International Red Aid
Encyclopedia
International Red Aid (also commonly known by its Russian acronym MOPR) was an international social service organization established by the Communist International. The organization was founded in 1922 to function as an "international political Red Cross", providing material and moral aid to radical "class war
" political prisoner
s around the world.
in prison."
Julian Marchlewski-Karski was named chairman of the Central Committee of MOPR, the governing body of the new organization. After 1924, the name of this directing body was changed to the Executive Committee.
The first plenary session of the Central Committee of MOPR was held in June 1923 in Moscow. At this gathering it was determined that MOPR should establish sections in all countries, particularly those suffering from so-called "White terror" against the revolutionary movement.
According to Elena Stasova
, the head of the Russian section of MOPR and deputy head of the Central Committee of the International organization, as of January 1, 1928, MOPR had a total membership of 8,900,000 people in 44 national sections. By January 1, 1931, MOPR's scope had grown to 58 national organizations, with a total membership of 8,305,454, according to Stasova. At the latter date the international organization maintained a total of 56 periodicals in 19 languages, Stasova stated.
Stasova noted that two forms of the organization existed, "mass organizations" — such as those of the USSR, Germany, France, the United States — and "organizations of a committee type", which limited themselves to legal and material aid to political prisoners and their families without attempting to establish large-scale membership organizations.
Stasova emphasized the ongoing difference between MOPR and Workers International Relief, another branch of the Comintern's international apparatus. "The difference is this", she noted in 1931, "we are assisting the political prisoners and the Workers International Relief assists at the time of economic strikes, at the time of the economic struggle."
The 1st World Congress of MOPR was held in November 1932. At that gathering it was announced that as of January 1 of that year, MOPR had established 67 national sections outside of the USSR, with 1,278,274 members.
until 1938, after which time its international character was deemphasized.
. It provided aid to those imprisoned for their role in the rebellion, and organize amnesty campaigns for prisoners that were to be executed.
The organization, which included many artists and writers, was later re-formed and expanded in Barcelona
in January 1936, with the aim of opposing fascism on multiple fronts.
During the Spanish Civil War
, the writer Joaquín Arderíus
served as the organization's president before exiling himself to France and then Mexico. The SRI created soup kitchen
s and refugee camp
s throughout the territory controlled by the Republicans, and also provided libraries for Republican soldiers, but many of their programs –as well as the food and aid that it collected- were focused on providing aid for children. http://www.brigadasinternacionales.org/SocorroRojo.htm For example, the SRI founded the Escuela Nacional para Niños Anormales (National School for Mentally Disabled Children) in Madrid
, with 150 students. It also founded a Children's Park on the outskirts of Madrid, providing shelter to an additional 150 children.
Other activities included:
Medical contributions included the establishment of 275 hospitals, ambulance services, the establishment of the Orthodontics
Clinic and College, dental hygiene campaigns, the mobilization of dentists to the front.
The Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM
), a minor Marxist party in Spain at the time, organized a parallel Socorro Rojo in opposition to the International Red Aid.
, included Juan Modesto
and Enrique Líster
amongst its leaders, and fought primarily in the battles in and around Madrid throughout 1936.
The SRI also helped Communist sympathizers in Nationalist Spain make their way to friendly territory.
The insignia of the SRI consisted of an "S" (for Socorro) behind the bars of a prison.
. It gave assistance to revolutionary prisoners in Finnish jails. Women connected to Red Aid would make handicraft works and organized bazaars, in order to finance the activities of the organization. The organization also tried to mobilize public opinion against ill-treatment of the prisoners. The Red Aid of Finland published Vankien Toveri.
became the leader of the International Red Aid in Latin America. Julio Antonio Mella
, the Cuba
n communist leader exiled in Mexico since 1926, was a leading figure in the Mexican section of the organization.
and fundraising drives.
|-
! Year
! Name
! Location
! Dates
! Delegates
|-
! 1923
| align="center" | 1st Plenary Session of the CC of MOPR
| align="center" | Moscow
| align="center" | June
| align="center" |
|-
! 1924
| align="center" | 1st International Conference
| align="center" | Moscow
| align="center" | July
| align="center" |
|-
! 1932
| align="center" | 1st World Congress
| align="center" | Moscow
| align="center" | November
| align="center" |
|-
|}
Class conflict
Class conflict is the tension or antagonism which exists in society due to competing socioeconomic interests between people of different classes....
" political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s around the world.
Formation
The International Workers Aid society, known colloquially by its Russian-language acronym, MOPR, was established in 1922 in response to the directive of the 4th World Congress of the Comintern to appeal to all communist parties "to assist in the creation of organizations to render material and moral aid to all captives of capitalismCapitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
in prison."
Julian Marchlewski-Karski was named chairman of the Central Committee of MOPR, the governing body of the new organization. After 1924, the name of this directing body was changed to the Executive Committee.
The first plenary session of the Central Committee of MOPR was held in June 1923 in Moscow. At this gathering it was determined that MOPR should establish sections in all countries, particularly those suffering from so-called "White terror" against the revolutionary movement.
Development
The first international conference of MOPR took place in July 1924, simultaneously with the 5th World Congress of the Comintern.According to Elena Stasova
Elena Stasova
Elena Dmitrievna "Lyolia" Stasova was a Russian communist revolutionary who became a political functionary working for the Communist International . She was a Comintern representative to Germany in 1921. From 1927 to 1938 she was the president of International Red Aid...
, the head of the Russian section of MOPR and deputy head of the Central Committee of the International organization, as of January 1, 1928, MOPR had a total membership of 8,900,000 people in 44 national sections. By January 1, 1931, MOPR's scope had grown to 58 national organizations, with a total membership of 8,305,454, according to Stasova. At the latter date the international organization maintained a total of 56 periodicals in 19 languages, Stasova stated.
Stasova noted that two forms of the organization existed, "mass organizations" — such as those of the USSR, Germany, France, the United States — and "organizations of a committee type", which limited themselves to legal and material aid to political prisoners and their families without attempting to establish large-scale membership organizations.
Stasova emphasized the ongoing difference between MOPR and Workers International Relief, another branch of the Comintern's international apparatus. "The difference is this", she noted in 1931, "we are assisting the political prisoners and the Workers International Relief assists at the time of economic strikes, at the time of the economic struggle."
The 1st World Congress of MOPR was held in November 1932. At that gathering it was announced that as of January 1 of that year, MOPR had established 67 national sections outside of the USSR, with 1,278,274 members.
Termination
MOPR was headed by Elena StasovaElena Stasova
Elena Dmitrievna "Lyolia" Stasova was a Russian communist revolutionary who became a political functionary working for the Communist International . She was a Comintern representative to Germany in 1921. From 1927 to 1938 she was the president of International Red Aid...
until 1938, after which time its international character was deemphasized.
National affiliates
As of 1924 the organization had national affiliates in nineteen countries. By 1932 it claimed sixty-two affiliates (excluding the Soviet Union) with a total of 1,278,274 individual members. During its period of existence, these national organizations of the International Red Aid included:- Austria: Austrian Red Aid (Österreichische Rote Hilfe)
- UK: International Class War Prisoners Aid
- Bulgaria: Organization for Support to the Victims of the Capitalist Dictatorship
- Canada: Canadian Labour Defence LeagueCanadian Labour Defence LeagueThe Canadian Labour Defence League was a legal defence organization founded and led by Reverend A.E. Smith. The league was in 1925 as a civil rights organization dedicated to protecting striking workers from persecution. It was allied with the Communist Party of Canada and functioned as a front for...
- Finland: Red Aid of Finland (Suomen Punainen Apu)
- France: International Red Aid (Secours Rouge International)
- Germany: Red Aid of GermanyRote HilfeThe Rote Hilfe was the German affiliate of the International Red Aid. The Rote Hilfe was affiliated with the Communist Party of Germany and existed between 1924 and 1936.- Origin :...
(Rote Hilfe Deutschlands) - Mexico: League for Support of Persecuted Fighters (Liga Pro Luchadores Perseguidos)
- Netherlands: Red Aid of Holland (Roode Hulp Holland)
- Norway: Red Aid of Norway (Norges Roede Hjelp)
- Poland: Czerwona Pomoc w Polsce
- Soviet Union: International Red Aid to Fighters of the Revolution (Международная организация помощи борцам революции)
- Spain: International Red Aid (Socorro Rojo Internacional)
- Sweden: International Red Aid - Swedish Section (Internationella röda hjälpen – svenska sektionen)
- USA: International Labor DefenseInternational Labor DefenseThe International Labor Defense was a legal defense organization in the United States, headed by William L. Patterson. It was a US section of International Red Aid organisation, and associated with the Communist Party USA. It defended Sacco and Vanzetti, was active in the civil rights and...
Spain
The International Red Aid made its first appearance in Spain as a charity organization during the workers’ revolt of October 1934 in AsturiasAsturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
. It provided aid to those imprisoned for their role in the rebellion, and organize amnesty campaigns for prisoners that were to be executed.
The organization, which included many artists and writers, was later re-formed and expanded in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
in January 1936, with the aim of opposing fascism on multiple fronts.
Activities during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, the writer Joaquín Arderíus
Joaquín Arderíus
Joaquín Arderíus y Sánchez Fortún was a Spanish experimental and political novelist.Arderíus studied in Madrid before taking engineering courses at the University of Liège...
served as the organization's president before exiling himself to France and then Mexico. The SRI created soup kitchen
Soup kitchen
A soup kitchen, a bread line, or a meal center is a place where food is offered to the hungry for free or at a reasonably low price. Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoods, they are often staffed by volunteer organizations, such as church groups or community groups...
s and refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s throughout the territory controlled by the Republicans, and also provided libraries for Republican soldiers, but many of their programs –as well as the food and aid that it collected- were focused on providing aid for children. http://www.brigadasinternacionales.org/SocorroRojo.htm For example, the SRI founded the Escuela Nacional para Niños Anormales (National School for Mentally Disabled Children) in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, with 150 students. It also founded a Children's Park on the outskirts of Madrid, providing shelter to an additional 150 children.
Other activities included:
- The building of transportation networks between hospitals and the front.
- The transformation of various buildings (convents, churches, palaces) into makeshift hospitals, clinics, blood banks, orphanages, and schools.
Medical contributions included the establishment of 275 hospitals, ambulance services, the establishment of the Orthodontics
Orthodontics
Orthodontics, orthodontia, or orthodonture is the first specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions , which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both...
Clinic and College, dental hygiene campaigns, the mobilization of dentists to the front.
The Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM
Poum
Poum is a commune in the North Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The town of Poum is located in the far northwest, located on the southern part of Banare Bay, with Mouac Island just offshore....
), a minor Marxist party in Spain at the time, organized a parallel Socorro Rojo in opposition to the International Red Aid.
Military activities
The ranks of the Fifth Regiment (dissolved January 21, 1937), established by the Communist Party of Spain at the outbreak of the Civil War, were also swelled by members of the SRI. The Fifth Regiment, based on the Soviet Red ArmyRed Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, included Juan Modesto
Juan Modesto
Juan Modesto Guilloto León was a Republican army officer during the Spanish Civil War.-Early life:He originally worked at a sawmill before joining the Spanish Army...
and Enrique Líster
Enrique Líster
Enrique Líster Forján was a Spanish communist politician and military officer.-Early life:...
amongst its leaders, and fought primarily in the battles in and around Madrid throughout 1936.
The SRI also helped Communist sympathizers in Nationalist Spain make their way to friendly territory.
The insignia of the SRI consisted of an "S" (for Socorro) behind the bars of a prison.
Netherlands
The Dutch section of IRA held its first congress in 1926. The same year it began publishing Rode Hulp.Finland
The Red Aid of Finland was active during the 1930s, led by the Communist Party of FinlandCommunist Party of Finland
The Communist Party of Finland was a communist political party in Finland. The SKP was a section of Comintern and illegal in Finland until 1944.SKP did not participate in any elections with its own name. Instead, front organisations were used...
. It gave assistance to revolutionary prisoners in Finnish jails. Women connected to Red Aid would make handicraft works and organized bazaars, in order to finance the activities of the organization. The organization also tried to mobilize public opinion against ill-treatment of the prisoners. The Red Aid of Finland published Vankien Toveri.
Latin America
Towards the ends of the 1920s, Farabundo MartíFarabundo Martí
Augustín Farabundo Martí Rodríguez was a social activist and a revolutionary leader in El Salvador.-Early life:Martí was born in Teotepeque, a farming community located in Departamento de La Libertad, El Salvador...
became the leader of the International Red Aid in Latin America. Julio Antonio Mella
Julio Antonio Mella
Julio Antonio Mella was a founder of the "internationalized" Cuban Communist Party.Mella studied law in the University of Havana until he was expelled in 1925 and is considered a hero by the present Cuban government. Some Cubans view him as a victim of the Stalin-Trotsky struggle...
, the Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n communist leader exiled in Mexico since 1926, was a leading figure in the Mexican section of the organization.
Soviet Union
The largest section of MOPR was its Soviet branch, which accounted for the majority of the organization's international membership. MOPR organized numerous lotteriesLottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
and fundraising drives.
Congresses of MOPR
-
- {| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Name
! Location
! Dates
! Delegates
|-
! 1923
| align="center" | 1st Plenary Session of the CC of MOPR
| align="center" | Moscow
| align="center" | June
| align="center" |
|-
! 1924
| align="center" | 1st International Conference
| align="center" | Moscow
| align="center" | July
| align="center" |
|-
! 1932
| align="center" | 1st World Congress
| align="center" | Moscow
| align="center" | November
| align="center" |
|-
|}