Vision On Fire Summary

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“Vision on Fire” by Emma Goldman is a first hand account of the Spanish civil war from the perspective of an anarchist. The book takes you through the events of the Spanish civil war in 1936 along with first hand writings from Goldman herself. Goldman makes three separate visits to Spain during the revolution and civil war, each time for only two or three months. Goldman made one trip each year during the time period of the war (1936-1939). Vision on fire explores the letters and views of Goldman through each trip she makes and also shows the changes Spain goes through throughout this time period. The book gives a unique perspective of the Spanish civil war from the political viewpoint of an anarchist. Emma Goldman was born in Kovno,…show more content…
During this time she visits the Republican sector and commemorates the factory and land workers for their hard work and dedication in fighting for the anarchist movement. Goldman states “To them the idea was not merely on paper or in books, but for a living force” (p.34). In November Goldman must again leave Spain and head back to London. She returns to Spain in mid September of 1938 where she begins to see the downfall of the Republicans. She had the feeling of being “heart-broken” for all the lives lost and effort put into the war that seemed was going to fail. In 1939 the Republicans were defeated. They had lost for 2 main reasons. The lack of leadership, arguing, and split ideas amongst the party. Without one clear goal and identity the Republicans were never united as one and in the end failed to win over Franco and the untied Nationalists. The second reason being Republicans did not have the same foreign aid as the Nationalist did. Without the support from other countries they were doomed from the beginning. After the military defeat in 1939, the Spanish anarchist movement itself never dies. Many fled to France, Mexico and other places throughout the world. The decade before Franco’s death anarchism gained popularity among the new generations of students and young
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