Dolores Ibárruri was dubbed La Pasionaria for her fiery speeches during the Spanish civil war. Her favourite phrase became a Republican battlecry: No pasaran! They shall not !
Dolores Ibárruri was nicknamed La Pasionaria for her fiery speeches to the anti-fascist forces during the Spanish civil war. The fighting had begun in July 1936. Troops, led by General Francisco Franco, launched an uprising against the democratically-elected government. These Nationalist rebels were backed by Adolf Hitler in and Benito Mussolini in Italy.
On the other side were ers of the Republican government, including Spain’s communist party, and Dolores was one of its leaders. She was already known for her speeches against fascism, but it was the civil war that sealed her reputation as a ionate and persuasive speaker. Her favourite phrase even became a battle cry for the Republicans: “No pasaran! They shall not !” Jane Wilkinson has been looking through the archives to find out more.
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