The Spanish Civil War, the Soviet Union, and Communism

Description

In this compelling book Stanley G. Payne offers the first comprehensive narrative of Soviet and Communist intervention in the revolution and civil war in Spain. He documents in unprecedented detail Soviet strategies, Comintern activities, and the role of the Communist party in Spain from the early 1930s to the end of the civil war in 1939. Drawing on a very broad range of Soviet and Spanish primary sources, including many only recently available, Payne changes our understanding of Soviet and Communist intentions in Spain, of Stalin’s decision to intervene in the Spanish war, of the widely accepted characterization of the conflict as the struggle of fascism against democracy, and of the claim that Spain’s war constituted the opening round of World War II. The author arrives at a new view of the Spanish Civil War and concludes not only that the Democratic Republic had many undemocratic components but also that the position of the Communist party was by no means counterrevolutionary. Contents Preface Abbreviations Chapter One. Soviet Policy and the Comintern in the Early Years, 1917–1925 Chapter Two. Communism and Revolution in Spain 1917–1931 Chapter Three. Communism and the Second Republic 1931–1934 Chapter Four. From Revolutionary Insurrection to Popular Front 1934–1936 Chapter Five. Communism and the Implosion of the Republic February–July 1936 Chapter six. Communism and the Spanish Revolution July–August 1936 Chapter seven. The Soviet Decision to Intervene Militarily July–October 1936 Chapter Eight. Soviet Military Participation 1936–1939 Chapter Nine. The Policy Struggle under the Largo Caballero Government September 1936–May 1937 Chapter Ten. The Negrín Government 1937–1938 Chapter Twelve. Conclusion Notes Index