A-Infos (en) France, Monde Libertaire - IDEAS AND STRUGGLES: A History of Antifascism in Europe (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

History doesn't repeat itself, but it tends to draw on the same causes 
and produce some identical effects. Even today, the growing defeat of 
democracy and Enlightenment values in Europe and around the world is a 
legitimate cause for concern and raises the specter of fascism. The last 
century saw nightmares for the populations of Spain, Germany, and Italy 
in the 1920s and 30s-to limit ourselves to Europe. One question remains: 
how was the resistance organized? How did the anti-fascists mobilize? 
Historian Jacques Droz produced a comprehensive synthesis of this 
movement in Europe, published in 1985. La Découverte publishers have 
reissued it, and it proves to be a fascinating read. For once, the 
phrase "essential reference work" is not an exaggeration. How did we get 
to this point? Could it have been foreseen? These are questions that 
resonate with our current events in 2026.

Stéphanie Prezioso wrote the preface. We know this historian 
particularly for her work coordinating the book *When Night Falls: 
International Volunteers Against Fascism (Spain 1936-1939)*, published 
by Syllepse in 2026 (see *Des Idées et des luttes*, June 6, 2026). She 
denounces the decline of left-wing culture, the relativization and 
revaluation of historical fascism. For Jacques Droz, the goal is to 
understand the fascist phenomenon, the reasons for the defeat of its 
opponents, and to restore antifascism to its historical dimension. *No 
pasaran* was not enough! For him, as Stéphanie Prezioso points out, 
"antifascism is a concrete practice and not an ideology, a political 
practice" that the communists will use. He describes the complex 
political experiences and commitments, particularly those of 
intellectuals, that constitute a European history. It is worth noting 
that this vast synthesis was completed before the advent of new
academic research techniques. The reader will be captivated by the 
breadth and precision of the information. Droz presents the phenomenon 
country by country and organization by organization. He begins with 
Mussolini's rise to power and concludes his work with the outbreak of 
the Second World War. For him, "Long before it was a reality, fascism 
was a movement, whose menacing rise was rendered almost inevitable by 
the mistakes made by its adversaries." The greatest mistake was 
certainly the division and lack of awareness among the left, with the 
exception of Trotsky, whose voice was barely heard

Jacques Droz takes us to Italy, revealing the futility of purely verbal 
opposition. Fascism in power will suppress freedoms and arrest 
opponents. In Germany, the power of the SPD and the unions blinded their 
leaders. A reference to Daniel Guérin's book, *La Peste brune* (Ed. 
Syllepse, 2026), is included (see *Des Idées et des luttes*, January 3, 
2026). Exile is the only solution in the face of a formidable Gestapo. 
We know the fate of those who remain. Anti-fascists leave for France, 
the USSR if they are communists, or Czechoslovakia, hence Hitler's 
hatred for that country. Walter Benjamin, Bertolt Brecht, Thomas Mann, 
and Anna Seghers are among the best known, but many others experience 
misery, mistrust, arrests, and being handed over to the Nazis. We didn't 
know? The writer Rudolf Leonhard warned: "Those who do not understand 
the mechanisms of fascism will become its victims[...]; one cannot 
afford to be naive."

And what about Austria, the Balkan countries, and Central Europe? 
Jacques Droz delivers a captivating panorama, demonstrating fascinating 
insights. In France? The mobilization of intellectuals is the starting 
point, but political organizations are divided. Within the SFIO (French 
Section of the Workers' International), anti-Semitic remarks against 
Léon Blum, who favored rearmament, are odious. The same is true within 
the Radical Party. In the 1930s, the seeds of Pétainism are sown; the 
July 1940 vote in Vichy are germinating. Despite the Spanish Civil War, 
this growing awareness does not translate into effective action. In 
Great Britain, the author highlights the often-overlooked influence of 
fascism. Clearly, Spain encapsulates the stakes, serving as a prelude to 
the Second World War. Note the emphasis placed on the role of 
anarchists, which is rare for a social-democratic historian.

Understanding the Failure of Antifascism

In his conclusion, Jacques Droz provides three types of explanation for 
the failure of antifascism:
- The misinterpretation by its opponents of the true nature of fascism, 
believing that it could be subjected to the normal rules to which 
humanity was accustomed, without fully grasping the barbarity of both 
leaders and subordinates;
- The division within the workers' movement, from the Congress of Tours 
to the Congress of Livorno, and the Second and Third Internationals;
- The legacy of the First World War, where any abdication was preferable 
to the repetition of such a massacre.

The author emphasizes: "It was only after the defeats of the 
Axis[Germany, Italy, Japan]in 1942 that antifascism became a force that 
the belligerents had to reckon with in their military planning."

A word from Friedrich Wolf, German playwright and writer: "You must form 
a clear image of your opponent if you want to be able to crush him."

* Jacques Droz
History of Antifascism in Europe
1923-1939
, La Découverte, 2026

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