Greetings my Global Jigsaw family, A few months ago, I interviewed the British journalist and historian, Giles Tremlett, at the Secret Kingdoms bookstore in Madrid, about his recent work on the International Brigades that fought in the Spanish Civil War. I must admit that prior to reading his book, I had only the most tenuous grasp of what had gone down. More a feeling shrouded in a sense of romance à la Ernest Hemingway, than any hard facts. Although I did vaguely recall a paragraph about the International Brigades from a middle school history textbook.
Your writeups are a feast- good writing, information and a fresh perspective all rolled into one.
One thing that has struck me in such stories is how global many Indians were during the early part of the 20th century. They would silently slip away and find themselves in the unlikeliest parts of the globe supporting good causes or to make a living, or simply to esacpe their colonial masters.
And most times England would be their gateway. England was a sort of in-law's home to them easy to reach in the name of study only to be distracted by much larger causes.
I lived in Spain during the past several years of Franco’s regime. His shadow blanketed the country with ignorance and oppression. You had to guard your opinions about politics unless you were absolutely sure you were speaking to people of like mind. Censorship was rampant and progress was a swear word. Very interesting and nuanced story. Thank you.
Thank you Pallavi, fascianting story, which shows the strength of communist propaganda. When Franco my grandfather, and other generals rose, the democratic republic had been dead and buried for two years following the socialist party´s bloody coup of 1934, in response to the election results of 1933 which gave the right an absolute majority, never acepted by the socialists .With Hitler in the background the so called republicans had no problem in selling their image of legitimacy, while their mobs went around murdering anyone that looked anti proletariat. Brigadists were vistims of communist propaganda; there was no republic to be saved in Spain; just a bloody civil war between communists and nationalists, which fortunately the latter won.
Your writeups are a feast- good writing, information and a fresh perspective all rolled into one.
One thing that has struck me in such stories is how global many Indians were during the early part of the 20th century. They would silently slip away and find themselves in the unlikeliest parts of the globe supporting good causes or to make a living, or simply to esacpe their colonial masters.
And most times England would be their gateway. England was a sort of in-law's home to them easy to reach in the name of study only to be distracted by much larger causes.
I lived in Spain during the past several years of Franco’s regime. His shadow blanketed the country with ignorance and oppression. You had to guard your opinions about politics unless you were absolutely sure you were speaking to people of like mind. Censorship was rampant and progress was a swear word. Very interesting and nuanced story. Thank you.
Fascinating! A slice of unknown history.
Thank you Pallavi, fascianting story, which shows the strength of communist propaganda. When Franco my grandfather, and other generals rose, the democratic republic had been dead and buried for two years following the socialist party´s bloody coup of 1934, in response to the election results of 1933 which gave the right an absolute majority, never acepted by the socialists .With Hitler in the background the so called republicans had no problem in selling their image of legitimacy, while their mobs went around murdering anyone that looked anti proletariat. Brigadists were vistims of communist propaganda; there was no republic to be saved in Spain; just a bloody civil war between communists and nationalists, which fortunately the latter won.