THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR

by Hugh Thomas ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 20, 1977

This new edition of the 1961 volume--which was the first comprehensive study of the Spanish Civil War--is characterized by an expansion of factual material, a greater punctiliousness concerning sources, and a moderate sharpening of interpretation, though no major changes of judgment are expressed. Both the military specifics and the economic background have been considerably enlarged upon, while certain corrections are made, ranging from the number of Communist Party members to the identity of the gunloader in a 1933 siege against an anarchist stronghold. As to political forces, there are a few outright switches of interpretation: the leftward movement of the Spanish Socialist Party is attributed now to disillusion with the Right's use of constitutional mechanisms to block reform, rather than fear of losing ground to the Anarchists. More broadly, Thomas concludes explicitly that the deciding factor in the war was Franco's ability to unite a diverse force of royalists, fascists, and middle-class conservatives, while the Republicans remained torn by internal dissension. More sympathetic than previously to the Anarchists, and somewhat less hostile toward the Communists, Thomas sees no way that the liberals could have pulled things together; he underlines more firmly the role of Western ""non-intervention"" in clinching the Republic's downfall. The military flow of events is now better integrated as well as more detailed; the role of the International Brigades in the defense of Madrid is underscored, despite general criticism that this contribution has been exaggerated. A standard work is now more useful than ever.

Pub Date: April 20, 1977

ISBN: 0375755152

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1977

Categories: NONFICTION