Description:
It is a commonplace in standard histories of the Spanish Civil War that the Republican forces--a grab-bag of Communist, Socialist, anarchist, and democratic militias--were as well equipped in battle as their Nationalist opponents. Francisco Franco's fascist revolt, those histories go on to say, was successful only because of political infighting and intrigues on the part of the opposition. Not so, writes English journalist Gerald Howson. Although the struggle for supremacy among Stalinists and other leftists certainly put the Republicans in jeopardy, the fact is that the Fascists enjoyed a great tactical advantage in both the number and quality of weapons at their disposal. Armed by capitalists of many nations, and backed by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, Franco's troops were rarely outgunned. Conversely, much of the Republicans' arsenal was made up of old weapons that were incompatible with modern firearms. Drawing on Soviet archives, Howson shows that many of these antiques came from the U.S.S.R., long portrayed as a champion of Spanish freedom; more modern weapons came at an exorbitant price from a small army of shady arms dealers--some of them firms that remain in the business of dealing death today. Howson's well-researched book will excite controversy. And, if he is correct, it will force a re-evaluation of an entire branch of historical literature--which in itself is no small accomplishment. --Gregory McNamee
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