Let us try to make sense of what happened in Spain during the Civil War. Let's start!
The overall goal of this blog is to help your appreciation of history and your knowledge of the Civil War by introducing you to historical documents and enabling you to develop critical thinking and analytic skills.
Our objectives for the lesson:
1. Identify factual information about the civil war in specific documents.
2. Recognize reasons and positions of each side of the war.
3. Gain knowledge about the special situation of the Basque Country during the war.
4. Understand the importance of international situation and their intervention on the war.
5. Gain knowledge of literature and art of the time and their relation with history.
6. Look at an event (Gernika's bombardement) from various perspectives.
7. Understand the devastating consecuencies of a War an the need of Peace.
A starter
CIVIL WAR CHARACTERS
Who are these people? | Next exercise can help you |
You can find their names in this wordsearch.
Q | B | I | L | E | G | M | A | N | L | Z | N | G | O |
U | O | A | L | Z | E | N | Ñ | M | I | E | E | E | O |
E | Z | O | N | A | A | A | B | O | N | L | P | E | L |
I | C | E | A | F | C | Ñ | G | L | U | A | O | O | Ñ |
P | N | E | G | R | I | N | A | A | L | E | L | O | N |
O | P | O | R | A | Z | I | E | Z | A | R | O | A | O |
D | N | O | E | N | R | A | E | A | A | G | A | E | I |
E | O | L | G | C | Q | E | O | Ñ | F | F | N | L | A |
L | A | R | G | O | C | A | B | A | L | L | E | R | O |
L | M | L | R | B | R | O | A | Z | L | N | A | Q | L |
A | I | L | R | P | Q | L | C | N | A | Z | O | E | A |
N | L | O | A | A | A | U | O | A | A | O | B | A | A |
O | O | A | G | R | M | P | O | P | N | L | G | B | L |
O | L | N | I | Q | A | L | Q | L | N | O | N | A | R |
Choose one of the characters and prepare a brief biography to give a summary to your fellow students.
Initial Task
Just a bit about the Second Spanish Republic
An interesting task would be to interview your elders.
They are a first hand information source and you will be surprised at the amazing stories they can tell you!
Here you have a model for the Questionnaire.
INTERVIEW ONE OF YOUR ELDERS
The aim of this exercise is to learn from a first hand source of information, doing an interview to any of your grandparents or any other elderly person. They do not have to answer all the questions if they do not feel like doing so. If they did not live the events we are dealing with, let them tell you what their parents told them about.
A Guide to the interview could be something like that but feel free to do one on your own:
INTRODUCTION
- Personal details: Name, birth date …
BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR
- Your family during the 30s: How many were there of you? , Do you remember anything about your living conditions? What was your father/mother’s trade?
- What do you remember about your family’s sympathies during the Republic?
- Do you remember any famous name or politician of the time?
THE CIVIL WAR
- Do you remember July the 18th, 1936? How old and where were you at the beginning of the war? What do you remember? How did the war affect your family?
- Did any of your relatives or friends take part in the war? Do you know about any story which happened to them?
- What do you remember about the end of the war?
- Do you remember any of the wartime songs ?
FRANCO’S DICTATORSHIP
- Do you think it was better or worst for your family after the war? Did anything change when the “Nacionales” won the war?
- How was life after the war? Do you remember the ration book? Was there enough food for everybody? What was your everyday dinner like?
- How was school at that time? Was there a subject you liked best? Was there a song you had to sing in the school?
- What do you remember about the attitude towards the Basque language?
Where possible, include photocopies of old pictures of the interviewed and add as much additional information as you can.
For example you should add, at least;
Three political songs analysis.
Three pictures or image analysis.
Finally as a conclusion you could write your personal feelings about this topic in general
An interesting task would be to interview your elders.
They are a first hand information source and you will be surprised at the amazing stories they can tell you!
Here you have a model for the Questionnaire.
INTERVIEW ONE OF YOUR ELDERS
The aim of this exercise is to learn from a first hand source of information, doing an interview to any of your grandparents or any other elderly person. They do not have to answer all the questions if they do not feel like doing so. If they did not live the events we are dealing with, let them tell you what their parents told them about.
A Guide to the interview could be something like that but feel free to do one on your own:
INTRODUCTION
- Personal details: Name, birth date …
BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR
- Your family during the 30s: How many were there of you? , Do you remember anything about your living conditions? What was your father/mother’s trade?
- What do you remember about your family’s sympathies during the Republic?
- Do you remember any famous name or politician of the time?
THE CIVIL WAR
- Do you remember July the 18th, 1936? How old and where were you at the beginning of the war? What do you remember? How did the war affect your family?
- Did any of your relatives or friends take part in the war? Do you know about any story which happened to them?
- What do you remember about the end of the war?
- Do you remember any of the wartime songs ?
FRANCO’S DICTATORSHIP
- Do you think it was better or worst for your family after the war? Did anything change when the “Nacionales” won the war?
- How was life after the war? Do you remember the ration book? Was there enough food for everybody? What was your everyday dinner like?
- How was school at that time? Was there a subject you liked best? Was there a song you had to sing in the school?
- What do you remember about the attitude towards the Basque language?
Where possible, include photocopies of old pictures of the interviewed and add as much additional information as you can.
For example you should add, at least;
Three political songs analysis.
Three pictures or image analysis.
Finally as a conclusion you could write your personal feelings about this topic in general
The Civil War
The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of the Second Spanish Republic. The Civil War devastated Spain from July 17, 1936 to April 1, 1939, ending with the victory of the rebels and the founding of a dictatorship led by the Nationalist General Francisco Franco.
An interesting glossary.
http://www.bfi.org.uk/nftva/catalogues/catalogue/9
Here you have some web addresses on how the war evolved.
http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/spain_cw.htm
http://www2.bc.edu/~heineman/maps/SpCW.html
An interesting glossary.
http://www.bfi.org.uk/nftva/catalogues/catalogue/9
Here you have some web addresses on how the war evolved.
http://users.erols.com/mwhite28/spain_cw.htm
http://www2.bc.edu/~heineman/maps/SpCW.html
International involvement
The Spanish Civil War had been largely influenced by the position European nations took on the iusse. Italy ang Germany contributed large amounts of financial assistance and military aid to forces led by Francisco Franco. Forces fighting on behalf of the Second Spanish Republic received limited aid by USSR but support was seriously hampered by the arms embargo declared by France and the UK.
| POLITICS | ECONOMY | IDEOLOGY | CURRENT SITUATION | Main Characters |
UNITED KINGDOM | |||||
SOVIET UNION | |||||
UNITED STATES | |||||
GERMANY | |||||
FRANCE | |||||
ITALY |
Look for information about Fascism and Nazism.
The International Brigades
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Brigades
The International Brigades were Republican military units in the Spanish Civil War, formed of many non-state sponsored volunteers of different countries who traveled to Spain, to fight for the republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939. An estimated 32,000 people from a "claimed 53 nations" volunteered. They fought against rebel Spanish Nationalist forces, who were led by General Francisco Franco and assisted by Nazi German and Fascist Italian forces.
Exercise
Imagine you are taking part in one of the International brigades.
You will write a letter back home, telling them about your reasons to fight on the Republican side and describing any of the battles. You have to find real information about names, places, battles, habits...
A Mind Map
If you are interested enough.
Create your own mind map about main events of the Civil war!
http://www.mapyourmind.com/howto.htm
Create your own mind map about main events of the Civil war!
http://www.mapyourmind.com/howto.htm
War Songs
Lyrics and Songs: they became primary sources to try to understand and still debate the events of the Civil War.
You will have to find some more songs and analyse them. Ask your grandparents for one.
Here is a song, try to find its melody! Would you be able to sing it for us!
Los Cuatro Generales
Los cuatro generales, (thrice)
mamita mía, que se han alzado,que se han alzado.
Para la nochebuena, (thirce)
mamita mía, serán ahorcados,serán ahorcados.
Madrid, qué bien resistes, ()thrice)
mamita mía, los bombardeos,los bombardeos.
De las bombas se ríen, (thrice)
mamita mía, los madrileños,los madrileños.
Por la Casa de Campo, (thrice)
mamita mía, y el Manzanares,y el Manzanares,
quieren pasar los moros, (thrice)
mamita mía, no pasa nadie,no pasa nadie.
La Casa de Velázquez, (thrice)
mamita mía, se cae ardiendo,se cae ardiendo
con la quinta columna, (thrice)
mamita mía, metida adentro,metida adentro.
What about a text analysis? Isn't it mouth-watering?
You can try here for more songs:
Literature and War
There were lots of artist who took sides with the republic during the Civil war.
There were important international writer involved in the war as journalists or brigadists as Hemingway or Orwell.
But we are going to focus on two poets that were killed during the Civil War
.
Federico Garcia Lorca
Lauaxeta
There were important international writer involved in the war as journalists or brigadists as Hemingway or Orwell.
But we are going to focus on two poets that were killed during the Civil War
.Federico Garcia Lorca
- Lorca is Spain's best known poet. He is one of the 20th century's most brilliant and innovative poets. His poems paint a vivid and poetic portrait of his homeland and the gypsies. He was another victim of the war. This andalucian intellectual was summarily executed at the onset of the Spanish Civil War.
- Look for information about his activities in favour of the republic.
Lauaxeta
Look for information and write a short text about his biography.
Here is one of his Poems sing by a basque singer.
'Mendigoixaliarena'
http://odeo.com/audio/6657603/view
.
Women and War
How were women considered by nationalists and Republicans?
Here you have two posters from the time, according to them, which one is the role played by women in each of the fighting sides?
Discussion.
FINAL TASK
Questions.
What happened in Guernica? Why did they destroy it?
Which one was the International reaction?
What did happen in the Northern Front?
Texts
Ante Dios y ante la Historia que nos han de juzgar, afirmo que durante tres horas y media aviones alemanes han bombardeado con una fiereza desconocida hasta aquí, a la población civil indefensa de la histórica ciudad de Guernica, reduciéndola a cenizas y persiguiendo con tiro de ametralladora a las mujeres y niños, que han perecido en gran número mientras huían locos de terror.
Mensaje del Lehendakari José Anatonio Aguirre, 29 de Abril
¡Miente Aguirre! Miente vilmente. En primer término, no hay aviación alemana ni extranjera en la España nacional. Hay aviación española... En segundo lugar, Guernica no ha sido incendiada por nosotros. La España de Franco no incendia. La tea incendiaria es monopolio de los incendiario de Irún, de los que han incendiado Éibar, de los que trataron de quemar vivos a los defensores del Alcázar de Toledo.
Luis Bolín en radio nacional 29 de Abril .
As you know, Guernica is a painting by Pablo Picasso, depicting the Nazi German bombing of Gernika, by twenty-eight bombers, on April 26, 1937. The attack killed between 250 and 1,600 people, and many more were injured.
A huge mural had already been commissioned from Picasso by the Spanish Republican government to decorate the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris International Exposition (the 1937 World's Fair in Paris). The bombing of Guernica provided Picasso with the inspiration for the mural which he had previously lacked.
Picasso said as he worked on the mural:
“ The Spanish struggle is the fight of reaction against the people, against freedom. My whole life as an artist has been nothing more than a continuous struggle against reaction and the death of art. How could anybody think for a moment that I could be in agreement with reaction and death? ... In the panel on which I am working, which I shall call Guernica, and in all my recent works of art, I clearly express my abhorrence of the military caste which has sunk Spain in an ocean of pain and death."
Is Art a way to fight for ideals? Does it help changing anything?
What's your opinion?
An interesting Fieldtrip
Visit to Gernika
Museum of Peace in Gernika & the researching center of 'Gernika Gogoratuz'
http://www.peacemuseumguernica.org/en/initiate/homeeng.php
http://www.gernikagogoratuz.org/
What happened in Guernica? Why did they destroy it?
Which one was the International reaction?
What did happen in the Northern Front?
Texts
Ante Dios y ante la Historia que nos han de juzgar, afirmo que durante tres horas y media aviones alemanes han bombardeado con una fiereza desconocida hasta aquí, a la población civil indefensa de la histórica ciudad de Guernica, reduciéndola a cenizas y persiguiendo con tiro de ametralladora a las mujeres y niños, que han perecido en gran número mientras huían locos de terror.
Mensaje del Lehendakari José Anatonio Aguirre, 29 de Abril
¡Miente Aguirre! Miente vilmente. En primer término, no hay aviación alemana ni extranjera en la España nacional. Hay aviación española... En segundo lugar, Guernica no ha sido incendiada por nosotros. La España de Franco no incendia. La tea incendiaria es monopolio de los incendiario de Irún, de los que han incendiado Éibar, de los que trataron de quemar vivos a los defensores del Alcázar de Toledo.
Luis Bolín en radio nacional 29 de Abril .
As you know, Guernica is a painting by Pablo Picasso, depicting the Nazi German bombing of Gernika, by twenty-eight bombers, on April 26, 1937. The attack killed between 250 and 1,600 people, and many more were injured.
A huge mural had already been commissioned from Picasso by the Spanish Republican government to decorate the Spanish Pavilion at the Paris International Exposition (the 1937 World's Fair in Paris). The bombing of Guernica provided Picasso with the inspiration for the mural which he had previously lacked.
Picasso said as he worked on the mural:
“ The Spanish struggle is the fight of reaction against the people, against freedom. My whole life as an artist has been nothing more than a continuous struggle against reaction and the death of art. How could anybody think for a moment that I could be in agreement with reaction and death? ... In the panel on which I am working, which I shall call Guernica, and in all my recent works of art, I clearly express my abhorrence of the military caste which has sunk Spain in an ocean of pain and death."
Is Art a way to fight for ideals? Does it help changing anything?
What's your opinion?
An interesting Fieldtrip
Visit to Gernika
Museum of Peace in Gernika & the researching center of 'Gernika Gogoratuz'
http://www.peacemuseumguernica.org/en/initiate/homeeng.php
http://www.gernikagogoratuz.org/
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