Chelita Annal
[Your instructor]
[Course code number]
14 February 2006
How the Spanish Civil War affected Catalonia and its History

'Nationalism is power hunger tempered by self-deception'. Nationalism is part of the reason for the Spanish civil war and its effects on Catalonia. I start this essay with George Orwell because he is the counterpoint on both Catalonia and part of the Spanish Civil War. The history of Catalonia and its people is linked to George but, within a very short time he got seriously injured and spent six months recovering. Orwell, who wrote a book titled; Homage to Catalonia. There were many factors that contributed to the Spanish civil war and this had an impact on the Catalonian people in many different ways.
George Orwell can be linked to Catalonia in two ways; firstly, due to his book and secondly, because he fought in the Spanish civil war after which time the Catalonian society was never again the same.
Of the books he wrote he is most known for his satire on despotism (1984). In addition to this George also authored many essays on political beliefs and views.
There were many factors that contributed to the Spanish civil war from the church and the army to the depression of the 1930's.
In the beginning tension involving the church and the army was high. At the time General Francisco Franco was in power and was quite happy running the country in a dictatorial fashion. The army and the church however, did not want an autonomous government and tried unsuccessfully to overthrow them.
Meanwhile there was tension between the bourgeois and the proletariat, at least they could leave. For the locals it was much worse in that their everyday life was turned upside down. There were no more Catalonian dances performed in the park and in addition, the folk dances stopped as well.
Under anarchist leadership workers committees took over the factories in rural areas, in some cases by force. In addition some 15 to 20,000 workers didn't receive wages owed to them under the Fascists rule.
The people of Catalonia found that the trade they once had no longer existed and, having been seized by revolutionaries, industry stopped. Arms were sold to the Fascists using Nazi Germany as a go between who then shipped them on to Spain. 60,000 aerial bombs were supplies by a Dupont powder company to attack Republican countries. Following Catalonian fall the remainder of the republican army were put into concentration camps.
Residents of Catalonia found themselves restricted in other ways too in the activities they could do and where they could go. For example; they were not permitted to raise their own flag apart from in a football ground in Barcelona. In addition. Countless numbers suffered starvation-induced illness and war engineered disease.

Catalonia was never again the same. The people had been torn apart in more ways than one. Indeed, as George Orwell would say; 'War against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it'.


But in the end no one wins and the Catalonia people know that. They will be forever scarred by the events of July 17 1936.



Works Cited
Chelita Annal
[Your instructor]
[Course code number]
14 February 2006





Bibliographic References

Mitchell, David, the Spanish Civil War. 1st ed. London: Granada Publishing Limited, 1982.

Preston, Paul, the Spanish Civil War 1936-39. 4th ed. Clapham: Butler & Tanner Ltd, 1990.

Romero Salvado', Francisco J. The Spanish Civil War. 3rd Ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.

Websites

History of Catalan identity, History of Catalonia. Catalan Identity. Barcelona.com. 08 Feb. 2006 <http://www.barcelona.com/barcelona_city_guide/references_marks/traditions/catalan_identity>.

History of Domination in the World. AOL Hometown. AOL. 08 Feb. 2006 <http://hometown.aol.com/__121b_NEnumUMKiJaq0uuxPyt13k5YbP6vLaE8DHiAIywTPPHt+RUsH+TuOg=

Quotes. Anti War.com. 08 Feb. 2006 <http://antiwar.com/quotes.php>.
Weisbord, Albert. "Two Visits to Barcelona." Two Visits to Barcelona. 08 Feb. 2006. <http://www.weisbord.org/Visits.htm>