Spanish Republicans in World War II

KlemenL · Post by **KlemenL** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 2:31 pm

I was just informed about a new book that has come out a year ago which is specially dedicated to the Spanish Republicans in World War II, so I was wondering if anyone has already laid his hands on this book and read it. The title of the book is:

Eduardo Pons Prades: "Los Republicanos españoles en la segunda guerra mundial". Madrid: La Esfera de los libros, 2003

SYNOPSIS:
«La guerra de España fue la apoteosis de la Fraternidad», como afirmaba André Malraux. Tras la terrible derrota que sufrieron los republicanos españoles en 1939, fue ese espíritu de solidaridad el que les permitió sobrevivir y luego, una vez recuperadas las fuerzas, reemprender la lucha. Entre el final de la Guerra Civil española y el inicio de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, con la invasión de Polonia por Hitler, sólo transcurrieron cinco meses. Aquellos vencidos que se sumaron tanto a la guerrilla como a los ejércitos regulares europeos, incluida la temible Legión Extranjera francesa, vieron la posibilidad de una revancha contra los que ayudaron a los nacionales a vencer en la guerra de España. Algunos de estos españoles residían desde tiempo atrás en Francia y también en Argelia. Otros eran refugiados recientes que habían cruzado los Pirineos. Todos se alistaron voluntariamente, no como los ejércitos de los demás países que se sumaron a la guerra. Pronto fueron conscientes de que su causa superaba el mero ánimo de venganza y que se combatía contra el yugo que suponía el nazismo para la humanidad. Así contribuyeron, entre otras acciones, a la defensa de la línea Maginot, a la construcción del Transahariano, participaron en la toma de Al-Qatrun, del Fezzan y de Trípoli, pelearon en la batalla de Moscú y, a las órdenes del general Leclerc, unos 3.000 españoles desembarcaron en Normandía en julio de 1944. Francia, Noruega, Italia, Hungría, Camerún, Líbano, Siria, Túnez... hasta la lejana Unión Soviética fueron los escenarios donde se batió con denuedo y valor tan feroz lucha. En este libro, un clásico actualizado e imprescindible acerca del relevante papel de los españoles en la Segunda Guerra Mundial, Eduardo Pons Prades recupera la memoria de aquellos hombres que lo dieron todo, incluso su vida, por unos ideales de libertad y justicia, y que como supo decir José Ángel Valente:
"No reivindicaron
más privilegio que el de morir
para que el aire fuera
más libre en las alturas
y más libres los hombres".

URL: http://www.esferalibros.com/libros/libr ... 8497341090

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 11:40 am

KlemenL

I read in a book about the US A/B that Americans who had fought on the Republican side as volunteers / mercs (take your pick) had trouble getting rank because they were classified as "prematurely anti-fascist."

I wonder if we later had a classification of "prematurely anti-communist?"

cheers
Reb

KlemenL · Post by **KlemenL** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 1:56 pm

I read in a book about the US A/B that Americans who had fought on the Republican side as volunteers / mercs (take your pick) had trouble getting rank because they were classified as "prematurely anti-fascist." I wonder if we later had a classification of "prematurely anti-communist?"

What has this got to do with my question about Pons Prades' book?! Occasionally even I would like to get my question answered by an answer and not a new question.

KlemenL · Post by **KlemenL** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 1:57 pm

I read in a book about the US A/B that Americans who had fought on the Republican side as volunteers / mercs (take your pick) had trouble getting rank because they were classified as "prematurely anti-fascist." I wonder if we later had a classification of "prematurely anti-communist?"

What has this got to do with my question about Pons Prades' book?! Occasionally even I would like to get my question answered by an answer and not a new question.

p.s.: You have in America plenty of very good literature about American volunteers in the Spanish Civil War. Maybe you should start here:

URL: http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/scw/scw.htm

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 3:25 pm

Klement

"What has this got to do with my question about Pons Prades' book"

Not a damn thing. Just letting you know that you weren't being ignored and hoping to "prime the pump" and get some dialog going. I'll know better next time.

cheers
Reb

KlemenL · Post by **KlemenL** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 3:44 pm

Not a damn thing. Just letting you know that you weren't being ignored...

No need to play "Mother Theresa" with me.

... and hoping to "prime the pump" and get some dialog going.

That would be something new.

Reb · Post by **Reb** » Tue Aug 16, 2005 5:27 pm

Like I said - it won't happen again. I'll make it a point to ignore your posts.

Reb

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 3:11 am

Hi KlemenL,

Does the book make any mention of the invasion of northern Spain by about 15,000 Republicans in the winter of 1944-45? If I remember correctly they hoped to seize a liberated area, set up a government, get UN (then essentially Allied) recognition and thereafter overthrow Franco.

I believe they seized the Val d'Aran (spelling?) but Franco's forces reacted too quickly for them to follow through their plans and they were forced back into a guerrilla war that lasted for years after WWII.

Cheers,

Sid.

KlemenL · Post by **KlemenL** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 9:59 am

Does the book make any mention of the invasion of northern Spain by about 15,000 Republicans in the winter of 1944-45? If I remember correctly they hoped to seize a liberated area, set up a government, get UN (then essentially Allied) recognition and thereafter overthrow Franco.

I don't know Sid. I haven't had the privilege to read this book yet nor I couldn't find any "brave Spanish soul" who could tell me more about this book, especially about the events that I am most interested at. I have therefore asked my friend in Lisboa if he could look up for this book in their National Library and Historical Institute, and he has promised to me he will do that, so I waiting... Once he will lay his hands on this book, I will ask him to look for this episode of yours as well.

But judgingfrom the fact that the book has almost 1,000 pages and the author himself was a member of the Franco-Spanish Resistance during WW2, I would say that you can expect some info about this episode in his book. maybe it would be even more wise to look for some other books of his, which are - I believe - entirely dedicated to the Spanish members o the French Resistance in Southern France in WW2. What I like very much at Pons Prades is that he often uses personal accounts of the actual participants. He has apparently made interviews with many of the Spanish Republican WW2 Veterans.

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 1:39 am

Hi KlemenL,

I look forward to the results of your search.

The Republican invasion of northern Spain was apparently intimately connected with Spanish Rebublican service in the French resistance. The central cadre and weaponry consisted of men and equipment that had reportedly served in the French resistance but were released once the Germans had been driven from France.

Cheers,

Sid.

Enrico Cernuschi · Post by **Enrico Cernuschi** » Wed Aug 24, 2005 1:41 pm

Hi Sid,
I' VERY interested in the Val d'Aran epispde. is any further detail available (dates, ect.)
How long lasted the Republican border campaign from France against Spain? What was the last year?

Thank you

EC

KlemenL · Post by **KlemenL** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:34 am

The Republican invasion of northern Spain was apparently intimately connected with Spanish Rebublican service in the French resistance. The central cadre and weaponry consisted of men and equipment that had reportedly served in the French resistance but were released once the Germans had been driven from France.

Sid: I have kept my promise and checked for any info about Val d'Aran 1944. I didn't find much I am afraid. Most of the book is about Spanish Republicans in French Resistance, French army (Foreign Legion, 2nd Armored Division etc. and suprisingly about Spaniards in the Soviet Red Army. There are several chapters just about them. The Spanish in the French Resistance are also widely mentioned, but unfortunately I couldn't find anything about Val d'Aran, but then again I went through this book quite fast. Nevertheless I managed to make copies of a long note, where the author describes some actions in the south of France in the area near Val d'Aran, so maybe they can be of some help to you. The notes can you look here:

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/8800/dscf00299vr.jpg

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/3549/dscf00301mc.jpg

There is also a small website from a symposium they had about Val d'Aran affair and Spanish Republican Resistance in France. You can see a brief summary of the symposium with some photos of the veterans here:
URL: http://site.voila.fr/espana36/exil/guer ... econq.html

I presume more information about Val d'Aran could be obtained from (on second link) mentioned book about Spanish Republican Guerillas by Miguel Angel Vease, published in Cuba in 1971.

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 5:50 am

Hi KlemenL,

Many thanks for your long memory and persistence. I will follow your leads up immediately.

If I was half as conscientious as you, I would have given Enrico the courtesy of a reply. Sorry Enrico.

Cheers,

Sid.

Helmut Von Moltke · Post by **Helmut Von Moltke** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 11:00 pm

hi, I read somewhere that some Spanish Communists and Republicans disguised themselves as volunteers in Division Azul of Spanish volunteers in the Wehrmacht, so on the Eastern front they could run away to the Soviets. Would be an intresting and weird story if they managed to do so.

helmut

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 3:15 am

Hi HvM.,

Why do you come up with this entirely factless nonsense? Your last was a post completely devoid of any content whatsoever. Why clog up up threads with such meanderings?

Cheers,

Sid.