The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939

The best thing about this book is that Beevor finds a way to break down the political struggle along three axes of conflict. While he often bounces back and forth from the battlefield to the political arenas while presenting mountains of complex information, he always finds a common thread and manages to pull all the facts presented back into the theme presented in a given chapter.

Beevor's sympathies seem to lie with the Anarchists, though it seems that this is more a result of the fact that the Communists and the Fascists had foreign support from governments which history shows were less than benevolent. The Anarchist cause is typically portrayed in a more sypathetic light than the Communists and Fascists, whose aspirations were more totalitarian than the anarchists, who (at least as they are presented in this book) simply wanted the right to govern themselves. To his credit, however, he does not spare any party in the description of the murderous brutality between all participants. He takes extra time to explain the propaganda battle (a very important aspect of the conflict), from the atrocities committed against the Church to the efforts of both sides to win victories based on propaganda, rather than military, goals.

Some of the political conundrums of Spain in the '30s are also presented. One of the most interesting is the plight of the Anarchists. They had a massive party capable of wielding immense power, but since they rejected the idea of elections, they were reduced to being bystanders in the political world. The compromises they made once the war started, as a result of the aggressive nature of the Communists (backed by the Stalinist USSR), and the backlash against the Communists near the end of the conflict, are a couple of the major underlying themes of this book. Beevor expalins it best when he says that "The Nationalists defended a common view of the past; the Republican coalition in contrast, had widely differing visions of the future."

This is a very infomative book, and the reader will take a lot of understanding away from it. I would, however recommend two things, the first of which is to read and bookark the list of political parties and organizations on pages 285 through 287, before reading the rest of the book. The second is to take the time to write down the names of important individuals. This will significantly ease the reader's efforts to remember the mass of information presented. While this book is roughly 285 pages long, it is a very long 285 pages, as previous reviewers have noted, and is not an easy read.


The Finest Historian Alive.   June 7, 2006
Bernard Chapin (CHICAGO! USA)
39 out of 59 found this review helpful

So impressed was I by the superb narration of Stalingrad that I paid extra money to purchase a signed copy of The Fall of Berlin 1945--which turned out to be every bit as strong as Stalingrad. I then placed the rest of Anthony Beevor's works on my wish list which is how I came upon the Spanish Civil War. Having just finished it, I can pleasantly report that it is just as good as the others and is one of the more riveting works I've ever read. Beevor says things that many other historians do not and his manner is colorful, honest, and concise. Despite his many opinions and evaluations, I have never considered Beevor to be partisan in the least, and he really is quite fair here. However, I must note that his two references to Noam Chomsky's American Power and the New Mandarins gave me pause. All I can say regarding his citation of the famous linguist, and self-proclaimed expert on everything else, is that he had a much better reputation for veracity when The Spanish Civil War was written than he does today.

As far as politics goes, that it so pervades our outlook on this crisis cannot be questioned. Originally, I believed in the journalistic and liberal view that the Republican cause was noble and that the world enabled fascism by letting them down. Then, several years of studying the Soviet Union changed my mind. I regarded Spain as just being one other area in which Stalin foisted his paranoia on an entire population and stomped out any of the good that existed. I now know that my easy and extrapolative analysis was hasty. While the communists and the NKVD tainted immeasurably the Republican side, the majority of the people and soldiers should be the objects of our pity and remembrance. A feeling of emotion is conveyed within these pages and one cannot control the well of sympathy the narrative creates. Franco was a despicable man and more totalitarian than authoritarian in nature. The atrocities he committed in the name of Spain and Catholicism were absolutely atrocious and extended far beyond Guernica. Repeatedly they slaughtered the inhabitants of villages and military installations for no apparent reason. The Nationalists were the most dishonorable of men as they seldom took prisoners and even betrayed the commands of foreign governments in their blood lust for executions. That the church was fooled initially by them is understandable; that they would continue to endorse their side in full knowledge of the truth is reprehensible. In retrospect, despite my disdain for emotional journalism, sentimental non-sense, the Soviet Union, communism and its adherents, I must reverse previous judgment and proclaim that the Republican cause was the noble one after all.

Yes, this tale is horrific, but it is brilliantly told by a brilliant man and worth your time.


highly informative, excellent.   February 5, 2002
Kirk E. Dineley (Florence, SC USA)
27 out of 30 found this review helpful

This book gives a highly informative account of the l936-39 civil war in Spain. If, like me, you find this particular episode of European history complex and vague, then Antony Beevor will be of great help. He takes care to first concisely set in place all information critical for understanding the impetus behind this conflict. Beevor explains that the rebelling Nationalist generals under Francisco Franco uniformly supported an authoritarian and centralized government that served the interests of landowners and industrialists. Arrayed against them was the Republican Spanish government supported by a variety of factions, often with conflicting ideologies, but usually possessing some motivation towards a libertarian and/or decentralized government that favored the working class.

While it is generally appreciated that Mussolini and Hitler greatly aided Franco and his fascist Nationalists, the book takes care to point out that Britain, the United States, and (although most reluctantly) France were all instrumental in orchestrating a fascist victory. The Spanish Republicans received significant support from only the Soviet Union. The reader can judge whether this 'support' helped or hurt the Republican cause.

The book also notes that Franco relied on a foreign legion of Moroccans as his most effective and ruthless troops (by all accounts, they were gruesomely fond of bayonet work). Coupled with overt aid in the form of armaments and soldiers from Italy and Germany, this suggests that the conflict was less of an internal struggle than might normally be implied by 'civil war'.

Beevor gives an unbiased treatment of the wartime propaganda efforts. These mainly consisted of one side charging the other with committing atrocities. Beevor's effort to sort the sensationalized from the reality appears sincere. Indeed, this coolheaded analysis is even more frightening in that it still produces a horribly high tally of executions and massacre. Franco's promise to, if necessary, "shoot half of Spain," was clearly a sentiment unique to neither side.

The book is excellently written and faults are few. However, the maps are inadequate, and placing events in their geographical context is difficult. Moreover, the initial chapters are chockfull of newly introduced parties and factions. Their names, leaders, and political allegiances soon became for me a jumbled mess. Beevor supplies a brief but descriptive appendix of these organizations, and it should be referred to regularly. In any case, after the first 50 pages or so the reading becomes smooth and seamless.

Those drawn to this book out of admiration for Beevor's Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege might be bit thrown by the difference in style, especially in the first few chapters. For me, Stalingrad read breezily, like an informative and engaging discussion, while The Spanish Civil War is more akin to a formal scholarly lecture. The author does however have an appreciation for wit, and his commentary is wry more often than dry.

The Spanish civil war is a fascinating topic in its own right. A greater comprehension is realized when one considers the degree to which it served as a proving ground for military equipment, tactics, and also the political ideologies that would soon conflict in truly global proportions during World War II. The Spanish Civil War impressively equips the reader to appreciate this important period of European history.


Mad Delusion Of Propaganda   July 31, 2006
Michael Valdivielso (Alexandria, VA USA)
27 out of 30 found this review helpful

The Battle For Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 is a book that focuses on not just the causes of the conflict and military actions taken during it, but also on the ideals, goals and politics that shaped the two sides.
The facts of the war have always interested me and the author does a good job of adding new and updated information. I knew that the German pilots used the war to try out new tactics, like flying in pairs and mass bombing, but I didn't know that the Stuka dive-bomber was first used in the Spain or that the 88mms were used in Spain against ground targets as while as enemy aircraft (I thought the German 88mms were first used against ground targets in the invasion of France). I knew Germany and Italy helped the Nationalists while Russia and Mexico helped the Republic but had no idea that Hermann Goring sold weapons to the Republic or that Ford, Studebaker and GM supplied 12,000 trucks to Franco!
I did not know that Franco offered to enter the Second World War on the side of the Axis. I knew about the Spanish Blue Division but not about the thousands of Spanish Republicans who fought for the USSR or the French resistance.
First person accounts from Russian sources add new perspectives. Now, in all the sad detail, we can watch the infighting between socialists, anarchists, republicans, Basque nationalists, communists and so many other groups within the Republican Zone. We can watch the lies, the back stabbing, the tactics of terror, the dehumanization of the enemy, the string pulling, the blackmailing, the killings and the consequences of said actions as the war rages on. And the National Zone isn't a paradise either, with war trials that started almost with the first shot and did not end till sometime in the late 1950s.
The book also touches on European events and how the nations of the world reacted to (or failed to react to) the Spanish Civil War. Nothing is in a vacuum and the book makes clear the complex balance of power that the European powers were trying to weave to keep the peace. In the end the crumbling Republic would find itself a sideshow with the clouds of another World War forming on the future horizon.
The amazing part is Antony Beevor's skill in linking all the major events, one by one, without being too heavy handed. His light touch allows us to swiftly understand the problems each side faced and how each side dealt (or did not deal) with them. And the aftermath that followed.



Extremely effective history of a forgotten war...   March 29, 2003
Andrew Mendelssohn (Charlotte, NC United States)
26 out of 27 found this review helpful

The Spanish Civil War, by Anthony Beevor, is a fairly detailed survey of the history of this occasionally confusing period. Beevor spends a few chapters giving much needed historical background. The detail is necessary but a little dry and perhaps exhaustive to read as an introduction. The social and economic history of Spain is dealt with in enough detail to put the civil war in context. After covering the events leading up to the war, the bulk of the book is devoted to a very detailed, more or less chronological history of the war itself.
The events leading the to defeat of the Spanish Republic are sometimes referred to as a civil war within a civil war. Much attention is paid to distinguishing the various factions and personalities on both sides of the war. The Carlists, the Falange, PUOM, the Communists, the anarchists, et al, are all dealt with in detail so the reader is never really confused about how their aims, and why they did what they did. Beevor also spends time discussing regional differences among various factions. Lots of attention is paid to how the Republican forces were consumed largely from within, and how the various Nationalist factions also suffered some degree of discord.. In the end, fractionalization of Republican forces, Soviet style purges, a Communist take-over and just plain bad military and political leadership led to their inevitable defeat.
Beevor is dispassionate in his treatment of both sides. There's no real moralizing: I saw no obvious agenda. Instead, he gives detailed descriptions of the agendas, excesses and strengths and weaknesses of all sides and factions.
Against all of this was the background of foreign intervention. Again, Beevor goes into detail about the German, Italian and Russian interventions, and the lessons learned (or not learned) by each. The book also covers the incredible failure of the European and American democracies to do anything stop the war, and the hypocrisy involved in all their policies vis-a-vis Spain and the treatment of the various factions.
Overall, this book is an excellent history of the war. The detail is thorough enough to make some parts a little slow to read. All sides are covered in detail, with no evident political agenda. Events are covered in extreme detail and all the factions are thoroughly explained. I would not call this the `definitive' history of the war, but this is an excellent, detailed overview and a must read for anybody interested in this period.