Homage to Catalonia - George Orwell

'Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism as I understand it' 1936 was a time of great uncertainty in Europe with the Nazis in power in Germany, Mussolini in Italy and strengthening right wing movements elsewhere. On the other side the left had largely made no effective counter movement and in Russia there had been a clear break from the revolutions original principles with out and out Stalinism which repressed any internal or external opposition. Against this background a reformist left coalition was elected in Spain and when an attempted military ...  Read the complete review

Europe in 1936 was a dangerous place. Hitler had occupied the Rhineland, Mussolini was fighting in Ethiopia and what was to become known as the Fascist Axis was gaining ground and power. In Germany and Italy opposition parties were being suppressed and in Spain Franco was leading a revolt against the popularly elected government. The democratic western powers were nervous and following the policy of non-intervention which eventually led to appeasement. Stalin, in the USSR, was cautiously trying to make allies to protect himself against the ascendant right wing powers. The fighting in Spain, however, seemed less fraught with difficulties - it seemed like a clear ...  Read the complete review

George Orwell was of the generation for whom the Spanish Civil War represented a clear-cut crusade of good versus evil. For them it was a case of supporting the Spanish Republic against the menace of fascism. Unlike so many of them, however, George Orwell was prepared to take up arms in a bid to stop Franco and his allies in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. ‘Homage To Catalonia’ is a vivid description of what happened to him, and, more importantly what happened in Spain. As a supporter of the Independent Labour Party (nothing to do with the shower now headed by Tony Blair), Orwell went to Spain to join the militia of a group called the POUM, a small ...  Read the complete review