The Spanish Civil War Warehouse
Welcome to the best SCW infodump on Substack!
Welcome to the Spanish Civil War Warehouse!
For most of us, this major event in Spain’s history is at best a side note in history classes, usually explained as “the preview for World War 2” where a very bad man named Franco was buddies with the actual literal historical Hitler.
In reality, as with everything, the truth is far more amazing.
Part of The Partisan’s purpose is providing the best, highest quality information about this war. Why? Many of us are worried about civil war in the United States, but so few of us actually understand what those entail. They are messy, dangerous, confusing affairs. In other words, not the kind of thing government or corporate media sources will actually teach you anything worthwhile about.
Move past propaganda. Learn the ins and outs of this conflict, and you’ll not just know something but develop wisdom to guide you and your loved ones should the worse ever come to pass. Don’t be caught unawares like so many Spanish.
The only warning we got was the train from Seville did not arrive.
Before you get started, a few notes. This is a work in progress so mind the mess, gap, and other such whatnot. For now we’ve got a list below of several different kinds of sources. Read on and check them out. Summaries will be included for anything I have personally read or watched. All listings are alphabetical order.
Everyone is welcome to submit documentaries, books, essays, or other relevant websites in the comments. More the merrier, but please, focus on proper historical sources and analysis. This is the one of the most propagandized conflicts in history. If you’re still fighting it, show yourself out.
Thanks to all who’ve contributed so far!
Documentaries:
The Spanish Civil War (Summary: Filmed in 1983, just seven years after Francisco Franco’s death, this classic series contains interviews and documentary footage from all sides of the war. This is probably the best single place to start learning or to brush up on the big picture.)
Episode 2: Revolution, Counter-Revolution, and Terror
Episode 3: Battleground for Idealists
Episode 4: Franco and the Nationalists
Episode 5: Inside the Revolution
España en Guerra (31 episode (!!) documentary released in 1987. I’ve only found versions in Spanish with no subtitles)
Books:
The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939, by Antony Beevor
(Check out this review from user
here.)The Bloomsbury Handbook of the Spanish Civil War, edited by Antionio Carzorla-Sanchez, Alison Riberio de Menezes, and Adrian Shubert
The Civil War in Spain, by various authors edited by Robert Payne
For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Earnest Hemmingway
Homage to Catalonia, by George Orwell (Summary: George Orwell’s memoir on his time fighting for the Republic with POUM. Not only the de facto origin story for the man who would write some of the greatest works of the 20th century, but a detailed and honest criticism of the Republicans with special attention paid to the co-current anarchist revolution in Catalonia.)
Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, by Ft Justo Perez De Urbei
Mine Were of Trouble, by Peter Kemp
A Moment of War, by Laurie Lee
Spain in Our Hearts, by Adam Hochschild
The Spanish Civil War, by Hugh Thomas
Wartime Mission in Spain 1942-1945, by Carlton J.H. Hayes
Essays:
From Fisted by Foucault by Niccolo Soldo
(Summary: Niccolo is one of my favorite writers on Substack. This in-progress series of articles was the genesis of my classroom project.)
The Spanish Civil War in Retrospect: Why Did Spaniards Rebel Against Their Government?
The Spanish Civil Part 2: El Bienio Negro - Conservative Reaction & Leftist Rebellion (1933-36)
From
is an essay discussing similarities between Ukraine and Spain. Mr. Roman’s ancestors fought in Spain and included tons of personal recollections. Check out the photo at the end!Quick Take: The Spanish Solution to the Ukraine War
Rightist Factional Alliances in the Spanish Civil War (@karldahl has many more essays at his Substack, too.
Websites:
9 Works of Art from the Spanish Civil War
(Summary: With Picasso’s Guernica, art played an important role.)
(Summary: Doctor who pioneered blood transfusion services during the war.)
Spanish Civil War Poster Collection
(Summary: Hosted by Brandeis University, this is a collection of posters from the war.)
(Summary: A young man from the University of Kansas finds himself on the battlefields of Spain. Killed in action, his family discovers a steamer trunk full of documents and begins to piece together his story.)
The Spanish Civil War: A Virtual Museum
(Summary: Like it says on the tin, this is a “virtual museum” of the war curated by scholars of the conflict.)
Hello! Thanks for checking out the Warehouse. If you like this sort of thing, please share it widely ( Restacks preferred!).
Audience participation is strongly encouraged here at The Partisan, so if you have suggestions for the Warehouse add them in the comments. Please focus on proper historical sources (documents, books, and so on). This project is meant to be scholarly in nature.
Remember, more lives than your own may rely on your historical literacy.
Thanks.
That picture horrified me when I was a little kid