American League Against War and Fascism

The American League Against War and Fascism was an organization formed in 1933 by the Communist Party USA and pacifists united by their concern as Nazism and Fascism rose in Europe. In 1937 the name of the group was changed to the American League for Peace and Democracy.

Contents

Organizational history

Formation

1937 name change

The American League Against War and Fascism, though it attempted to attract as broad a following as possible and included many members of Roosevelt's Cabinets, was based primarily in the working class and its leadership was largely socialist and communist. By 1937, its Communist Party members boasted that 30 percent of the entire organized labor movement was represented in the League, and labor delegates occupied 413 of the 1416 seats at the national convention. Afro-Americans were also well represented in both the leadership and rank-and-file delegates.

In 1937 the organization changed its name to the American League for Peace and Democracy. Helen Silvermaster was associated with this group.[1] The League dissolved after the 1939 signing of the Hitler-Stalin pact discouraged its non-communist members.[2] Its communist elements then influenced the founding of the American Peace Mobilization front.

Publications

The League produced a monthly broadsheet entitled FIGHT Against War and Fascism, published in New York City under the editorship of Liston M. Oak.[3]

References

  1. ^ Nathan Silvermaster Group, Investigation reports, FBI
  2. ^ Harvey Klehr, John Earl Haynes, and Fridrikh Igorevich Firsov, The Secret World of American Communism. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1995, pgs. 10-11
  3. ^ An example of FIGHT letterhead may be seen in the Art Young Papers, University of Michigan Special Collections, box 1, folder "Correspondence (1935)".

External links

Endorsed candidates
Presidential
1924: Foster | 1928: Foster | 1932: Foster | 1936: Browder | 1940: Browder | 1948: None | 1952: None | 1968: Mitchell | 1972: Hall | 1976: Hall | 1980: Hall | 1984: Hall
Vice Presidential
1924: Gitlow | 1928: Gitlow | 1932: Ford | 1936: Ford | 1940: Ford | 1948: None | 1952: None | 1968: Zagarell | 1972: Tyner | 1976: Tyner | 1980: Davis | 1984: Davis
Leaders
Charles Ruthenberg, Executive Secretary of old CPA (1919–1920); Executive Secretary of WPA/W(C)P (May 1922–1927) · Alfred Wagenknecht, Executive Secretary of CLP (1919–1920); of UCP (1920–1921) · Charles Dirba, Executive Secretary of old CPA (1920–1921); of unified CPA (May 30, 1921–July 27, 1921) · Louis Shapiro, Executive Secretary of old CPA (briefly, late 1920) · L.E. Katterfeld, Executive Secretary of unified CPA (July 27, 1921–October 15, 1921) · William Weinstone, Executive Secretary of unified CPA (October 15, 1921–February 22, 1922) · Jay Lovestone Executive Secretary of unified CPA (February 22, 1922–August 22, 1922); of W(C)P/CPUSA (1927–1929) · James P. Cannon, National Chairman of WPA (December 1921–1922) · Caleb Harrison, Executive Secretary of WPA (December 1921–May 1922) · Abram Jakira, Executive Secretary of unified CPA (August 22, 1922–dissolution of underground party in 1923) · William Z. Foster, Party Chairman (1929–1934) · Earl Browder, Party Chairman (1934–1945) · Eugene Dennis, General Secretary (1945–1959) and William Z. Foster, Party Chairman (1945–1957) · Gus Hall, General Secretary (1959–2000) · Sam Webb, Chairman (2000–present)
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