Rating: 
Summary: valuable documents on Communist role in Spain
Review: Don't let Ron Radosh's move to the political right discredit the
value of this book from a leftwing point of view. The documents
are of value in themselves. To over-simplify a bit, there were
really three sides to the Spanish Civil War. It wasn't just
a civil war but a working class revolution. Spain in the '30s
had a vast revolutionary labor movement. The industrialists,
land-owning oligarchy, Church leaders and generals backed a
violent "final solution" aiming at the extermination of this
movement. But the Communists had very little support within the
Spanish working class. The main social force was an anarchist-
inspired union movement, together with socialist unions
mostly outside the control of the Communist Party.
An interesting aspect of this book are the documents that
give the assessment of the non-Communist left from
the point of view of Stalin's agents. From the point of view of
the workers who built the first labor militias to fight the
fascist army, the war was a class war, a revolutionary war.
Radosh's book shows clearly that the Communists aimed to create
a one-party totalitarian state in Spain, if Franco had been
defeated. To do this they had to crush the authentic Spanish
working class left. It's strategy was to use the leverage it got
from the Soviet Union's arms shipments to Spain to first create
a conventional hierarchical army to replace the initial labor
militias and then eventually capture control of the state by
gaining control of the army officer corps. The documents in this
book, from the Soviet archives, provide evidence to support this
hypothesis.
Rating: 
Summary: Correcting an error
Review: I hope that reviewing a review isn't in bad taste, but something written below in Mr Jewett's review is demonstrably false. The excellent point made by Radosh et al. about Soviet treachery toward their fellow leftists in Spain was made long ago by Chomsky in his famous article "Objectivity and Liberal Scholarship" (1968)--available in "The Chomsky Reader." Of course, Orwell made the point earlier still in "Homage to Catalonia." BTW, such betrayals did not originate with Stalin. For the despicable treatment of Ukrainian anarchists by Lenin and Trotsky see Voline's "The Unknown Revolution" and Arshinov's "The History of the Makhnovist Movement." Still, the true nature of the USSR is a point that cannot be made too often.
Rating:
Summary: Accurate, descriptive, and unfortunate
Review: I saw this book as I was browsing one day and I had to get it. The Spanish Civil War has always intrigued me because I think if the Republicans had won, World War II may not have happened. So to see a book that describes how Stalin used Spain as his own little playground and piggy bank was very intriguing to me. Ordinarily, I would not have bought a book this long with these types of sources. I would have dismissed a book like this as untrue propaganda. But in this case, there is no way that any of the things in here are lies. The anti-Stalinist feelings of the authors are definitely dominant in the tone of the beginning of each section. But, I mean, it's STALIN we're talking about here, not some two bit amateur sociopath. So I respect the bias of the book. I like the fact that the telegrams and cables in the book are actually REAL, so the reader could see what Stalin and his comrades in crime were doing to the people of Spain. The idea that Stalin could profit off of falsifications of exchange rates in money froom the Republic makes me hate him even more than I did before I read "Spain Betrayed". This book is amazing, very very well researched and documented, and if you are at all interested in Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Uinion, the Spanish Civil War, or all of the above, then you need to read Spain Betrayed. Overall, this book really shows that two dictators were victorious in the Spanish Civil War: Joseph Stalin and Francisco Franco.
Rating:
Summary: RIPS AWAY THE ROTTING SCAB OF STALINISM
Review: Ron Radosh, whose own uncle, Irving Keith died in fighting the Fascists in Spain, has written a gripping, if ponderous, terrifying if also mundane account of the Stalinist grip on the Republic of Spain.
In a series of documents, culled from the former Soviet archives, Radosh spins a thoroughly believeable tale of cunning, avarice, deceit and betrayal not only of the Spanish Republic, but of the thousands of idealistic young men - the vast majority of them Communists - who flocked to Spain believing that MOTHER RUSSIA was the great white hope of stopping Hitlerism in its tracks. And thousands died, never knowing of the deals that pockmarked scum toady was making with Herr Hitler.
Radosh also presents the documents of those International Brigade men who went to Spain fighting for Democracy and Revolution, and when they found out that the revolution and fight against Fascism had been betrayed, they themselves were arrested and many shot. Close to a dozen Americans were shot by the GPU, some on charges of desertion, others like Albert Wallach, Vernon Selby, Marvin Stern and Harry Perchik on political grounds. Even non-Communist Lincoln Brigaders like one-time commander Philip Detro, a self-described Roosevelt Democrat, may have been terminated by a Party that was little tolerant of dissent.
One of the foremost documents Radosh features is one written by "M. Fred" M. Fred was Manfred Stern or Emil Kleber the vaunted General Emilio Kleber who saved Madrid during the November 1936 siege. Kleber writes a critical document, encompassing almost 75 pages, justifying his role in the International Brigades and acknowledging mistakes. What Kleber was really writing here was a plea for his life, because Stalin had already begun the purges of International Brigade commanders (1938) when this document was written.
And little did Kleber know - he was to perish shortly after returning to Moscow - that Stalin had already made up his mind that no matter how many victories the International Brigades would win, the Republic was doomed and just a pawn, a toy to be played with Herr Hitler.
Many, like Bill Herrick in his excellent "Jumping the Line" would learn the bitter truth early on. Others, like Harry Fisher, would parrot the Party Line till the day he died protesting the just war against the Stalin of the Middle East, Saddam Hussein.
This is a five star book that only received four stars because I wish that Radosh would write more of the Lincolns and his uncle. Their idealism, and in many cases a sincere fight against Hitlerism and to support the democratic republic of Spain - instead of the cynical betrayal of it by Joe Stalin.
Rating:
Summary: The bitter taste of Soviet bureaucracy
Review: The facts speak for themselves. But in this case the casual student of history might nod off during the lecture. The numerous translated documents lose their novelty appeal rather quickly. I recommend it only to the hardcore SCW scholar who can use it for citing references or teaching college courses. It really is a huge, valuable piece of the puzzle. However I would not take it as total vindication for the Republic's detractors: the Popular Front had some support from the Comintern, but it is a slippery-slope fallacy to claim that its decline into Stalinism was therefore inevitable. Its decline was greatly helped along by the war, a condition that always tends to centralize authority and rationalize police-state tactics, and by European & American isolationism. France also elected a Popular Front coalition which, like Spain's, had all the left factions from moderate liberal to communist. Despite the fragmentation of this multiparty system, France managed not to have a civil war over it, and was not undermined by Stalinism. Conspiracies can only do so much; if you look at the documents, the Soviets in Spain had their hands full dealing with the chaos. One could just as easily argue that quick intervention by France, the UK & USA could've saved the Republic from Stalin AND Franco. FDR later admitted to US Ambassador Bowers that he had been right on this point all along.
Rating:
Summary: A model of scholarly historical analysis
Review: The scholarly nature of this book belies its explosive content. In common with other volumes in the 'Annals of Communism' series, the book comprises primary historical source material extracted from the Soviet archives, a succint and incisive introduction, and unobtrusive annotation. But the findings are original and remarkable. Whereas the Republican cause in the Spanish Civil War has for 60 years inhabited a cocoon of veneration, immune to sceptical analysis, the documentary record shows that it was dominated by, and run from, the Comintern, which itself was the creature of Stalin. Much the most poignant aspect of this record was the brutality visited upon, and the twisting of the idealism expended by, the international volunteers, such as the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. The authors sensibly do not overstate their findings, which are damning enough in themselves. The cumulative effect, however, is to demonstrate that the War was not a struggle between good and evil, but a clash of competing totalitarian ideologies. The western democracies have been attacked for supposedly standing aside from the struggle against fascism; in reality, with inconsistencies and irresolution, British and American statesmen still did immeasurably more to make the world safe for democracy than the ill-trained battalions in Spain. Here, at last, in a book that is a credit to its authors and its publisher, is the definitive evidence.
Rating:
Summary: iconoclastic view of the spanish civil war (1936-1939)
Review: this book thoroughly debunks several myths of the spanish civil war and refutes the widespread view that the republicans were the good guys of the conflict. stalin and his henchmen tried to install a "peoples government" and learned that only the presence of red army troops made any people accept a communist regime.the leadership of the spanish republic was honeycombed with stalin's agents or fellow travelers (to use a term from senator mccarthy). as much of the civil war's bloodshed was caused by intra left struggles (communist versus anarchist) as was spilled between franco's falangists and the republican forces. the book should be read by any serious student of the spanish civil war. our own abraham lincoln brigade spilled their blood to install a soviet version of slavery rather than liberate the spanish people as popularly advertised.
Rating:
Summary: Correcting an error
Review: This is another fine book by Ronald Radosh who became a neo-conservative after undergoing what Sidney Hook referred to as the "shock of recognition". The substance of the revelations in "Spain Betrayed" corroborate what George Orwell wrote in "Homage to Catalonia" where he stated that "nine-tenths of everything written about the Spanish Civil War is a lie". Radosh and his co-editors Mary Habeck and Grigory Sevotyanov go through over 500 pages of documents, dealing with the Spanish Civil War, discovered in the Russian archives. The net effect of this effort will be to turn upside down all the historical perceptions of the Communist Left in the 20th century. The information from the archives shows the totality of Stalin's attempts to control the revolution in Spain in his quest to turn it to his own imperialist whims. The treachery is laid out in page after page as Stalin's henchmen kill those very people they purport to support. The archives also show the preening elitism of the heretofore-sanctified Abraham Lincoln Battalion particularly as it relates to their treatment of their Spanish military counterparts and supporters. This is nothing new as it continues today in Europe and America where the sanctimonious Left preaches one thing but lives another. An example of this intellectual dishonesty is seen in Ernest Hemingway who looms large as his perfidy is revealed much as Paul Johnson spotlighted him in his book "Intellectuals". Hilton Kramer's book "Twilight of the Intellectuals" is a good companion piece for this book as it relates how intellectuals such as Jean-Paul Satre gave intellectual support to the Stalinist revolution from the 30's onward, but when faced with the betrayal and lies of such, as enunciated by Kruschev in 1953, turned their guns on America. This exercise in contorted logic has been largely successful in persuading many budding college sophomores to see "Amerika" as the flip side of the Stalinist tyranny. An example of one who has carried this traditional Leftist dodge into the 20th century is Noam Chomsky, one of the most influential communist sympathizing demagogues on college campus' today. He still preaches the same tired dogma of a stripe highlighted in "Spain Betrayed" hence my caption above "and the shroud of the sea...". For the Communist sympathizing Left the Spanish Civil War was the last undefiled temple of the Marxists and their admirers and the revelations in this book have thoroughly undermined the assumptions supporting that structural artifice. As Sidney Hook, the Left leaning anti-Communist averred, "the enemy is on the Far Right and on the Far Left." Put another way the alpha chimp, the Mafia don seeking world dominion, knows no political party or religion, he only knows his own burning ambition to control everyone everywhere for all time. I hope this book gets a wide play in the media, but I fear that like most tomes, which don't synch with today's politically correct academics it will end up on remainder long before it should. Another book that develops the continuing saga of this muddled academic allegiance to the principles of communist aspirations, outlined by Radosh, et al, is the "Long March" by Roger Kimball. No one ever thought that archives like these would see the light of day, but thanks to historical events and the diligence of truth seekers like Radosh it is now available for all to read. Thank you Mr. Radosh and friends and while we're at it let's thank the Yale University press's extraordinary annals of Communism series.
Rating:
Summary: And the shroud of the sea rolls on and on
Review: This is another fine book by Ronald Radosh who became a neo-conservative after undergoing what Sidney Hook referred to as the "shock of recognition". The substance of the revelations in "Spain Betrayed" corroborate what George Orwell wrote in "Homage to Catalonia" where he stated that "nine-tenths of everything written about the Spanish Civil War is a lie". Radosh and his co-editors Mary Habeck and Grigory Sevotyanov go through over 500 pages of documents, dealing with the Spanish Civil War, discovered in the Russian archives. The net effect of this effort will be to turn upside down all the historical perceptions of the Communist Left in the 20th century. The information from the archives shows the totality of Stalin's attempts to control the revolution in Spain in his quest to turn it to his own imperialist whims. The treachery is laid out in page after page as Stalin's henchmen kill those very people they purport to support. The archives also show the preening elitism of the heretofore-sanctified Abraham Lincoln Battalion particularly as it relates to their treatment of their Spanish military counterparts and supporters. This is nothing new as it continues today in Europe and America where the sanctimonious Left preaches one thing but lives another. An example of this intellectual dishonesty is seen in Ernest Hemingway who looms large as his perfidy is revealed much as Paul Johnson spotlighted him in his book "Intellectuals". Hilton Kramer's book "Twilight of the Intellectuals" is a good companion piece for this book as it relates how intellectuals such as Jean-Paul Satre gave intellectual support to the Stalinist revolution from the 30's onward, but when faced with the betrayal and lies of such, as enunciated by Kruschev in 1953, turned their guns on America. This exercise in contorted logic has been largely successful in persuading many budding college sophomores to see "Amerika" as the flip side of the Stalinist tyranny. An example of one who has carried this traditional Leftist dodge into the 20th century is Noam Chomsky, one of the most influential communist sympathizing demagogues on college campus' today. He still preaches the same tired dogma of a stripe highlighted in "Spain Betrayed" hence my caption above "and the shroud of the sea...". For the Communist sympathizing Left the Spanish Civil War was the last undefiled temple of the Marxists and their admirers and the revelations in this book have thoroughly undermined the assumptions supporting that structural artifice. As Sidney Hook, the Left leaning anti-Communist averred, "the enemy is on the Far Right and on the Far Left." Put another way the alpha chimp, the Mafia don seeking world dominion, knows no political party or religion, he only knows his own burning ambition to control everyone everywhere for all time. I hope this book gets a wide play in the media, but I fear that like most tomes, which don't synch with today's politically correct academics it will end up on remainder long before it should. Another book that develops the continuing saga of this muddled academic allegiance to the principles of communist aspirations, outlined by Radosh, et al, is the "Long March" by Roger Kimball. No one ever thought that archives like these would see the light of day, but thanks to historical events and the diligence of truth seekers like Radosh it is now available for all to read. Thank you Mr. Radosh and friends and while we're at it let's thank the Yale University press's extraordinary annals of Communism series.
Rating:
Summary: Important documentary evidence of Stalin's criminality
Review: This is another wonderful volume in the very important Annals of Communism series published by Yale University Press. I can't praise this series enough for the service they have provided us in every one of these volumes. This book provides, in English translation, 81 important documents of the true Soviet actions in its participation in the Spanish Civil War. Historians will have to make the final judgments and assessments of this material. But I am glad to have the myth of the idealistic Soviet exposed for the lie it always was. Just as an example of what we learn, we now understand Stalin's desire and success at basically stealing the $50,000,000 Spain had in gold reserves. by shipping Spain outdated and non-functioning military junk as arms. We also know that the French, in effect, supported the Nazi's by interdicting other Soviet arms shipments to the Republic. There is much more valuable information between the covers of this wonderful book. It reads shorter than its five-hundred plus pages because the documents can be read quickly and the commentary on them is completely fascinating.
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