently challenged due to circumstances within Spain. Through studying these transnational fighters, we have a more comprehensive understanding of the complex nature of twentieth century anti-fascism.
The Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth, 2020
This article examines the attitudes of the British anarchist movement toward youth and childhood ... more This article examines the attitudes of the British anarchist movement toward youth and childhood during the Spanish Civil War. Anarchists, through the philosophy of integral education, placed high emphasis on the capacity of children to reject bourgeois hegemonic norms and flourish individually. There was a tension, however, between a liberationist and an instrumentalist conception of childhood. The article looks at how the movement drew on stereotypes of vulnerable children to raise money in support of children's colonies in Spain and how life was organized within the colonies themselves. It also investigates the activities of the anarchist youth movement within Britain. Older anarchists frequently ignored or derided the efforts of younger activists to build the movement, underestimating their contribution to the struggle against fascism.
Anarchist Studies, 2019
This article examines the British anarchist movement during the Spanish Civil War. It focuses on ... more This article examines the British anarchist movement during the Spanish Civil War. It focuses on activists, rather than intellectual figures, and argues that the tendency to dismiss the work of the movement during the period is misplaced. British anarchists coordinated to organise solidarity for their Spanish comrades through organisations such as the CNT-FAI London Bureau, the Anarcho-Syndicalist Union and Solidaridad Internacional Antifascista. Others travelled to Spain to produce propaganda for the CNT-FAI Foreign Language Division or to aid persecuted revolutionaries. The British movement certainly lacked a mass following during this period, but activists maintained a commitment to their ideals and continued to agitate for the cause, carrying on the tradition of anarchism in sometimes difficult circumstances.
Radical Americas, 2018
This article examines the function of anarchist periodicals in the United States during the Great... more This article examines the function of anarchist periodicals in the United States during the Great Depression. Periodicals acted as forums for debate, where ideas were constantly challenged and important theoretical issues were aired. This was both within anarchism and between the wider radical movement. In addition, periodicals were important organisational tools, creating networks that connected activists across the country and helped to build the movement. Young anarchists identified English-language periodicals as vital for breaking through the linguistic barriers erected by the older generation of immigrant anarchists. The new cohort felt that the reluctance of older anarchists to engage in English-language organising was contributing to the stagnation of the movement and produced three periodicals – Vanguard, Spanish Revolution and Challenge – to address the problem. This article shows how these periodicals helped to reform and sustain anarchist militant identities in the U.S. in the 1930s. It highlights the importance of periodical networks in this process, emphasising their social and cultural value in addition to their political and financial significance. Although all the periodicals had folded by the end of 1939, they left an important legacy for the movement and provided an introduction to anarchist organising for a fresh cadre of activists.
Conference Presentations by Morris Brodie
Civil War Symposium, Queen's University Belfast, 30 November 2018
Anarchist Studies Conference, Loughborough University, 12-14 September 2018
European Social Science History Conference, Queen’s University Belfast, 4-7 April 2018
Transnationalism in Practice, NUI Maynooth, 12 September 2016
Radical Histories/Histories of Radicalism Conference and Festival, Birkbeck and Queen Mary, Unive... more Radical Histories/Histories of Radicalism Conference and Festival, Birkbeck and Queen Mary, University of London, 30 June-3 July 2016
'Workers of all lands unite? Working class internationalism and nationalism until 1945', Universi... more 'Workers of all lands unite? Working class internationalism and nationalism until 1945', University of Nottingham, 7 March 2015
'Nationalism and Internationalism in Labour History', Newcastle University, 25 April 2015
'Remembering Noël Browne, 1915-1997', NUI Galway, 13-14 November 2015
History Staff Student Seminar Series, Queen’s University Belfast, 26 February 2016
Book Reviews by Morris Brodie
The Volunteer, 37:3 (September 2020), p. 22
Labour History Review, 81:1 (2016), pp 92-4
Blog Posts by Morris Brodie
Anarchist Studies Blog, 2019
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Books by Morris Brodie
Journal Articles by Morris Brodie
Conference Presentations by Morris Brodie
Book Reviews by Morris Brodie
Blog Posts by Morris Brodie
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