Homage to Catalonia

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Summary: Lionel Trilling's homage to George Orwell
Review: There is Lionel Trilling's introduction written in 1952. Standing alone the introduction is historic and of consequence. It appears in the Beacon Press edition of the work. At any rate, Trilling finds that the moral tone of Orwell's book is uniquely simple and true. Orwell was a virtuous man. He had an old fashioned temperament. Orwell's experience of being declasse , of being down and out after service in Burma, had significant implications for his writing. Orwell thought the intelligentsia refused to consider the conditional nature of life. Orwell could never believe that intellectual life would be a political idyll.

When Orwell went to Spain he went to write newspaper articles but joined a militia almost immediately. In Barcelona revolutionary posters were everywhere. In the P.O.U.M. militia the shortage of rifles was desperate. Therefore, there was no weapon training, just marching, drills. Orwell described the smells of war. Rifles were finally received three miles from the front line. Orwell noted that in trench warfare five things were important, firewood, food, tobacco, candles, and the enemy. Orwell said he actually saw very little fighting. He was in hand to hand combat once, and he reported once was too much.

There was equality in the militias. Military failure could not be attributed to the system of equality. Failure resulted from the newness, the lack of material, the lack of training, and the age of the recruits. He found that revolutionary discipline depended on political consciousness, an understanding of why orders must be obeyed. (What Orwell described is termed the learning curve in other kinds of discourse.) The militias held the line and there were few desertions. There was a lack of firewood. Warfare had made the bare mountainous region even more bare of vegetation. The English and Spanish always got on well together. When more Englishmen arrived, Orwell was shifted over to that group. They were now somewhat closer to the enemy. Aragon peasants treated their mules well but their donkeys abominably. In late February 1937 they left Monte Oscuro and were sent with all of the P.O.U.M. troops in the sector to make a part of the army besieging Huesca. Until late March nothing happened.

Initially Orwell ignored the political side of the war. Spain seemed to be suffering from a plague of initials and the matter was confusing. Orwell thought all of the government forces were Socialists, anti-fascists. In the beginning Franco's real opponent was not so much the government as the trade unions. A revolution had started in Spain but its progress and significance varied by region. By October-November 1936 there was a swing to the Right. Power passed from the Anarchists to the Communists. The Communist leadership sought to suppress the revolution because it was believed to be premature. Only Mexico and Russia came to the assistance of the government and only Russia was big enough to dictate terms.

The Communist Party moved first against the P.O.U.M. and then against the Anarchists. The war was essentially a triangular struggle. The P.O.U.M. was a dissident Communist party. The unions were not necessarily Anarchists in the pure sense and yet they were tinged with the philosophy and made up a huge portion of the forces opposing Franco. They aimed at worker control and not parliamentary democracy. They had uncompromising hostility to the bourgeoisie and the Church.

At the time Orwell preferred the Communists because they had a definite policy. Press censorship was mainly under Communist control. One of the worst aspects of war is war propaganda. The Communists and the P.O.U.M. came to write more bitterly against each other than against the fascists. Orwell was isolated among the most revolutionary section of the working class. On paper the Communist case was a good one. Orwell drew back at their actual behavior. Communists seemed to be not working to postpone the revolution but to make sure it never happened at all.

In spring the peasants plowed the fields. The landowners had left. Orwell never did learn if the land had been collectivized or if the arrangements were informal. The farming implements were antiquated. Orwell was surprised that no one crossed himself, even as a gesture. To the people of Catalonia and Aragon the Church was evidently a racket. When he went on leave, he had been on the line for one hundred fifteen days and felt that it was the most useless period of his life. The time did form a kind of interregnum. The prevailing mental atmosphere was that of Socialism. The Spanish militias, while they lasted, were sort of a microcosm of a classless society.

Barcelona had changed in the three months and there was general indifference to war. It was no longer fashionable to be in the militia. Enlistments had sunk. The Popular Army was replacing the militias in theory, but in fact it was still training in the rear. Now there was open contrast of wealth and poverty. Middle class people no longer wore worker clothing.

A civil disturbance broke out in Barcelona as the government and Communist forces sought to defeat the Anarchists and the P.O.U.M. It was all very confusing to Orwell. There developed a food shortage. The Popular Army as a body stayed away from the fray. The Barcelona fighting had given the Valencia government the excuse to assume fuller control of Catalonia.

Three days after the fighting in Barcelona ended Orwell's group returned to the front. On routine duty he felt himself being the center of an explosion. He was taken to Barbastro and then to Lerida. Eight or nine days after being wounded his wound was finally examined at Tarragona. Sinister rumors of all kinds flew around Barcelona. It was hard to convey the atmosphere he claimed because in England political intolerance was not taken for granted.

At this point Orwell hoped to just get out of Spain and return to England. He had been certified medically unfit, but he needed to obtain a discharge. He had to repeat the circuit of field hospitals and intermediate stations in order to have his papers signed. Returning to the hotel in Barcelona he discovered the P.O.U.M. had been declared an illegal organization and that he might be subject to arrest. Andres Nin was taken and killed. The manner of leaving the country makes exciting reading. The experience in Spain clearly foreshadowed ANIMAL FARM and 1984.

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Summary: Great companion piece to a general history
Review: This first-hand account of Orwell's experience in the Spanish Civil War is not to be missed. It's very funny and still manages to remain informative. Orwell's adventure begins in the Lenin Barracks, where he learns of his comrade's terrible ignorance in military matters. We follow Orwell to the front lines, where he sees very little action. He manages to take a shot in the throat from a sniper's bullet, and is assured by doctors he will never be able to speak again (which turned out to be an incorrect assessment). We also get to read of Orwell's experience in the May Day events in Barcelona. Orwell shows us various newspaper clippings regarding the activities, which reveal the absolute dishonesty and manipulative nature of the communist press. Many of the snippets contain outright lies, and some of the papers even contradict themselves in different articles. Orwell's adventure is forced to an end when the communist-controlled government begins to crack down on the "Trotskyist" POUM, of which Orwell was a member. Trotsky himself had denounced the POUM: I suppose facts cannot get in the way of a Stalinist's determination. It's interesting to note Orwell's enthusiasm when he first arrives and his disillusionment when he leaves. He had witnessed the equality of the anarchist collectives upon his arrival: when he left, the communists had taken control and he was a wanted man. He still believed in the republican side, and would most likely have continued fighting for it if the government had not begun it's witch-hunt for "Trotskyists". This is an excellent account of the Spanish Civil War, absolutely essential for any Orwell fan or student of Spanish history.

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Summary: Great account of Orwell's time in combat
Review: Like most readers, my first exposure to Orwell was through "Animal Farm" and "Nineteen Eighty-Four." Because of this, it came as a bit of a surprise to learn that most of Orwell's early work was documentary rather than fiction, a product of his life and experiences. "Homage to Catalonia" is my favorite of these works, both for its engrossing depiction of Orwell's time in combat and for his insights into the Republican political scene. Though many will read it seeking signs of his later work, it deserves to be appreciated in its own right as a great account of the chaotic Spsnish Civil War from the one of the most perceptive political commentators in English literature.

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Summary: One of his greatest
Review: If you want to learn about: the spanish civil war, anarchism, anarcho-syndicalism, fascist spain, stalinism/communist party, or Orwell's politics, this book is for you. Orwell, who was a reporter who decided to fight in Spain alongside the anarchists and socialists and communists, gives a realistic, unbiased account of the spanish civil war. Not only does he provide the reader with knowledge about how the war was fought, but he describes the anarchist held region of catalonia, where, in my opinion, true socialism was achieved. This book is often referred to by socialists and anarchists for its vivid desrciption of socialism in action. I suggest you read it.

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Summary: Engagingly Readable and Essential
Review: Between the World Wars of the 20th century, there was another devastating conflict on European soil that attracted participants from all over. It was the Spanish Civil War, and while internal dissatisfaction and agitation were breaking out around the country, Spain also became a proving ground for broader political ideologies. In 1937, George Orwell went as a journalist but the socialist siren song of the promise of bringing about a classless society drove him, as well as others from abroad, to enlist. He signed up with P.O.U.M., the party for Marxist unification but quickly learned that there were many similar political parties and labor unions, each with their own woefully unprepared militia, and none were working together against the threat of Franco's military coup and Fascism. He also found the Communists arriving, not to assist revolution but to thwart it.

With a clear eye that catches remarkably prophetic insights into the Spanish future, Orwell manages to sort out the chaos of who's who, and the nuances of war that are sometimes awful, sometimes fertile ground for wry humor. Although the voice of the narrative is in memoir form, Orwell was writing only from a distance of 5 or 6 months after he escaped. The book is remarkable for the immediate eye-witness account of the turn of fortunes in Barcelona and the objective sorting out of events that were not being accurately recorded in the media. Orwell expresses deep respect for the native Spanish character, even when some of its inefficient tendencies produce frustration.

My edition, which I purchased here last year, but which looks different from the cover above, offers an introduction by critic Lionel Trilling written in 1952, two years after Orwell's death from TB. It, too, is also a historical document now, preserving the sense of the ruling emotions of the era.

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Summary: Vivid Commentary & Excellent Reporting
Review: One of George Orwell's lesser known works, "Homage to Catalonia" is however, equally deserving of recognition as any other of his fine, fine writings. Shorter in length than most of his books (the memoir itself is approximately 190 pages long, with appendices taking up the remainder of the pages), it nonetheless paints a vivid picture of Orwell's experiences as a militiaman during the Spanish Civil War. Fighting against Franco's Fascists, Orwell left England to enlist in the radical and populist Republican militia. Unlike many in his militia unit, Orwell was not tied to any particular political persuasion in Spain, When asked why he had made the journey to Spain he replied simply "to fight Fascism", and when asked what he was fighting for he merely replied "common decency". Orwell left for Spain under the auspices of the ILP (Independent Labour Party), and as such, found himself among the ranks of the POUM militia. In actual fact, a point that Orwell appears to be at pains to repeat to his reader is his attempt at impartiality in his final assessment of his experiences. He denounces for example, the blatant lies and distortions of the Communist and pro-Communist press works just as he attacks the Fascist press with equal criticism (although he does exempt the Manchester Guardian from his wrath, which he commends for it's "honsest reporting"). Throughout the book, one gets a sense of Orwell's commitment to honesty.

Orwell's vivid, journalistic prose is perfect for capturing the human side of warfare and how the human spirit reacts to the immense stresses brought about by armed combat. Orwell himself however, did not experience combat on a regular basis, and a great deal of his observances of life at the front are filled with descriptions of conditions in the trenches, the attitudes of his fellow soldiers and the occasional peek above the trench in the hope of spotting a Fascist! The book is as much social commentary as it is war correspondance.

By far the most intriguing section of the book is Orwell's depiction of the cynical betrayal of the Republican militia by the Spanish Communist Party and it's agents. Having arrived in Spain, Orwell witnessed a Barcelona in a state of social revolution. Upon his return to the city after a stint at the front, he was witness to something very different. Under the order of the Spanish Communist Party (who in turn reported directly to Moscow, the Kremlin and Josef Stalin), Barcelona was the centerpiece of a dictatorial state within a state. Police and agents of the Communist Party turned their sights on members of all non-Communist militia units, be they radicals, populists or anarchists. Waves of arrests were followed in many cases by murders within the confines of Barcelona's frightful prsion cells (including that of Orwell's commander, Kopp, a Belgian). One can very easily see the beginnings of his later works of "Animal Farm" and "1984" in these pages, where he denounces all Communist Parties as agents of Moscow and condemns their propaganda offensives against opponents of all kinds. It was Orwell's experiences in Spain that resulted in him making this now poignant statement:

"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."

In conclusion, "Homage to Catalonia" should be read by any fan of Orwell, and as a prelude to "Anmal Farm" and "1984". My only criticism is that Orwell's use of abbreviations to describe the many political factions can leave the reader in a slight state of confusion. However, this should not detract from the merits of this book.

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Summary: Franco was not Fascist
Review: I try to be neutral in the matters regarding the Spanish Civil War, but I cannot understand why Franco is called "fascist" as long as he had nothing to do with the fascist or nazi ideology. Besides, why are the awful images of the anarchists/communists destroying churches not as known as the romantic images of "international brigades"?

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Summary: ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC
Review: What a riveting account! Orwell manages the difficult task of successfully combining the details of trench life, the description of the turmoils in Barcelona and a comprehensible analysis of the clash of several left-wing political parties during the Spanish Civil war. He even adds some deliciously humorous remarks! And the whole thing is absolutely entertaining, vivid and interesting.

Really, one finishes this book and feels a deep respect for this man. It's discouraging to learn that he and so many others who had fought in the trenches had to flee the country or suffer inprisonment and even death, only due to the deep struggle for power between political forces that belonged to the same side! I was impressed by how Orwell describes the passion and idealism that prevailed during the 1930's, specially compared to the sleepy, double-standard ethics of nowadays.

As a Spaniard, I admit not possesing deep knowledge about the Spanish Civil War, other than some family recollections and the usual basics. This book helped me learn about the complexities of the "red" side and about the everyday miseries of war.

Highly recommended!!

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Summary: Best account of the foreign fighter in the Spanish civil war
Review: The 1930's were an age of idealistic despair and the events of the Spanish civil war provide some of the most extreme examples. Given the circumstances of the Spanish republic, a military revolt was inevitable and when the civil war began, many idealistic men, such as Orwell, with left political leanings went to Spain for the chance to fight fascism. To them, it was finally an opportunity to militarily confront what they considered to be the greatest threat to civilization. However, the many political organizations in loose alliance against the forces under Franco were often more interested in destroying their rivals than fighting Franco. This lead to despair among those who fought on the front lines, only to be harassed, imprisoned and even shot based only on their political affiliation.
In this book, Orwell gives an excellent account of the despair and frustrations that arose as he experienced the political infighting. Upon his arrival in Spain to cover the war, he joined the P.O.U.M. militia, a communist organization unaffiliated with the Communist Party controlled by Stalin's henchmen. After months on the front line, he was severely wounded in the neck, only barely escaping death. However, after being sent back to recover, he found himself on the run, as the P.O.U.M. members were being hunted down. He was fortunate to be able to escape to France, avoiding the fate of imprisonment and death that befell so many of his comrades.
Orwell also tries to explain many of the political groups fighting in Spain, chapter five is devoted to a description of the major forces aligned against Franco. He also takes many of the newspapers and their journalists to task for their incompetent and unethical reporting of the political infighting. In my opinion, this is the best description of the Spanish civil war from the aspect of the people who left their homes to go and fight against fascism. Orwell captures the absurdity of the whole thing, and the despair of people who were willing to die for a cause that was made hopeless by people with differing political agendas.

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Summary: Honest and Engaging
Review: Inspiration. This word lies behind my interest in picking up George Orwell again after so many years, since reading 1984 in 1987. In the mid 1930's, when Orwell wrote Homage to Catalonia, the world was, like now, embroiled in ideological battles. Quite literally, in fact. And rather than sit on his butt discussing the importance of getting a League of Nations resolution to mildly rebuke Generalisimo Franco in Spain, with the added threat of issuing a second mild rebuke if Franco didn't cooperate and kindly stop his killings, Orwell got on his feet, went to Spain, and fought the Fascists himself. That is the reason I bought and read Homage to Catalonia. This book is his story.

So much for inspiration. Homage to Catalonia starts off with Orwell's description of the front line fighting, and its clear that they were fighting boredom and lice more than Fascists. His descriptions of the half-assed way the war was run are illuminating and almost amusing when read after the passage of so much time. He also describes the camaraderie and the spirit of the revolutionaries he fought alongside of. Lest there be any confusion, this early Orwell was not so disillusioned with communism. Nonetheless, his discussion of his life and hopes for the war are clear and witty.

The next section of the book discusses events when he was on leave in Barcelona as the various revolutionary and government parties (I won't even try to name them here) began fighting each other. Caught in the city, Orwell was able to view firsthand the way things happened. The text is interspersed with background and research that came later, though most of this is put in separate chapters. At the same time, he was able to witness the grotesque lies put out on all sides. Here his disillusionment sets in as he realizes how many people considered their own petty party goals more important than the general fight against Fascism. Here we see the germination of his famous distaste for even the "noble" lie. Here we see an early description of Orwell's belief that unpleasant truths are far better than feel-good lies.

Back on the front line again, Orwell is wounded and returns to Barcelona to find himself a wanted man, the unfortunate side effect of being aligned with the wrong recently outlawed party. His movements about town and his final flight from the country make for some exciting reading. All in all, I'd say Orwell strikes the right balance of political analysis, ethical theory, high adventure, and personal reminiscence. For the story of a man willing to stand up for his beliefs, you'd be hard pressed to do better than Orwell.