Chronology of Boxed Section
March 1936
Rhineland
July 1936 - 39
Spain
March 1938
Anschluss
October 1938
Munich
1920s – 1939
Overview (8 marker)


Issues: Factors shaping Government reaction to events i.e. the
use of appeasement
political
economic
military
public opinion
dilemmas (public and private concerns of the government at
the time which influenced how they dealt with issues at the time
Spanish Civil War 1936-39
What happened?
•Civil War started as a
result of an army
rebellion against the
Popular Front Government
•The sides polarised
between those who
supported elected Govt.
(Republicans) and those
who supported the army
rebels (Nationalists).
•The War lasted 3 years
and the Nationalists won.
•Germany and Italy
intervened on Nationalist
side; Russia on Republican
side
• Br. Policy was nonintervention
Government reaction
Public opinion
•Public opinion divided;
•Government wanted to
Labour opposition split.
minimise foreign
intervention and to avoid the For Intervention:
civil war spreading into a
•If the Fascists won,
European war
then the peace in Europe
would be threatened
•Conservative-dominated
government were more
•Fascists were trying to
sympathetic to Franco than
overthrow a
‘Communist’ Republicans
democratically elected
Government.
•Feared for Britain’s
commercial interests if
•2700 joined
Republican side won.
International Brigade
•Aware of Ger./Italian
breaches of non-intervention Against Intervention:
•Took realistic view: ‘better
a leaky dam than no dam at
all’ (Eden)
•It is a Spanish affair;
better to stay neutral.
•Against spread of
Communism
Source B: extract from 'Homage to Catalonia' written by George Orwell
– 1938
Source B
When I came to Spain, and for some time afterwards, I was not only
uninterested in the political situation but unaware of it. I knew there was
a war on, but I had no notion what kind of war. If you had asked me why I
had joined the militia I should have answered: "To fight against Fascism",
and if you had asked me what I was fighting for, I should have answered:
common decency.
To understand the alignment on the Government side, one has got to
remember how the war started. When the fighting broke out on 18th
July it is probable that every anti-Fascist in Europe felt a thrill of hope.
For here at last, apparently, was democracy standing up to Fascism. For
years past, the so-called democratic countries had been surrendering to
Fascism at every step. But when Franco tried to overthrow a mildly Leftwing Government the Spanish people, against all expectation, had risen
against him. It seemed - possibly it was - the turning of the tide.
2.
How typical of British opinion at the time were the views of
Source B?
5
2.
How typical of British opinion at the time were the views
of Source B?
In reaching a conclusion you should refer to:
•the origin and possible purpose of the source
•the content of the source
•recalled knowledge
What is the Q asking you to do?
•Set immediate context - give a few sentences to put issue/event in
context with our Paper 2 course
•Identify the views of the author in a nutshell i.e. the big picture what is his overall view!!
•Make a judgement as to how far it was typical of views at the time
i.e. was what he is saying shared by people at the time -make a
statement
•Back this up by selecting points from the source (the bones) then
putting flesh on them by using recall
•This will allow you to 'evaluate/assess' how typical they are i.e. by
saying things like ‘Point X by the author is typical and does highlight
issues considered by the Government/public at the time on this issue
for the following reasons ...or does not because... ‘
•Then use 'additional' recall to develop your argument with balance
of recall e.g. views which agree and those who were not in agreement
at the time.
Step 1 –The Immediate Context
•Source refers to the issues in debate during the Spanish Civil War
of 1936-39 during which the legitimate Government of Spain - a
coalition or Popular Front of democratic political parties and left wing
groups - were challenged by a right wing coup led by army General
Franco who wanted to halt the popular front reforms
•The attempted coup backfired and turned into a civil war.
•It became an international issue when military aid from Germany and
Italy to Franco threatened to escalate the conflict. The British
Government were alarmed by the potential 'powder keg' of the
situation in Spain and regarded the war as a fascist struggle with the
communist/socialist Popular Front and refused to become involved.
•The Spanish Civil War was an issue which divided public opinion in the
UK and historians continue to debate the role of the UK, some arguing
that we were blind to the role/effects/gains for Hitler.
Step 2 - Big Picture
•Writing at the time of the actual war, Orwell gives a fairly
untypical view that Britain should get involved to stop the spread
of fascism.
•His book was published in 1938 and was regarded as the efforts
of a radical idealist.
•Orwell was a Labour/socialist supporter. His book was a
'homage' to the courage of the Catalans.
•In the source Orwell suggest the reasons for his views...
Step 3 – Select relevant points from the source and
use recall to evaluate each point
Point one from source
Fighting against fascism
& for common decency
Recall evaluating point
from source
•This is fairly untypical.
Most people did not regard
the war as an issue of
their concern and the
Popular Front were
regarded as unlawfu1 and
communist i.e. not decent.
Point two from source
Recall evaluating point
from source
Every anti-fascist felt a
thrill of hope
•This is untypical. Many felt
it was a potential 'powder
keg' which could explode
and damage/few agreed
with him.
Point three from
source
Here at last,
democracy standing
up to Fascism
Recall evaluating point from source
•This is untypical. Only those in
Labour/left wing groups who joined
the International Brigades saw it
like this.
•Most believed it was communism
versus fascism and that the Popular
Front were merely puppets of Stalin.
•Crimes against the church and the
acts of damage to property/industry
•Rear of Big Business in the UK over
nationalisation of their Spanish
assets.
Point four from
source
Recall evaluating point from
source
Years past, socalled
democratic
countries
surrendering
•Orwell referring to Japanese
aggression in Manchuria (1931),
Italian action over Abyssinia
(1935), German actions from 1933
(Rhineland/ Conscription /
rearmament/ Dictatorship/
persecution of Jews)
•Whereas the majority view is of
appeasing is for peace and not
surrendering as Orwell accuses UK
and France of doing
•Only Churchill/Fletcher/ Duchess
of Atholl (Red Kitty) agreed
Point five from
source
Recall evaluating point from
source
Franco resisted;
this was possibly
the turning of
the tide
•This is not typical. Many did not
agree with any sort of
intervention and did not share
Orwell's view.
•The stalemate of 1937 was not
turned by the role of the NonIntervention Committee, which
was ignored
Link back to the question
How typical of British opinion at the time were the views of Source B?
So Orwell offers a fairly untypical view of the British opinion
during the Spanish Civil War.
However, a significant minority supported Orwell’s views e.g.
David Low in his cartoons, individual trade unionists, idealists,
left wing supporters like Jack Jones, Donald Renton and J.
Gurney whose letters and books reflect their passionate
opposition to the role of fascist help for Franco from Italy
and Germany.
General opinion in the UK was divided (some were moved by
plight of the children of Spain who came over as refugees)
but the majority did not share the sentiments of the author
for a variety of reasons.
Additional recall giving the majority view e.g. the vast
majority viewed the Spanish Civil War in different ways
to Orwell...
1.
•The outbreak of the war in Spain was a real dilemma for the
British Government.
•Opinion in the nation was divided.
•Government ministers did not like the Popular Front and
believed the propaganda from the Right in Spain (Popular Front
attacks on church /landed classes etc; communists in disguise!)
•Many British business interests looked under threat
•Right from the outset there was a determination to stay out
of a potential political mess
•When the Germans and Italians became involved, this
complicated matters but made the Government even more
determined to resist pressures to intervene.
2.
•Britain feared the escalation that might occur if any side intervened
and for the same economic/political/military reasons which influenced
lack of action over the Rhineland
•The Government did not wish to be dragged into a war
•The Government faced many other domestic concerns e.g. the
abdication crisis
•While the issue created emotion reactions, the head ruled the
options/methods of reaction of the Government.
3.
•The course of action was the non-intervention policy dreamed up by
French leader Leon Blum.
•We grasped at this enthusiastically as a means of showing the public
that we were being fair and moral in our involvement.
•Despite evidence of this agreement being undermined by both Italy
and Germany, we stuck to it throughout the conflict
•Eden, our Foreign Secretary, agreed it was tragic but not an issue in
which we should become involved.
Conclusion
As it was, the Popular Front lost the civil war a year
after the publication of the book by Orwell. The tide
was sadly not turned as Orwell had hoped and the
fascist-backed regime of Franco won and was to remain
in power until 1975.
Orwell’s views were in the minority and untypical of how
most people viewed the issues underlying the war in
Spain.
1-2
Selects some relevant evidence from
the source and/or recalled knowledge
but without making the required
evaluation.
3-4
Selects relevant evidence from the
source and uses limited recall to
inform a basic evaluation in terms of
the question.
5
Establishes the main points in the
source and uses recalled knowledge to
evaluate these and reach an
appropriate conclusion.