Civil and WWarII

[Jeffrey Crawley]

I think it would be more truthful to say that the Republican Government
(1931-1939, 1936 was the year of the fascist revolt, NOT the end of the
Republican government) was against the oligarchy that had previously
governed Spain which had been propped up by the Chruch:

"But, when the war started in 1936, the Nationalist generals and their
supporters represented three coherent poles: they were authoritarian, they
upheld the interests of landowner and industrialist and they believed in
centralised government. The Catholic church, the oldest and most powerful
political political force in Spain, was to provide them with a rallying
banner and an emotive ideology to justify the rising" (Antony Beevor, The
Spanish Civil War*).

In fact Franco's isolationist policy (apart from supplying Hitler with coal
and steel that was badly needed to rebuild Spain) cost him dearly after WW2
and it was only when Eisenhower decided he needed a bastion against
communism in the western Med that Franco was allowed in out of the cold.

A very complex subject the Spanish Civil War and a cause of debate to this
day (there were anti-fascist stickers in Puenta la Reina last year and a
photo exhibition of the role during the war of the Guardia Civil in
Palencia). Beevor's book is highly recommended as an unbiased view. Be
prepared to have some firm beliefs shaken as hardly anybody comes out of the
story with any kind of grace - British, Americans, French, Germans, Russians
we ALL let poor old Spain down, only brave Mexico comes out of the sorry
tale with any kind of honour.

Whereas Hitler sold Franco arms and munitions in return for coal and steel
contracts that he'd need for WW2, Henry Ford GAVE him millions of dollars of
aid, the British allowed him free use of radio communications at the
Gibralter base while he plotted to overthrow the (legally elected)
Republican government, France sent back fleeing refugees to the arms of the
waiting fascists or interned them in concentration camps and the Russians
took Spain's gold reserves into "safe keeping" and it was never seen again.

Jeffrey

* The Spanish Civil War, Antony Beevor, Cassell Military Paperbacks, ISBN
0-304-35840-1


----- Original Message -----
From: Mariusz Wesolowski <shamshiraSHAW.CA>
To: <GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2004 5:40 AM
Subject: Re: Civil and WWarII


> I am not familiar with any hard facts regarding the activity on the Camino
> during the Spanish Civil War and WW2 but I can make some educated guesses.
> Since Northern Spain - with a temporary exception of the Basque country
> (but not Navarra) - had been held firmly by the Nationalists from the very
> beginning of the Civil War, there would be no obstacles to anybody wanting
> to use the route. Thanks to clever policies of General Franco, WW2 had a
> very small impact on Spain, so again, it would not affect the internal
> traffic on the Camino (of course, it was a very different situation for
the
> international travellers.)
>
> General Franco was an ardent Catholic, and he wouldn't dream of
prohibiting
> the pilgrimage. In fact, if I remember correctly, he made it himself
> sometime after the end of the Civil War in 1939. However, there might have
> been some restrictions in place during the Republican period (1931-36).
> Spanish Republican governments were decidedly anti-Catholic.
>
> Regards,
>
> Mariusz Wesolowski
>