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Socialist and Communist Parties 1931-1939 (Spain)

Last modified: 2015-07-29 by ivan sache
Keywords: frente popular | popular front | izquierda republicana | partido socialista | psoe | partido comunista | pce | ugt | jsu | star: 3 points (red) | hammer | sickle | disc (white) | star (red) |
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Popular Front 1936

Frente Popular

[Popular Front 1936 (Spain)]
image by José Manuel Erbez

Flag shown in a poster edited by the Communist Party with occasion of the elections of 16 February 1936. The image shows a soldier bearing this flag and the text says: "16 February. Higher than ever the flag of the Popular Front." The same flag is seen later in posters related to the International Brigades. Source: Jordi and Arnau Carulla, La Guerra Civil en 2000 Carteles (The Civil War in 2000 Posters), 1999.

José Manuel Erbez, 14 Mar 2000


Republican Left 1937

Izquierda Republicana

[Republican Left 1937 (Spain)]
image by José Manuel Erbez

Flag shown in a poster edited image by Izquierda Republicana (Republican Left) in 1937. It is the Spanish republican flag bearing in its center a curious emblem made up with those of the political forces supporting the Republic against the rebels: the communists (hammer and sickle), the socialists (red star), the anarchists (red and black colours), the nationalists (Catalan bars and Basque crosses) and Izquierda Republicana (letters IR). The text says: "The flag of victory." Source: Jordi and Arnau Carulla, La Guerra Civil en 2000 Carteles (The Civil War in 2000 Posters), 1999.

José Manuel Erbez, 14 Mar 2000


Spanish Communist Party

Partido Comunista de España

[Spanish Communist Party 1930s (Spain)]
image by Jaume Ollé

This is a flag of the communist party during the Spanish Civil War, currently under custody by the Spanish communist party.

Jaume Ollé, 01 Feb 1999


Socialist Party

Partido Socialista

[Partido Socialista 1930s (Spain)]
image by Jaume Ollé

The image of the socialist party's flag is taken from a picture. The identification of the flag is unsure because I don't know any party called only Socialist Party, rather Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. I believe that the PS can be one of the parties that merged to originate the PSUC (Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia), but I don't know well the history of this party.

Jaume Ollé, 01 Feb 1999


Unified Socialist Youth

Juventudes Socialistas Unificadas

[Unified Socialist Youth 1930s (Spain)]

[Unified Socialist Youth 1930s (Spain)]

[Unified Socialist Youth 1930s (Spain)]
all three image by José Manuel Erbez

Three variants of the flag of the Juventudes Socialistas Unificadas (Unified Socialist Youth), from different posters. Source: Jordi and Arnau Carulla, La Guerra Civil en 2000 Carteles (The Civil War in 2000 Posters), 1999.

José Manuel Erbez, 14 Mar 2000


Worker's Party of Marxist Unification

Partit Obrer d'Unificacio' Marxista / Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista (POUM)

The Workers Party of Marxist Unification (POUM) was a large Marxist (many would say Trotskyist) party that had about 70,000 members in Catalonia before being repressed by the Communists in 1937.

John Metz, 19 Dec 2003

A famous member was author George Orwell, who recounts his adventures in "Homage to Catalonia" (interesting flag sightings!). The POUM's flag "in action" may be seen here. A picture of a POUM member card such as the one Orwell had to get rid of is at the bottom of the page.

I take it the words "Partit Obrer d'Unificacio' Marxista" are Catalan, the Spanish name being "Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista."

Jan Mertens, 19 Dec 2003

True, the party only existed in Catalonia, and was of Trotskyist trend.

Jaume Ollé, 19 Dec 2003

In the Portuguese edition of the George Orwell book, "Looking Back On The Spanish War," ISBN 972-608-042-8 (the book also includes two other George Orwell essays about the Spanish Civil War), a picture of George Orwell's unit, the Caserna Lenin, or Lenin Barracks, of the POUM militia, heading for the Aragonese front, in which this flag appears heading the column. The photograph is in black and white and the colours are undeterminate, but I'm assuming it's gold on red.

POUM, or Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista (Worker's Party of Marxist Unification), was actually a Trotskyist party that was later the subject a prosecution by the more powerful marxist-leninist PSUC (Catalan Unified Socialist Party).

George Orwell served 6 months in the POUM militia, though his decision to join was caused by ignorance of the situation in the field, he wrote that if given the chance he would have joined the CNT-AIT militia.

João Madureira, 05 Aug 2006

I believe that the flags of POUM were red with white symbols and inscriptions. I don't have any image in war posters were the h&s or name show in yellow. I assume that white and red is the most probable.

The words "Caserna Lenin" were written in a different font than the word "POUM." The font used in the word "Poum" must be nonseriffed. As far I know the POUM mammer and sickle was without a star. The flag ratio was about 4:5 or 5:6 or so.

Jaume Ollé, 26 Aug 2004


General Worker's Union 1937

Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT) / socialist trade union

[General Worker's Union 1937 (Spain)]
image by José Manuel Erbez

Flag shown in a poster edited by the Unión General de Trabajadores (Worker's General Union, the socialist trade union) around 1937. Source: Jordi and Arnau Carulla, La Guerra Civil en 2000 Carteles (The Civil War in 2000 Posters), 1999.

José Manuel Erbez, 14 Mar 2000


Joint Flag of the Communist and Socialist Parties 1937

[Joint Flag of the Communist and Socialist Parties 1937 (Spain)]
image by José Manuel Erbez

Flag shown in a poster of the Communist Party from 1937. Two soldiers in a friendly attitude under a red flag, crushing on fascist symbols. The flag bears a curious device, a mixture of the communist emblem (hammer and sickle) and that of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (the anvil, the book, the inkpot and the pen). The text says: "The single party of the proletariat will crush fascism." Source: Jordi and Arnau Carulla, La Guerra Civil en 2000 Carteles (The Civil War in 2000 Posters), 1999.

José Manuel Erbez, 14 Mar 2000