Narrator: Listen to part of a lecture in a United States government class.
Professor: Okay, you’ve been reading about the actions of the United States during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. Can anyone summarize the main points of that conflict? Alan?
Male Student: Well, uh… the Fascists under General Francisco Franco revolted against the elected Spanish government. And Hitler and Mussolini helped them. And, uh… Stalin helped the government.
Professor: Right. And what about the United States?
Male Student: The United States tried to stay neutral, but really that helped Franco, because it was the government that needed supplies and stuff.
Professor: That pretty accurately sums it up. Heather, do you think that was a good policy?
Female Student: I’m not sure. I mean, Franco was rebelling against an elected government. And I read that lots of Americans wanted to help Spain. And some even went there to fight.
Professor: It’s true, there were a lot of drives to raise money and donate medical supplies to the Spanish government, and some people went and fought with them.
Male Student: Yeah, but Professor, weren’t they communists? Especially the ones that went? Plus, Stalin was on that side.
Professor: Yes, a lot of the volunteers were communists. But you have to remember that this was during the Great Depression. So, for one thing, communism didn’t sound as bad to a lot of ordinary people as it may to you now, because they were interested in helping workers. And because of the Depression, right-wing dictators—fascists, I suppose—were taking power in lots of places. These volunteers were more interested in fighting fascists than supporting communism.
Male Student: I guess maybe that’s true, but how do we know for sure?
Professor: Good question. We can’t know anything for sure, but the letters and essays these men wrote indicate they were sincere. Also, there was a great documentary made back in the 1980s—The Good Fight—that interviewed survivors, and they still said the same thing. They also talked about the mistakes the government made, mostly afterwards. A little background that wasn’t in your reading. Americans were forbidden to travel to Spain then, but about 3,000 went to France and snuck in. Other volunteers came from France, the United Kingdom, from all over Europe—even anti-Nazis from Germany. Under the communists—that’s true—they formed “International Brigades.” The main American one was called the “Abraham Lincoln Brigade.” These soldiers came from all walks of life—there were students, artists, sailors, steelworkers… and quite a few Jewish men who wanted to fight Hitler any way they could. And speaking of their sincerity, the “Abraham Lincoln Brigade” was the first American integrated military unit, allowing different races to fight side-by-side. A significant number of African Americans went because of Hitler’s racism—remember, this was right after Jesse Owens won medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics—or because of Mussolini’s attack on Ethiopia. Not only that, Oliver Law was the first African American to command an American military unit… until he was killed in action. Even though the soldiers were given very little training, they fought bravely. But they were outnumbered and outgunned, partly because of the United States embargo. And almost a quarter of them died there. That’s a lot.
Male Student: But you said that the United States government made mistakes. What mistakes?
Professor: Well, once the United States entered World War II in 1941, the surviving men—communists or not—mostly volunteered for military service. You would think the government would have welcomed combat veterans. But the government called them ineligible. It called them premature anti-fascists, which, if you ask me, is the kind of doublespeak George Orwell talked about. Some of them managed to serve anyway, but the unwritten policy pushed by J. Edgar Hoover, head of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, was that they should not be decorated or made officers.
Female Student: But isn’t it the government’s responsibility to worry about… you know… spies?
Professor: Well, of course it is, although the suspicion seems pretty unfounded in this case. In fact, some actually served the United States as spies because of their anti-fascist connections in Europe. Anyway, it gets worse. After the war, many of them were blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee—the same Red Scare that blacklisted Hollywood types. These were ordinary people—not celebrities—who then lost their jobs. They were denied housing, and refused passports for years and years. And, really, they were just idealists. Idealists like the men who fought in the Chinese Air Force against Japan in the Flying Tigers. But those volunteers were embraced by the United States government. Anyway, even a well-meaning government can make mistakes, especially if some of the people in government are not well-meaning. This week you’ll read about the safeguards that the United States government has written into law in an attempt to avoid such mistakes and unfairness.
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What is the lecture mainly about? |
Gist-content. The lecture covers activity of the United States during the Spanish Civil War, and questions some of its related policies. |
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| ✗ | A Reasons why the United States did not support communism |
The reasons that the United States government opposed communism—before, during, or after the Spanish Civil War—are not discussed in the lecture. |
| ✓ | B United States policies concerning the Spanish Civil War |
Correct. The lecture discusses policies of the United States government concerning the Spanish Civil War and some United States citizens who fought in it. |
| ✗ | C The illegal activities of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade |
The lecture does not mention any illegal activities of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. |
| ✗ | D Ways in which the United States helped the Spanish Fascists |
Some United States policies benefited the Spanish Fascists, but not intentionally. This also is not the main focus of the lecture. |
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According to the discussion, what are two reasons why African Americans joined the Abraham Lincoln Brigade? Choose 2 answers. |
Detail. The reasons stated in the lecture were Hitler’s racism during the 1936 Olympics and Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia. |
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| ✗ | a An opportunity to fight in an integrated combat unit |
While this did take place, it is not mentioned as a reason that African Americans chose to join the brigade. |
| ✓ | b Hitler’s racism at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin |
Correct. This reason is stated directly by the professor. |
| ✗ | c Protests against racial discrimination in the United States |
This idea is not mentioned in the lecture. |
| ✓ | d Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia |
Correct. This reason is stated directly by the professor. |
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The lecture discusses important events related to the Spanish Civil War and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Put the events in chronological order: first, second, third, or fourth. |
Connecting Content. The chronological order of the events mentioned by the professor are as follows: 1. Brigade members volunteered during the Great Depression. 2. Oliver Law died in combat during the Spanish Civil War. 3. Punitive actions were taken against brigade members at the beginning of World War II. 4. Punitive actions were taken against brigade members after World War II. |
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| a Abraham Lincoln Brigade members were declared “premature anti-fascists.” ____ |
Third. |
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| b Abraham Lincoln Brigade members were blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee. ____ |
Fourth. |
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| c The Great Depression began. ____ |
First. |
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| d Oliver Law died in combat. ____ |
Second. |
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Why does the professor mention the United States government’s embrace of the Flying Tiger volunteers? |
Organization. The professor mentions this embrace as an example that contrasts with the government’s treatment of Abraham Lincoln Brigade members. |
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| ✓ | A To provide a contrast to the treatment given to Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteers |
Correct. The professor implies that the US government displayed a double standard in its treatment of these two groups of veterans. |
| ✗ | B To illustrate the fairness of the United States government in a comparable situation |
The opposite is true. The professor implies that the United States government treated members of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade unfairly. |
| ✗ | C To show that it was common for United States citizens to volunteer for foreign combat |
The professor is not implying that volunteering for foreign combat was common for US citizens. |
| ✗ | D To highlight the United States government’s opposition to integrated units |
This issue is not discussed in the lecture. |
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What does the professor say about the Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteers? |
Detail. The only comment that the professor makes about the volunteers as a whole is that they wanted to fight Fascism. |
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| ✗ | A Most were African Americans. |
The professor notes that a significant number of the volunteers were African Americans, but does not suggest that most were. |
| ✗ | B Some were communist spies. |
The professor implies that the United States government was worried about that possibility, but does not imply that any of the volunteers actually were spies. |
| ✓ | C Most were primarily interested in fighting fascists. |
Correct. The professor clearly says that the volunteers “were more interested in fighting fascists than supporting communism.” |
| ✗ | D Most were killed in action. |
The professor states that almost one-fourth of the volunteers were killed in action—a substantial percentage, but not most of them. |
Narrator: Listen again to part of the lecture. Then answer the question.
Professor: You would think the government would have welcomed combat veterans. But the government called them ineligible. It called them premature anti-fascists, which, if you ask me, is the kind of doublespeak George Orwell talked about.
Narrator: What does the professor imply when he says this:
Professor:… which, if you ask me, is the kind of doublespeak George Orwell talked about.
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Inference. In this quote, the professor implies that the government declaration of combat veterans as “premature anti-fascists” was deliberately misleading and insincere. |
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| ✗ | A The government proclamation was twice as strong as most similar declarations were. |
The term “doublespeak” implies dishonesty, not declaring something twice, or declaring it twice as strongly as usual. |
| ✗ | B The government proclamation was meant to support the fascists. |
The proclamation was not meant to support the fascists. The professor is talking instead about the inherent dishonesty of the proclamation. |
| ✗ | C George Orwell was supportive of the fascists. |
The professor does not make any reference to George Orwell’s political views. |
| ✓ | D The government proclamation was deliberately misleading. |
Correct. The term “doublespeak” means language that is deliberately misleading. |