Echoes of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) resonate today in U.S. politics and the conflict in Syria. The war, a successful right-wing military revolt against a leftist government, resulted from a polarization of Spanish life and politics that had developed over previous decades. On the right were most of the Catholic clergy, landowners and businessmen, and important elements of the military. On the left were urban workers, agricultural labors and many of the educated middle class. The divisions were similar to the culture war experienced in the U.S. today: A progressive urban, educated class and unions pitted against business interests and a religious right espousing traditional values. Gen. Francisco Franco, leader of the victorious fascists, imposed strictures one might associate with todays fundamentalist Christians. As noted in Wikipedia: Civil servants had to be Catholic, and some official jobs even required a "good behavior" statement by a priest. . . Divorce was forbidden, and also contraceptives and abortion. In Syria, the conduct of the war, if not the ideology, bears similarities to the Spanish Civil War: Both sides have carved out territories, one side has superior firepower, and the war has been marked by bombardment of civilian areas. Pablo Picassos depiction of a 1937 air raid, Guernica, has seen art return to life, many times over, in Syria. In hindsight, many considered the Spanish Civil War to be a dress rehearsal for World War II. Perhaps the current bitter divide in the U.S. is a prelude to another civil war and the conflict in Syria is a harbinger of World War III.
Mr Urbanek Excuse me, but you are completely wrong. On the right were most of the Catholic clergy, landowners and businessmen, and important elements of the military. On the left were urban workers, agricultural labors and many of the educated middle class The National´s Spain was a very heterogeneous group consisted by: Catholics (not only "clergy" but catholics), two royalist factions, liberals, conservatives, catalonian and basques nationalist, fascist, were united only by the fear of communism and the defense of religion (except the Fascists). The National Spain were supported by the 50% population: rich, poors etc... In fact the chief of Falange (the spanish version of italian fascism) was a construction worker (Manuel Hedilla). The Republican´s Spain was also a very heterogeneous group consisted by Anarquists, communists, socialists, catalonian and basque nationalist, some liberal and conservatives republicans.. It was supported by the other 50% population. By other side, Spanish Civil War has no connection with the war in Syria.. it was a war between regular armies, air forces, navies, etc etc Gen. Francisco Franco, leader of the victorious fascists, imposed strictures one might associate with todays fundamentalist Christians. As noted in Wikipedia: Civil servants had to be Catholic, and some official jobs even required a "good behavior" statement by a priest. . . Divorce was forbidden, and also contraceptives and abortion. Franco never was fascist. Not even he built a fascist state... How is It possible to be "fascist" and "christian"? He was a soldier not a political man. He had only few political ideas, very basic: Anticomunnism, Catholicism, Nationalism (The National catholicism) and y some mood he was monarchy. He restored the traditional Bourbon´s Monarchy. He was a "White" a counterrevolutionary... Fascism was too secular and too revolutionary for him. Spanish Civil War to be a dress rehearsal for World War II. I don´t think so. Spanish civil war is more connected to the revolutionary and counterrevolutionary wars at the end of WW1 (for example, Russian civil War, Finnish Civil War, Polish-Russian war, Austro and Hungarian or German Civil wars) than with the WW2´s beginning. Regards. ..
