They Shall Not Pass : The British Battalion at Jarama

Description: Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The story of the British Battalion of the Republican International Brigades, and its heroic defense at the Battle of Jarama in 1937, during the Nationalist advance on Madrid. The Spamish Civil War was an unpleasant affair, with brutal treatment of POWs and political prisoners on both sides, and reprisals against the civilian population not uncommon. The conflict had been brewing for over 100 years, following the overthrow of the monarchy after the Peninsular War in 1812, and the establishment of the Cortes, Spain’s first parliament. Bitter divisions in the population still existed (and exist to this day, to a certain extent), with monarchists, fascists and the Catholic church on one side, and the Republicans, a loose union of socialists, communists, anarchists and moderates, on the other. Things came to a head in 1936 when the Army tried to stage a coup against the Republican Cortes, which initially failed, but General Francisco Franco brought the Spanish Army of Africa across from Algeria, and very rapidly pushed back the Republicans from the west. Aided by the Nazis, who had come to power in Germany and who were looking for a training ground for their aerial and ground forces, the Nationalists eventually rolled up the Republican front into Catalonia, where they surrendered in 1938. During the course of the war, France and Britain maintained a policy of non-intervention, which history has roundly criticized them for, and as a result, thousands of volunteers from Britain, France, the United States and other countries flocked to Spain and formed the International Brigades, which were unfortunately often poorly led and even more poorly equipped. Support from Russia was sought, but not received in any great measure, since the Communists were more interested in stamping out socialism in Europe rather than helping them win. The Jarama battle was a typical example of good intentions but poor execution, and the inevitable result was that the British volunteers suffered major casualties against Franco’s professional soldiers. This account of the battle is based on eyewitness accounts and official records from both sides, and is very well written, even though it is rather depressing to read. This 2011 1st Edition Hardcover is in very good condition, with no internal markings and nominal dust jacket wear.

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End Time: 2024-12-04T00:36:34.000Z

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