An Evaluation of George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia as an Historical Document

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2014-09-26
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Lacy, Elaine
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History
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University of Hawaii at Manoa
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For many Englishmen in the 1930s the Spanish Civil War was a water shed, a turning point not only in history but in their personal lives. Few events since have been more controversial. Many saw the war in ideological terms; it was a struggle for democracy against Fascism, for left against right, for national freedom against Communism, or for revolution against reaction. It seemed early on to be a clear-cut case of good vs. evil; a chance to strike a blow against the ills of Fascism. Gabriel Jackson claims, "An entire generation of Englishmen and Americans felt a deeper emotional involvement in (The Spanish War) than in any world event of their lifetime, including the second world war.” Though England's official policy was non-intervention, many Englishmen participated in the Spanish war--usually on the Loyalist side. One history of England says that in the thirties, "Most joined left-wing causes….After 1936 the greatest passion for those on the left was the fight of the Spanish Republicans against the fascist General Franco." Herbert Matthews, writing long after the Spanish conflict, asserts: What I am sure will be my final, reasoned judgment on the Spanish Civil War is that those of us who championed the cause of the Republican government against the Franco Nationalists were right. It was, on balance, the cause of justice, legality, morality, decency. Spain became an ideological battleground, and for many who fought in Spain the war was the last Great Cause.
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99 pages
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