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The Impact of the Spanish Civil War on Britain
War, Loss and Memory

Tom Buchanan
Tom Buchanan is Reader in Modern History at the University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education, and a Fellow of Kellogg College. He is the author of two previous books and numerous articles on Britain's involvement in the Spanish Civil War, as well as Europe's Troubled Peace, 1945–2000 (Blackwell, 2005).

	Explores the relationship between Britain and the Spanish Civil War (1936–9)
	Explains the war's legacy and longer-term impact on Britain
	Presents a chronological progression from the Civil War to the post-war Franco era.
	Provides a sensitive discussion of the importance of loss and memory
	Published to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the war

“According to these erudite, riveting essays by Buchanan, the British public responded to the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 in a variety of contradictory ways, some having no connection to politics. In many cases, these contradictions were outgrowths of Britons’ stereotypical views of Spain as a country of brutality and siestas. Some earnest and adventurous young Britons were caught up in the ideological conflict between communism and fascism. They rushed to volunteer, founding, for instance, the Spanish Medical Aid Committee (SMAC) in support of the Spanish Republicans. SMAC was fraught with infighting and intrigue throughout its attempts to provide relief. Other Britons, such as promising young artist Felicia Browne, just happened to be in Spain in time to be swept up in events. Tragically, the young woman was the first British volunteer to die in the conflict, shot by nationalists while participating in a raid for which she was, Buchanan writes, ‘sadly out of her depth’. After WWII, British tourists, including former leftists, now more uneasy about Cold War totalitarianism than about Franco’s regime, rediscovered the beaches and villas of sun-drenched Spain. Recommended.” Choice

The Spanish Civil War has had a profound and lasting impact on Britain. At least 2400 Britons volunteered to fight for the Spanish Republic (of whom more than 500 died), while others provided medical assistance, visited Spain in delegations, or covered the Civil War as journalists.

In this collection of three of his published articles and seven new essays, all based on primary research, Tom Buchanan sheds light on many facets of this complex relationship. The book's central themes are the impact of loss on families and communities, and the importance of Spain itself – its history and culture – in the way that the Civil War was understood in Britain.

Some of the chapters deal with individuals involved in the Civil War, such as the writer John Langdon-Davies, the artist Felicia Browne and the journalist GL Steer. Others pursue somewhat neglected themes, such as the response of British artists to the war or the role played by British medical personnel. The final two chapters focus on the long-term impact of the conflict on British politics and on Britain’s relations with Spain since 1939.

	List of Contents to follow

Publication Details