Spain In Our Hearts by Adam Hochschild, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016.
Who has not viewed Picasso's famous mural of the bombing of Guernica and not had Spain in their hearts? The air attack by Nazi Germany on April 26, 1937 is often viewed as a trial run leading up to World War II, or, as Hemingway phrased it, "the next big parade." But, of course, it was more complicated than that. It all began in February 1936 when the Popular Front, composed of leftists, socialists and communists, won a majority in parliament. General Francisco Franco stepped in to seize the day as the leader of a military coup. The "military rebels" called themselves Nationalists while the Popular Front came to be known as Republicans. Battle lines were drawn and proxies lined up on both sides. General Franco appealed to Mussolini and Hitler; while the Republicans reached out to Stalin. President Roosevelt pledged neutrality. There were winners and losers and the debate rages on.
In America, a group of mostly communist sympathizers, volunteered to fight in the war against the Nationalists. They were steered towards the International Brigades and became members of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion. They underestimated the hazards of combat and paid an enormous price for their idealism. The author tells much of the story from the perspective of those who served in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion. In doing so, however, the author makes a sincere effort to present the story from both perspectives. Yes, the Nationalists, having the benefit of superior armaments, inflicted severe civilian casualties; but the Republicans did so as well, especially in their murderous attacks on Roman Catholic clergy.
The author explores the critical questions of why one side won and the other lost. Yes, General Franco and the Nationalists had a logistical advantage; but, the Republicans were severely handicapped by an ill-defined mission and fragmented command structure. The Republicans made a critical mistake by focusing on a revolution in the midst of a war. Just because they were passionately committed to a cause didn't mean they had a right to be victorious. That’s not the way it works … not even in Spain.
The ultimate unanswered question is whether or not the volunteers of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion were disloyal to America by supporting the agenda of International Communism; or, were they, in their hearts, anti-fascists presciently anticipating World War II? Perhaps Hemingway will someday rise from his grave and give us the answer.
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