How the Spanish Civil War Became Europe’s Battlefield

by Pamela Beth Radcliff

The Spanish Civil War was a local conflict on the margins of Europe—a short yet bloody series of battles in a lull between the great World Wars—but the conflict was a microcosm of war in the 20th century. Not only did the Spanish Civil War foreshadow the global conflagration to come, but it also had its roots in the modern era’s central divides: urban versus rural, religion versus secularization, rich versus poor, progress versus tradition, democracy versus fascism and communism.

The only exposure many of us have had to information about the Spanish Civil War comes from the artistic masterpieces of Pablo Picasso’s painting Guernica and Ernest Hemingway’s novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. Beyond these representations, however, the shadow of the war lives on as new information continues to emerge about the authoritarian rule of General Francisco Franco and the nation he built from the rubble of the war.

In this course, you will have the opportunity to explore this fascinating, complex, and often brutal history. How the Spanish Civil War Became Europe’s Battlefield takes you to the front line and introduces you to the competing coalitions on each side to look at the issues of a perennially confounding military and social history. Taught by Professor Pamela Radcliff of the University of California, San Diego, these 24 scintillating lectures survey the aspects of an endlessly multifaceted history.

Among many topics, you will investigate how Spain transitioned from a seemingly peaceful democracy to a nation torn by war, the role of the Catholic Church and the international community in supporting each side, and how ordinary soldiers and citizens experienced the war. You will reflect on the complicated legacy of the war. Since the Nationalist leader General Francisco Franco took power and held authoritarian rule for decades after the war, information about the war itself was limited until the later decades of the 20th century. Professor Radcliff delves into the so-called “memory wars” of the 21st century to show how multiple narratives of the war continue.

Genres: History, Spain, European History, War, Spanish Civil War

12 pages, Audible Audio

Published July 14, 2023

Reviews

[Cris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Will I started listening to these 24 lectures about the Spanish Civil War. I was little when Franco died, but the influence of his regime in my life is undeniable. I remember vividly when my brothers would go demonstrate for democracy and how they had to run from the police’s batons. I remember vividly my older brother making me promise, with that ardor that a small kid receives with awe, that I would not tell anyone about our Guernica poster or Che Guevara’s or Salvador Allende’s. Most houses in Catalonia had a bottle of Champagne in the fridge waiting to celebrate the dictator’s death (those bottles waited a long time!!) but we did not talk about it.
All of this to say that growing up the Civil War was not addressed in the classroom. The generation before us got the Nacional perspective but my generation got silence. These lectures were well structured and well researched and made me put together some pieces that my scattered readings and heard stories did not provide. My parent’s families were in opposing sides of the Civil War, that fact is a crucial part of my family’s history. My country, Catalonia, saw the ugly head of Spanish Nationalism rear its oppressive head when we tried to have a referendum. The dictator died in 1975, but his shadow is large, and knowing more about the conflict through which he usurped 40 years of freedom (and then some) to my people was enlightening and moving.

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just my opinion, of course: Presentation was a little dry, but packed with information. I now feel that I have a good foundation in my understanding of the Spanish Civil War, particularly its lasting effects in Spain. The presenter gave numerous suggestions for further reading and mentioned several films that I plan to watch.

I am also currently reading “Spain in our Hearts” by Adam Hochschild. It emphasizes the human stories of the war, providing a nice balance to the factual presentation of the Great Course.

[Dennis Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

How the Spanish Civil War Became Europe's Battlefield by Pamela Radcliff is a good course that had every possibility of becoming a great course. The course runs the gamut, with Radcliff providing a wonderfully comprehensive overview of a wide variety of thematic lectures regarding the Spain's civil war. Her perspective was both valuable and useful, though there were some times where it wasn't entirely clear why she found one view more persuasive than another. The problem with this course is twofold. First, this course was in desperate need of a few strictly chronological chapters that walked through the civil war in full. While there were a couple that tried to provide a chronology, we needed to have a good overview of the civil war itself before we engaged in all of the thematic lectures - especially because the lectures constantly reset the timeline, rather than evolving naturally from the chronology. Second, while the Spanish civil war did become a battlefield between the Soviet Union and the Fascist powers, there was a missed opportunity to contextualize the civil war with the broader instability and fighting taking place across Europe. Spain became an exceptional proxy battle, rather than an exemplar of the type of problems Europe was facing at the time.

If that was done, then this series would have been fantastic. It had all the elements of being great. It just felt like it fell short a little.

[Francis X DuFour · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent series of lectures by Pam Raskin explaining the wide range of effects the Spanish Civil War had on
Europe and the Western World. What started as a popular uprising against the Spanish monarchy and Catholic
Church devolved into a battle between Fascist and Communist factions. Raskin explains the international involvement of supporters of the two sides and the evolution of weapons and tactics which would see use in
WWII. Also covering economic, social, political and religious influences on the conflict, Raskin leaves no stone
unturned in her deep study of the war.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an interesting read on the Spanish Civil war and the confusion on what side of history they are going to have in their text books still today. I didn’t know a whole lot about this topic so I was surprised at how many other countries got involved in their Civil war. Stalin and the Soviet Union, the Brits, Mexico, France, Germany, and even the US. It’s much more complicated than when you hear the Spanish Civil War. This was eye opening on what happened here.

[James Goode · Rating 4 out of 5]

An academic treatment of a war I knew very little about. I enjoyed getting info from the author and it looked at the war from many angles- not just political or military history. I will likely return to the Spanish Civil War one day, but my next title will probably be more narrative driven.