Spain betrayed pdf

It illuminates much that was obscure and will have a major impact on Spanish Civil War studies. Ybarra, Wall Street Journal. Edited with commentary by Ronald Radosh, Mary R. Habeck, and Grigory Sevostianov, the volume consists of over five hundred pages of documents discovered in Russian archives.

It will effect a complete overturn in historical perceptions of the twentieth-century Left. With the appearance of Spain Betrayed , the last undefiled temple of the Marxists and their admirers has been permanently undermined. Highly recommended for academic and larger public libraries. Irwin, Library Journal. All students of Soviet policy, the Spanish war and European international relations, as well as all informed readers in these fields, will be indebted to them for an unprecedented collection of material that marks something of a watershed in the history of the period.

It is a book that no one interested in the Spanish Civil War can afford to be without. The editors have provided fine, explanatory notes for each section. Spain Betrayed gives the weight and substance of documentary evidence to a subject that has always provoked deep feeling and impassioned debate.

Its information will penetrate slowly but surely, straightening the record and helping to restore respect for intellect and truth. It ought to be impossible for anyone to argue that Communism in Spain was a noble cause, but that may be too much to expect.

A chilling read. The thesis has been eagerly taken up by American rightists keen to remove the last jewel in the Communist crown—the anti-fascist struggle of the Spanish Republic—and equally enthusiastically refuted by others on the left.

This new book of primary source material. The editors let the dispatches speak for themselves, but they wisely provide brief, detailed introductions that put the material in context. We must be thankful at last to have all this invaluable information in one volume. By examining documents from the Soviet archives, the editors refute the argument, long held by Socialists in the Western Democracies, that the USSR merely tried to save the Spanish Republic from defeat by Franco's Falangists.

Instead, we see that the Soviet goal was domination of the Spanish milit The editors of this excellent volume do all students of twentieth-century European history a great service by revealing the real intentions and actions of the Soviet Union during the Spanish Civil War. Instead, we see that the Soviet goal was domination of the Spanish military and police in order to create a Stalinist state. In the end, their efforts failed due to a combination of factors: the Stalinists focus on liquidating their Leftist rivals and anyone who opposed them demoralized the Republican forces; their looting of the Spanish treasury bankrupted the Republic and crippled its efforts to finance the war; and Republican persecution of the Catholic clergy, directed by NKVD and GRU advisers, infuriated a broad swath of the traditional, conservative population and played into the hands of the Falange.

These documents make fascinating, if often depressing, reading, and the alphabet soap of party name abbreviations gets confusing, but anyone who seeks to understand this crucial "early phase of the Second World War" will be rewarded. Jan 22, Frank rated it really liked it. This is a good follow on to George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia.

This would have been a 5 star ratings but the Stalin speak of the documents gets tedious. Bernie rated it it was ok May 23, Alexandra Constantin rated it really liked it Nov 29, Es rated it really liked it Jun 21, Colin rated it it was amazing Sep 15, Josh Disney rated it really liked it Dec 15, Sofia rated it it was amazing Jan 06, Steven rated it really liked it Sep 06, Frank Kelly rated it really liked it Dec 08, Walt O'Hara rated it liked it Sep 30, Ls rated it really liked it Apr 28, Christian Lehmann rated it it was amazing Jun 21, Flint marked it as to-read Jun 21, Travis West marked it as to-read Jul 30, Kostas Sarlis added it Aug 23, Katie marked it as to-read Feb 29, Elena marked it as to-read Mar 30, Lucio Minucio marked it as to-read Sep 21, Greyweather marked it as to-read Nov 11, Raquel marked it as to-read Nov 28, Wilson Tomba marked it as to-read Feb 16, Kyle Furr marked it as to-read Feb 25, Nicholas marked it as to-read Apr 23, Evy Putnam marked it as to-read Jul 20, Jbondandrews marked it as to-read Aug 02, Yasmin marked it as to-read Aug 02, Shannon Cunningham marked it as to-read Oct 12, Scott marked it as to-read Oct 20, Bruno Menezes marked it as to-read Dec 01, Mandy marked it as to-read Feb 03, Brad Bottger marked it as to-read Jun 23, Fleeing to France meant cowardice and charges of fascist sympathies.

Staying in office offered an ever-diminishing chance that the Republic and his own life could be spared by a twist of international diplomacy. He tried to be a smooth vacillating healer in a split cabinet. Yet the PCE through its ties to Moscow eventually assumed the power of rationing military supplies bought and paid for in advance by the Spanish since September A Communist coup would have meant open repudiation of the democratic Republic, and probably an early recognition of Franco in Washington, London and Paris and an early end of the Spanish War.

After the fall of Malaga in February the Soviets were convinced he was a secret agent of Franco sabotaging the Popular Front Docs. Louis Fischer, American journalist and Popular Front sympathizer who helped at the International Brigades base at Albacete in the fall of , agreed with the Soviets that Asensio's loyalty was in question Doc.

The Soviets could not openly expose Asensio, because Premier Largo Caballero leaned on him for military advice. Largo needed Asensio to protect him from the PCE. As a year-old union boss, Largo thought he was for revolution in July He had no military experience, but by observing the battles and the shifting political pressures within the parties, unions and militias by , he came to the conclusion that if the Popular Front won the war, he would be dumped as leader of the UGT union. So he stepped down in May as Premier, after considerable pressure from the Republican military units, in order to protect his position as leader of the UGT union.

Docs 30, 31, 34, 36, 37, 39, 40, 42, Voroshilov noted about 15 April that Largo "does not want defeat, but he is afraid of victory," because it would strengthen the communists p. It is well-known that Stalin's paranoia led to a curtailing of the influence of the party with Trotskyist tendencies, the POUM, in May The title Spain Betrayed creates many ambiguities. It is vital to identify and date the charges. The complex reality was that many were betraying many others. Franco betrayed the constitution and the liberal government in July What this generation needs to know is, what were the Soviets trying to do in Spain?

Spain Betrayed sheds real new light, but not enough, on this question. For a few later documents, see Robert H. There are several letter boxes captured in Barcelona by the Nationalists, which are strong from the period. Robert H. John F. Kleber's report discusses Col. Segismundo Casado's role in summer pp. Then somewhat obscure, Casado later became well known in March for surrendering Madrid. This may be a clue that somebody in Moscow modified Kleber's document in or later.

Or else Soviet intelligence was more efficient than we have assumed, because as of Kleber already had an unfriendly eye on Casado.

Radosh obscures the fact that as of September-October , the Spanish Government bought Soviet weapons, with cash. He should have added to the notes and non-existent "bibliography" two works by Angel Vinas Martin, El oro espanol en la guerra civil Madrid: Instituto de Estudio Fiscales Ministerio de Hacienda, and El oro de moscu Barcelona: Grijalbo, The first uses the archives of the Bank of Spain and the second cites the papers of Marcelino Pascua, the Republican Ambassador in Switzerland who handled relations with the Soviet banks.

Instead Radosh, p. However, the Germans and Italians set similar inflated rates for aid to Franco, who long after the end of the civil war was repaying post-Mussolini Italy. Copyright by H-Net, all rights reserved. Citation: Robert Whealey. H-Diplo, H-Net Reviews. March, For any other proposed use, contact the Reviews editorial staff at hbooks mail. Job Guide. Discussion Networks. Reviews Home. Subscribe to H-Review.