The Spanish Civil War A Military History

The Spanish Civil War: A Military History takes a new, military approach to the conflict that tore Spain apart from 1936 to 1939. In many histories, the war has been treated as a primarily political event with the military narrative subsumed into a much broader picture of the Spain of 1936–9 in which the chief themes are revolution and counter-revolution. While remaining conscious of the politics of the struggle, this book looks at the war as above all a military event, and as one in whose outbreak specifically military issues – particularly the split in the armed forces produced by the long struggle in Morocco (1909–27) – were fundamental. Across nine chapters that consider the war from beginning to endgame, Charles J. Esdaile revisits traditional themes from a new perspective, deconstructs many epics and puts received ideas to the test, as well as introducing readers to foreign-language historiography that has previously been largely inaccessible to an anglophone audience. In taking this new approach, The Spanish Civil War: A Military History is essential reading for all students of twentieth-century Spain.

List of Maps PrefaceChapter 1: Beginnings Chapter 2: Spain is divided Chapter 3: First campaigns Chapter 4: The battle of Madrid Chapter 5: Winter battles Chapter 6: The war in Euzkadi Chapter 7: Diversions and disasters Chapter 8: Collapse in Aragón Chapter 9: Endgame Appendix 1: Organization of the Spanish Home Army, 1936 Appendix 2: Organization of the Army of Africa, 1936 Appendix 3: Spanish military and naval aviation, 1936 Appendix 4: Spanish Navy, 1936Appendix 5: Weapons in service with the Spanish Army, 1936 Appendix 6: Obsolete weapons brought back into service, 1936 Appendix 7: Aircraft, tanks and other weapons supplied to Nationalist Spain Appendix 8: Aircraft, tanks and other weapons supplied to Republican Spain Appendix 9:Machine-guns and rifles supplied to the Republic Appendix 10: Foreign aid in the Spanish Civil War Appendix 11: The International Brigades Appendix 12: Nationalist forces engaged in the Assault on Madrid, November 1936 Appendix 13: Nationalist order of battle, campaign in Vizcaya, April 1937 Appendix 14: The Republican Army at the Battle of Brunete Bibliography Index

Charles J. Esdaile has been a member of staff in the Department of History at the University of Liverpool since 1989 and was awarded a personal chair in 2004. He is the author of numerous works on Spanish history including Spain, 1808–1939: From Constitution to Civil War (Blackwell, 2000).