While New Zealand had no official involvement in the Spanish Civil War of the late 1930s, a small number of New Zealanders fought in Spain (six were killed there), or served as doctors and nurses. Many others supported the Republican war effort through
fundraising efforts back home.
Although the origins of the so-called Cold War can be traced back to the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, this intense ideological struggle between the Western powers and the Soviet Union really began after the Second World War.
New Zealand's alignment and participation in the Cold War was determined by the decision of the 1940s Labour government to back the United States and Great Britain (that concord was crucial) in their disagreements with the Soviet Union
Asia was another 'theatre' of the conflict. The Communist victory in the Chinese civil war led New Zealand to accept commitments to assist in the defence of Hong Kong, and it continued to recognise the defeated Nationalist regime, based on Taiwan, even after Britain had recognised the new Communist government in Beijing.
The deaths of at least six New Zealanders in Spain went largely unnoticed at home. But some groups within New Zealand saw Spain as more than a ‘far away side issue’.
Griff Maclaurin and Steve Yates were part of the International Column of anti-fascist volunteers who marched into Madrid, bolstering the city's defences against the assault of General Franco's rebel armies. They were killed in battle within two days of arriving
This editorial from the Greymouth Evening Star suggests that the impetus for establishing Working Men's Clubs was linked to a Communist agenda among the workers.
