The Popular Front at NR
by Tom Piatak
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Yet more proof that National Review has redefined itself as a fashionable font of social democracy recently came from Canadian interloper David Frum, who used successive posts at his diary to claim that, “Among the European dictators, [Francisco Franco] ranks behind only Hitler and Stalin in monstrousness,” and to denounce Jesse Helms for his “racialism.” Of course, National Review used to be an unabashed admirer of both Franco—who saved Spain from Communism and the Catholic Church in Spain from destruction, and who was our ally in the Cold War—and Helms, who was the most principled conservative in the Senate during his era. But that was when NR was recognizably conservative and regularly featured writers worth reading, and not a playground for neocon hacks who thought Bush was the “right man, have promised to show us the way to “end evil,” and who think the greatest threat we now face is “fascism.”
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1 Comment by M.A. Roberts on 15 July 2008:
NR has become an effective liberal propaganda machine to silence all voices to the Right. It’s little wonder that the liberal networks give these Trotskyites so much air time.
2 Comment by KMD on 15 July 2008:
That’s just absurd. Frum has obviously never heard of, oh I don’t know, Rakosi.
3 Comment by John Zander on 15 July 2008:
frum is fascist. neocons like frum, frum elsewhere genetically, culturally, geographically not even of this land mass for a century or two – (canada in frum-cake’s case) – are fascists one and all with the totalitarian cape or sweep. they now ‘favor’ “democracy” only because they took over after figuring out how to make even democracy Fascistic in ‘effect.’ the two-party one reality system. etc. McBama. McWilson. McLieberman. they all have dual-citizenships which of course only means non-patriotic dueling-citizenships… which frum no doubt won’t even speak about in his private-Public diary. what a girl too, which is a compliment if of the female gender. although allegedly frum the male variety.
frum-cake, no… a republic of y’ore yes.
4 Comment by Evan McLaren on 15 July 2008:
But Tom–fascism *is* the greatest threat we face. It’s been proven.
5 Comment by D Simmons on 15 July 2008:
Simply ask Mr. Frum what are the limits to ethnocentrism. Or query what are the limits to identity politics.
6 Comment by R. Cort Kirkwood on 15 July 2008:
Frum opens his review thusly:
“Somewhere in The Battle for Spain, Anthony Beevor remarks that the Spanish Civil War may be the only conflict in history to have had its history written by the losers.”
That’s hardly a surprise. The losers were communists. Many of the authors and the media writing and publishing the history sympathized with them.
Had Stalin himself been crushed, the losers would have written that one, too.
7 Comment by David on 15 July 2008:
R.Cort Kirkwood
Ah, yes. But what losers. Losers that became winners! Think for example of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Studs Turkey (nee Terkel) lionizes them. We see all sorts of articles, books, etc. extolling these “early enemies of the fascists.” These guys won the battle of the books, the media, the institutions. As Tom’s article indicates, they won the battle of NR, though, some folk think NR was always some kind of charade, that WFB was really a big goverment man, even a quasi totalitarian who thought we needed to become like our enemies to win the cold war. (As I think about it, I guess he was right, we became like our enemies.
8 Comment by Robert Pinkerton on 15 July 2008:
David (of post #5), take note of a French vernacular proverb, “Chacun prend a l’adversaire, qu’il le veuille ou non (Everyone takes after his enemy, whether he wishes or not).” Also consult the aphorisms in Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil for the one which says that whoever fights monsters should see that he does not himself become a monster — “When you look into the abyss, the abyss looks into you.”
9 Comment by Daniel Maxwell on 15 July 2008:
Of course the Canadian Frum is disliked even by alot of the typical ‘movement’ conservatives like Ann Coulter.
Really though – he is a classic neocon. He’s like a walking stereotype. He has a reoccuring theme of ’smashing the old order’ – which he uses in that review to excuse Republican atrocities.
10 Comment by JSBolton on 15 July 2008:
The disgracefully ignorant or deceitful Frum has forgotten or never knew of monsters[1] Lenin,[2] Khruschev one of the chief butchers of the Ukraine, whose lives don’t count morally when you’re one of the omelette makers or their apologist, [3]Robespierre the subhuman author of the reign of terror, [4]Hoxha the vicious jailer of Albania [5] Brezhnev of the despotism of ‘diagnosis’[6] Tito the slaughterer of innocents & many others in the orbit of WWII Germany and the USSR, all of them much worse than Franco. Franco killed soldiers who fought against him in battles much like wars of a conventional kind. The others killed civilians women and children, despotically killing off any independent cultural movements, while Spain in the Franco years was home to some of the important cultural figures of that period.
11 Comment by FlagLeaf and Tassel on 15 July 2008:
(piling on)And David Frum abhors the gold standard, opting instead for the basket of goods. And he would have conservatives jettison their core beliefs in order to achieve some sort of new-topia.
12 Comment by Leo on 15 July 2008:
Even the Bush White House got sick of Frum and fired him.How he survives at NR is open to any theory but talent.Contemporary Spain is on the road to extinction through catastrophically low birth rates and virtually uncontrolled Third World immigration.Franco was a Spanish patriot;Spain’s current and hopefully temporary rulers will soon go into exile to Canada with Frum if God blesses us with some new civil wars(apologies to Canada).
13 Comment by Red Phillips on 15 July 2008:
Let’s not get carried away with Franco. Franco was a nationalist who sought to suppress the distinctiveness of the Basque region, Catalonia, etc. in his attempt to unify Spain.
14 Comment by Brock H. on 15 July 2008:
Neocons:
Often clever, manipulative, deceptive, contemptuous, idolatrous, power-hungry, and self-serving.
Never wise.
15 Comment by Leo on 16 July 2008:
A unified Spain expelled the Moors and conquered the New World for Europe and Christendom.A unified Spain won the Battle of Lepanto and cleared the Mediterranean of the Ottomans.And your problem,Mr. Phillips,with a unified Spain frankly escapes us all.Prayers for Franco-without apologies.
16 Comment by james on 16 July 2008:
Frums co-religionists made up the bulk of the communist government in Russia that overthrough and killed the czar and slaughtered millions of Russians as well as its newly formed sattellitte states after WW2. So its funny how he proclaims to be a moral guardian.
History fails to point out the fact that communist revolution in Russia was financied by some of the wealthiest bankers in the world led by 300 New York Jews including Lenin(half jewish), Trotsky, etc. The same banking firms propt up the Stalinist regime with high interest loans from the Federal Reserve in the US.
In fact Frum and his Neo-con crew only had a problem with the USSR when it broke of relations with Israel after the 67 war when the USSR promised Arabs states assistance but never delivered.
17 Comment by Roger on 16 July 2008:
As a Catalan, I have to say that Franco was a brutal dictator who strongly sympathized with the Axis powers -he wanted to enter WWII on their side- and despised the Anglo-Saxon world and its values. He attempted to destroy our traditional way of life and sent thousands of Castillian immigrants to Catalonia in order to supress our culture -which is something that every conservative would find abominable. Besides, his economic policy was, until the sixties, purely fascist, i.e., statist.
It is true that most Catholics supported him due to the brutal prosecution that they suffered in the Republican area -my own great-grandfather was killed by the anarchists because he hid priests in his office-, but that does not make Franco a great man. Actually, Pope Pius XI did not like General Franco and he only supported him -very reluctantly- when it was obvious that the Nationalists would win the Civil War.
I am convinced that, if American conservatives knew Franco better, they would despise him.
18 Comment by Red Phillips on 16 July 2008:
Leo, the problem with a unified Spain is obvious. Spain is not a naturally unified country. (Same problem there was with a unified Yugoslavia.) It is a nation of nations as someone called it. Therefore, it can only be “unified” by force and suppression. Franco at one point made it illegal to name any child born in Spain anything but a Castilian name. Surely you can not support such nonsense.
I am quite certain that the problem with a unified Spain does not, in fact, escape “us all.”
19 Comment by seekeronos on 16 July 2008:
Brock @ #11:
A very fitting description. The NeoCons are little more than stealth liberals and socialists who have crept in to seduce the public who are leery of the Democratic Party’s open embrace of socialism into walking down a parallel path toward the destruction of liberty and the relegation of our Constitution to irrelevance as a restraint against governmental tyranny.
NeoCons for the most part are very much like fascists, but altogether lacking in the style and outlandish pomp of their forebears from the 1920s-1930s.
20 Comment by Derek Leaberry on 16 July 2008:
David Frum isn’t fit to wipe Jesse Helms’s shoes. Jesse Helms had a profound effect on his nation’s history and will be remembered for his role in history. After his death, David Frum will be about as remembered as Joseph Kraft, Max Lerner or Murray Kempton.
21 Comment by O.S. on 16 July 2008:
Red Phillips, the fact is that a non unified Spain will be detrimental only to Spain and will be good only for the historical enemies of Spain. Neither the gallegos, nor the asturians, nor the andalucians, nor the valencians, nor the majoritiy of catalans, nor the majority of basques want secession. Only a tiny number of fanatics somewhere in the Basque country who are not representative of the rest of the people there. Same in Catalunya. Besides there never was such a thing as a Basque Country indepedent of Spain.
Adding to Leo’s precise points: A unified Spain defeated the Reds and aborted the creation of an Iberian Soviet Republic.
Unless you have an agenda, like the neocons, or no very little of Iberian history common sense should tell you why is good for most people for Spain to remain unified.
22 Comment by I am not Spartacus on 16 July 2008:
The worst things about the Neo-Cons (liberals) is that back in the day, when they were out-of-the-rhetorical-closet liberals, they had some pretty good rock’n’ roll and some pretty women wearing short skirts whereas now they have no pop music and all of the Neo-Con women are about as sexy as David Frum in a wig.
And please don’t tell me Ann Coulter is attractive. She is “Green Acres” handyman, “Eb” after a sex change operation.
23 Comment by O.S. on 16 July 2008:
Last paragraph should say:
Unless you have an agenda, like the neocons, or very little knowledge of Iberian history, common sense should tell you why is good for most people for Spain to remain unified.
24 Comment by Eagle on 16 July 2008:
Dr. Phillips,
I agree that we should not get carried away with Franco, but on the whole he seems an admirable figure who defended Spain against not only home-grown communists, but the onslaught of international brigades who brought death and destruction to most all of the peoples in his country.
The discussion of what constitutes a nation is an interesting one. Most every modern mega-state is an aglomeration of nations. I agree with you that the suppression of Basques (if “suppression” is the appropriate word), for instance, is not something to be applauded. But I find it interesting why some nations “get along” in a bigger state and some collections of them simply do not – even when it is in there self-interest to cooperate.
The Croats today are not better off economically then they were when they were Yugoslavs. Perhaps they can argue some other benefits of “independence”, but many observers (Croats themselves) claim that they have traded a more favorable and influential seat at the Yugoslav table for a spot on the floor under the EU table. (I will leave aside whether they brought misery, death, and destruction to the Balkans by precipitating an unreasonably fast and messy breakup of what had been a relatively functionable state.)
Let’s take Germany as another example. That is hardly a nation. It too is a federated state of many peoples who choose to identify as Germans more than conistuents of that state. There are some Schwabians, perhaps, who have more “local” idenifications, but on the whole Germany functions as a stable state that often looks upon itself as a “nation”, or, at the least, a “people”. This is quite remarkable given dialectual, religious, and other differences that have distinguished the peoples that comprise that entity. And the creation of that state was done not too long ago in historic terms.
On the spectrum of states between unstable federated peoples (Yugoslavia) and stable federated peoples (Germany) we have the middle ground occupied by countries like Italy. Italy’s peoples are also quite diverse and in recent times we have seen attempts there also of splitting the state, though the rancor with which this has been pursued is not too vicious and not too far reaching.
Spain probably occupies that same middle ground with Italy when we consider the relations among the various peoples within the state.
Here is a question: would all “Spaniards” (Castillians, Catalans, Basques, etc) have been better off had there not been a Franco? I rather doubt that.
I think it is an interesting discussion for paleocons – the subject of nations and states. I would have liked to have lived in a perfect world in which the small principalties of a by-gone European era served as our states. But, as things are, we have mega-states.
25 Comment by Kirt Higdon on 16 July 2008:
Franco was not perfect, but overall he was probably the best ruler of the 20th Century. Had he wished to join the Axis in WWII, he certainly could have. He required the Germans to remove their military forces from Spain within 90 days of nationalist victory in the civil war and refused to grant the Germans free passage through Spain to attack Gibraltar. Hitler stated that he would rather have all his teeth pulled than try to negotiate with Franco again.
Franco also had his diplomats issue thousands of Spanish passports for endangered Jews. It is true that he was a centralizer; this was his main fault. But I had a Catalan teacher in college who found his suppression of the Catalan language entirely understandable in view of the Communist sympathies of many of her fellow Catalans.
His biggest mistake was probably allying himself with the US and NATO in the Cold War, thus helping to open Spain to the corrupting influences of late 20th Century liberalism.
26 Comment by Eagle on 16 July 2008:
“Hitler stated that he would rather have all his teeth pulled than try to negotiate with Franco again.”
Mr. Higdon, I wholly agree with your comments regarding Franco. Your thoughts on Hitler made me think about the great debate raging around Buchanan’s book and his central theses about WWII. I wonder how do all those that refute Buchanan’s theory about Germany’s behavior (that they might have been more rational in their pursuits than the “Hitler was a pure fanatic” crowd gives them credit for) explain why Hitler negotiated with Franco and never invaded Spain. Could it be that Germany was indeed pursuing an anti-communist strategy and not on a road to simply conquering every square inch on the globe? Or did the Germans simply not get to Spain yet on their to-conqer list? Or were Spaniards regarded as more Aryan than other Europeans (say, Slavs) that got in the way? Certainly Germany would have had strategic interests in unimpeded access or transit through Spanish territory?
Not claiming I have a particularly special insight into the whole broader debate, but Spain seems an interesting case in the raging debate and one that has been ignored.
27 Comment by Sean Scallon on 16 July 2008:
Is it just me or do neocons and conservatives see themselves as the new vital center, or see themselves as the new “centrists”? Certainly if they feel as Frum that biggest enemy on the horizon nowadays is some sort of nebulous “fascism” that apparently encompasses AL QAEDA, the Chinese Communist Party, the Serbian Radical Party and Russian Revanchism? Of course by seeing the enemy as “fascist” it makes it easier to smear their critics on the right. “They’re fascists!” as they would say even though that would be an insult to fascism. I just wish they would admit it and quit calling themselves cosnervatives when they so obviously are not.
As Franco, we can admire the fact he saved Spain and Catholic Church from socialist domination (both of the Communist and Fasicst variety) but we must admit his regime was an authoritarian and brutal centralism. Maybe he felt it had to be this way to keep the nation in tact to preserve it. We’ve had this discussion before whether it’s better for peoples within diverse nation-state like Catlans or Croats to be independent or work together within the nation-state with other such peoples to ultimately preserve themselves. It’s a case by case basis as of right now because for every Vlaams Belang or Lega Nord there’s the Scottish Nats or terrorist Basques. It largely depends on whether the nation-state wishes to surrender itself to the EU globalist maw or whether it views itself as a protector of its ture diversity. An ideal nation-state allows for local diversity and autonomy under an umbrella of its defense. Yugoslavia could have been that ideal, yet it was squandered. The UK may very well be a lost cause. Italy has potential. The jury is still out on Spain.
28 Comment by Red Phillips on 16 July 2008:
“Besides there never was such a thing as a Basque Country independent of Spain.”
Give me a break O.S. The Basques don’t even speak an Indo-European Language. They clearly are not Spaniards. If there was never a Basque “Country,” there has always been a Basque region and a Basque people. If only a minority now seek independence it is because they have been brainwashed under years of the machine. Only a minority of Southerners currently want independence. (Hopefully that will change.) But I’m not about to start singing the praises of Lincoln and the success of Reconstruction.
Good grief! Is it just me, or have paleo sites of late been invaded by a lot of naked nationalist? Next thing you know, we will have more than the occasional contrarian on here praising Lincoln for “saving the Union.”
29 Comment by O.S. on 16 July 2008:
Red Phillips,
That the Basque are a distinct people in Europe is a well known fact. However that does not mean they ever where a country. Much less that if they ever become one it will be for the wellbeing of Basques themselves and the rest of Spain, especially if the people who take over are of the socialist variety like Batasuna.
Anyway, name the period in history where there was an independent Basque State?
I have a side here, I have Gallego and Basque blood in me, and hope these people stay in the Españas. They are part of Spain because they MADE Spain too: Juan de Garay, Juan Sebastián Elcano, Ignacio de Loyola, Francisco Xavier, etc, these people considered themselves part of Spain since the very beginning of the Spanish unit after Fernando and Isabel expelled the Muslim invaders from the peninsula.
Talking about brainwashing, it is this minority of modern Basque fanatics who have been brainwashed to think they are NOT part of Spain. We could say a lot about it, but that should be another tread. Suffice is to say that independent Basque sentiment is a relative new phenomenon.
Under the same token, just because gallegos have Celtic origins should they pursue an independent state? What for?
You may be right to long for an independent South, but don’t apply that on universal basis. Also, that I consider the Basque people should remain in Spain does not mean I am against secession in other places or circumstances. As Sean Scallon said it’s a case by case basis.
30 Comment by Red Phillips on 16 July 2008:
That’s right O.S., we must save the Spanish Union. We can’t have any of those pesky folks thinking that their interests are different than the interests of the whole and would be best served by independence. It is the nationalist cry that runs the risk of being universalized as dogma. It already has been. It is decentralization, self-determination, divided sovereignty, secession, etc. that are the true enemies of the modern nation state. The modern nation state knows that. That is why they get so hysterical about these issues.
31 Comment by O.S. on 16 July 2008:
Well, Red Phillips, certainly nobody is asking YOU to save the Spanish Union, nor any union whatsoever. I don’t support the the modern nation state if by that you mean a Soviet Union like place. Fortunately for those of us who are against dismembering old good Spain, las Españas is an natural country, developed organically since many centuries ago Few countries are farther away from a propositional nation than España. That the Soviet Union was supporting the anti-christian forces in 1936, and that the American leftists who joined the civil war in the peninsula against Franco chose to call themselves the Abraham Lincoln Brigade should tell you something.
And by the way, you still did not answer my question…
32 Comment by Eagle on 16 July 2008:
** Good grief! Is it just me, or have paleo sites of late been invaded by a lot of naked neo-confederalists? Next thing you know, we will have more than the occasional contrarian on here praising every single secession-minded movement in the world no matter the the illogical conclusions it leads to and the destruction it causes (including to its own people). **
Dr. Phillips – I generally agree with many of your viewpoints, but if you are implying that any of us who disagree with your take on Franco here are “nationalists” or “centralists”, you are way off the mark. Just as the above altered remark would be ill-placed here…
The ill-considered fracturing of states along all ethnic and cultural lines in European civilization MAY just be tantamount to suicide in a world increasingly dominated by (non-European) mega-states. No, this is not some sort of cold-war-type Buckleyian praise for becoming something like the enemy/adversary, but it is a sober look at reality. Decentralized polities with rich cultures can and have existed in federalized states comprised of distinct peoples. I don’t see this in any way as an unreasonable, and certainly not unconservative, issue/question to wrestle with.
If you have an issue with some of the sabre-rattling Iran bashers over at another web site, which I shall not mention, take your fight to them. I don’t see much of anyone here singing the praises of either Lincoln or Cheney.
If on the other hand you want genuine dialogue around states and Franco, then I think my question was a reasonable one: would all – or even ANY – “Spaniards” (Castillians, Catalans, Basques, etc included) have been better off had there not been a Franco and the communists succeeded?
33 Comment by Todd on 16 July 2008:
I wouldn’t suggest that the neo cons are anything other than war mongering busybodies….or that they have the ability to handle the GWOT without destroying more sovereign nations under the guise of democracy; however, does the writer seriously believe that the reference to fascism (referenced in the link to Goldberg’s book Liberal fascism) is not a threat to be taken seriously? How is this argument that Goldberg makes so different than the one that F.A. Hayek formulated 50 years ago?: That socialism and fascism are more than kissing cousins…they are one in the same. I still take Hayek’s thesis as axiomatic. It is still relevant to me today.
34 Comment by rob on 16 July 2008:
Here are 443 reasons why Franco was right and Frum is wrong. In the Spanish Civil War, unlike the American Civil war, there was only one choice –Communism or defense of the Spanish Patria. The rest was the cruelty and absurdities of civil war which men like Frum create, but never quite understand.
Abilio Sáiz López, O.P.
Adelfa Soro Bo, O.P.
Adolfo Jaime (Antonio Serra Hortal), F.S.C.
Adolfo Mariano (Mariano Anel Andreu), F.S.C.
Agapio (José Luis Carrera Comas), F.S.C.
Agapito León (Remigio Olalla Aldea), F.S.C.
Agrícola Rodríguez G. de los Huertos Sac. Dioc.
Agustín Renedo Martino, O.S.A.
Alberto (Nestor Vivar Valdivielso), F.M.S.
Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de María, O.C.D.
Alfredo Fanjul Acebal, O.P.
Alonso Sánchez Hernández-Raner, O.F.M.
Álvaro Santos Cejudo, Laico
Amado Cubeñas Diego-Madrazo, O.P.
Anastasio Díez García, O.S.A.
Anastasio Garzón González, S.D.B.
Anastasio González Rodríguez, O.F.M.
Anastasio María Dorca Coromina, O.Carm.
Andrés Corsino M. Solé Rovira, O.Carm.
Andrés Gómez Sáez, S.D.B.
Andrés Jiménez Galera, S.D.B.
Andrés Majadas Málaga, O.F.M.
Ángel Andrés (Lucio Izquierdo López), F.M.S.
Ángel Hernández-Ranera de Diego, O.F.M.
Ángel María Prat Hostench, O.Carm.
Ángel María Presta Batlle, O.Carm.
Ángel Pérez Santos, O.S.A.
Ángeles (Mercedes Tuní Ustech), A.A.S.C.
Anselmo (Aniceto Falgueras Casellas), F.M.S.
Antero Mateo García, Laico
Antolín (Antonio Roig Alibau), F.M.S.
Antolín Astorga Díaz, O.S.A.
Antonio Cid Rodríguez, S.D.B.
Antonio Enrique Canut Isús, S.D.B.
Antonio Fernández Camacho, S.D.B.
Antonio María Arriaga Anduiza, O.S.A.
Antonio María de Jesús, O.C.D.
Antonio Mohedano Larriva, S.D.B.
Antonio Pancorbo López, S.D.B.
Antonio Rodrigo Anton, O.F.M.
Antonio Rodríguez Blanco, Sac. Dioc.
Antonio Sáez de Ibarra López, O.F.M.
Antonio Torrero Luque, S.D.B.
Antonio Varona Ortega, O.P.
Apolonia Lizarraga del Santísimo Sacramento, C.C.V.
Arnoldo Julián (Jesús Juan Otero), F.S.C.
Arturo García de la Fuente, O.S.A.
Avelino Rodríguez Alonso, O.S.A.
Balbino Villarroel Villarroel, O.S.A.
Bartolomé Blanco Márquez, Laico
Bartolomé Rodríguez Soria, Sac. Dioc.
Baudillo (Pedro Ciordia Hernández), F.M.S.
Belarmina de Jesús (Belarmina Pérez Martínez), A.A.S.C.
Benedicto José (José Bardalet Compte), F.S.C.
Benigno Prieto del Pozo, O.F.M.
Benito Alcalde González, O.S.A.
Benito Clemente (Félix España Ortiz), F.S.C.
Benito Garnelo Álvarez, O.S.A.
Benito Rodríguez González, O.S.A.
Benito Velasco Velasco, O.S.A.
Bernabé (Casimiro Riba Pi), F.M.S.
Bernardino Álvarez Melcón, O.S.A.
Bernardino Calle Franco, O.S.A.
Bernardino Irurzun Otermín, O.P.
Bernardo (Plácido Fábrega Juliá), F.M.S.
Blasa de María (Juana Pérez de Labeaga García), A.A.S.C.
Borja de Jesús (Mª Zenona Aranzábal Barrutia), A.A.S.C.
Buenaventura García Paredes, O.P.
Cándido Alberto (José Ruiz de la Torre), F.S.C.
Carlos Jorge (Dalmacio Bellota Pérez), F.S.C.
Carlos Rafael (Carlos Brengaret, Pujol), F.M.S.
Carmelo Juan Pérez Rodríguez, S.D.B.
Casta de Jesús (Teresa Vives y Missé), A.A.S.C.
Catalina Caldés Socias, O.F.M.
Cayetano José (Ramón Palos Gascón), F.S.C.
Cecilia (Concepción Iglesias del Campo), A.A.S.C.
Celestino Antonio (Ismael Barrio Marquilla), F.S.C.
Celestino José Alonso Villar, O.P.
Cipriano Alguacil Torredenaida, O.P.
Cipriano Polo García, O.S.A.
Cirilo Pedro (Cecilio Manrique Arnáiz), F.S.C.
Claudio Julián García San Roma, O.S.A.
Clemente de los Sagrados Corazones (Clemente López Yagüe), O.C.D.
Conrado Rodríguez Gutiérrez, O.S.A.
Constancio de S. José (José Mata Luis), O.C.D.
Constantino Malumbres Francés, O.S.A.
Crisóstomo (José Llorach Bretó), F.S.C.
Cristóbal Iturriaga-Echevarría, O.P.
Cruz Laplana y Laguna, Obispo
Dámaso Arconada Merino, O.S.A.
Dámaso Luis (Antolín Martínez Martínez), F.S.C.
Daniel de la Sagrada Pasión (Daniel Mora Nine), O.C.D.
Daniela de San Bernabé, C.M.
Diego Hompanera París, O.S.A.
Dionisio Luis (Mateo Molinos Coloma), F.S.C.
Dionisio Martín (José Cesari Mercadal), F.M.S.
Dionisio Terceño Vicente, O.S.A.
Dionisio Ullívarri Barajuán, S.D.B.
Domingo Alonso de Frutos, O.F.M.
Domingo Sánchez Lázaro, Sac. Dioc.
Edmundo Ángel (Pedro Masó Llagostera), F.S.C.
Eduardo del Niño Jesús, O.C.D.
Eduardo González Santo Domingo, O.P.
Eduardo María Serrano Buj, O.Carm.
Eleuterio Marne Mansilla, O.P.
Elías María Garre Egea, O.Carm.
Eliseo de Jesús Crucificado (Esteban Cuevas Casquero), O.C.D.
Eliseo M. Fontdecava Quiroga, O.Carm.
Eliseo María Maneus Besalduch, O.Carm.
Eliseo Miguel Largo, O.P.
Eliseo Vicente (Vicente Alberich Lluch), F.S.C.
Emerío José (José Plana Rebugent), F.S.C.
Emilio Arce Díez, S.D.B.
Emilio Camino Noval, O.S.A.
Enrique Canal Gómez, O.P.
Enrique Izquierdo Palacios, O.P.
Enrique Sáiz Aparicio, S.D.B.
Enrique Serra Chorro, O.S.A.
Enrique Vidaurreta Palma, Sac. Dioc.
Epifanio Gómez Álvaro, O.S.A.
Epifanio, (Fernando Suñer Estrach) F.M.S.
Esiquio José (Baldomero Margenat Puigmitjá), F.S.C.
Esperanza de la Cruz, C.M.
Estanislao García Obeso, O.P.
Estanislao Víctor (Augusto Cordero Fernández), F.S.C.
Esteban Cobo Sanz, S.D.B.
Esteban García García, S.D.B.
Esteban García Suárez, O.S.A.
Esteban Vázquez Alonso, S.D.B.
Eufrasio del Niño Jesús (Barredo Fernández), O.C.D.
Eufrosino María Raga Nadal, O.Carm.
Eugenio Andrés Amo, O.P.
Eugenio Cernuda Febrero, O.S.A.
Eusebio Andrés (Eusebio Roldán Vielba), F.S.C.
Eusebio del Niño Jesús (Ovidio Fernández Arenillas), O.C.D.
Eustaquio (Luis Villanueva Montoya), F.S.C.
Federico Cobo Sanz, S.D.B.
Federico Herrera Bermejo, O.F.M.
Felipa (Felipa Gutiérrez Garay), A.A.S.C.
Felipe Barba Chamorro, O.S.A.
Felipe José (Fermín Latienda Azpilicueta) , F.M.S.
Felipe José (Pedro Juan Álvarez Pérez), F.S.C.
Félix Alonso Muñiz, O.P.
Félix de la Virgen del Carmen (Luis Gómez de Pablo), O.C.D.
Félix Echevarría Gorostiaga, O.F.M.
Félix Gómez-Pinto Piñero, O.F.M.
Félix González Bustos, Sac. Dioc.
Félix González Tejedor, S.D.B.
Félix José (José Trilla Lastra), F.S.C.
Félix León (Felíx Ayúcar Eraso), F.M.S.
Félix Maroto Moreno, O.F.M.
Félix Paco Escartín, S.D.B.
Fernando Español, Sac. Dioc.
Fernando M. Llovera Puigsech, O.Carm.
Florencio Alonso Ruiz, O.S.A.
Florencio Arnaiz Cejudo, S.M.
Florencio Miguel (Ruperto García Arce), F.S.C.
Florencio Rodríguez Guemes, S.D.B.
Fortunato Andrés (Fortunto Ruíz Peña), F.M.S.
Fortunato Arias Sánchez, Sac. Dioc.
Fortunato Merino Vegas, O.S.A.
Francésc Mayol Oliver, M.SS.CC.
Francisca de la Encarnación (María Francisca Espejo y Martos), O.SS.T.
Francisco Alfredo (Francisco Mallo Sánchez), F.S.C.
Francisco Carlés González, O.F.M.
Francisco Edreira Mosquera, S.D.B.
Francisco Fernández Escosura, O.P.
Francisco Fuente Puebla, O.S.A.
Francisco José Martín López de Arroyave, S.D.B.
Francisco López-Gasco Fernández- Largo, Sac. Dioc.
Francisco Magín (Antonio Tost Llavería), F.S.C.
Francisco Maqueda López, Subdiácono
Francisco Marcos del Río, O.S.A.
Francisco Míguez Fernández, S.D.B.
Froilán Lanero Villadangos, O.S.A.
Frumencio (Julio García Galarza), F.M.S.
Gabino Olaso Zabala, O.S.A.
Gabriel de la Anunciación, O.C.D.
Gabriel Eduardo (Segismundo Hidalgo Martínez), F.M.S.
Gabriela de San Juan de la Cruz, C.M.
Gaudencio (Juan Tubau Perello), F.M.S.
Gerardo Gil Leal, O.S.A.
Gerardo Pascual Mata, O.S.A.
Germán Caballero Atienza, O.P.
Germán Martín Martín, S.D.B.
Gil Felipe (Felipe Ruíz Peña), F.M.S.
Gregorio Díez Pérez, O.P.
Heliodoro Merino Merino, O.S.A.
Heliodoro Ramos García, S.D.B.
Herlinda (Aúrea González Fernández), A.A.S.C.
Hermenegildo Lorenzo (Modesto Sáez Manzanares), F.S.C.
Hermilo de San Eliseo (Pedro Ramón Rodríguez Calle), O.C.D.
Hermógenes (Antonio Badía Andalé), F.M.S.
Higinio de Mata Díez, S.D.B.
Higinio Roldán Iriberri, O.P.
Hilarión Eugenio (Eugenio Cuesta Padierna), F.S.C.
Honesto María (Francisco Pujol Espinalt), F.S.C.
Honorato Alfredo (Agustín Pedro Calvo), F.S.C.
Honorio Hernández Martín, S.D.B.
Hugo Julián (Julián Delgado Díez), F.S.C.
Ildefonso Luis (José Llorach Bretó), F.S.C.
Indalecio María (Marcos Morón Casas), F.S.C.
Inocencio García Díez, O.P.
Isabelino Carmona Fernández, O.P.
Isaías María (Victoriano Martínez Martín), F.M.S.
Isidro Mediavilla Campo, O.S.A.
Isidro Ordoñez Díez, O.P.
Ismael (Nicolás Ran Goñi), F.M.S.
Jacinto García Riesco, O.P.
Jacinto Martínez Ayuela, O.S.A.
Jacob Samuel (José Enrique Chamayou Oulés), F.S.C.
Jaime Bertino (Antonio Jaume Secases), F.S.C.
Jaime de Santa Teresa, O.C.D.
Jaime Ramón (Jaime Morella Bruguera), F.M.S.
Jesús Largo Manrique, O.S.A.
Jesús Villaverde Andrés, O.P.
Joaquín de la Madrid Arespacochaga, Sac. Dioc.
Joaquín de San José, O.C.D.
Joaquín García Ferrero, O.S.A.
Joaquín Ochoa Salazar, S.M.
Jorge de San José, O.C.D.
Josafat Roque (Urbano Corral González), F.S.C.
José Agustín del Santísimo Sacramento (Tomás Mateos Sánchez), O.C.D.
José Agustín Fariña Castro, O.S.A.
José Álvarez Rodríguez, O.F.M.
José Antonio Pérez García, O.S.A.
José Aurelio Calleja del Hierro, O.S.A.
José Benito (José Mas Pujobrás), F.S.C.
José Blanco Delgado, S.D.B.
José Carmelo (Gregorio Faci Molins), F.M.S.
José Casas Ros, Seminarista
José Dalmau Regas, O.S.A.
José de Jesús María (José Vicente Hormaechea y Apoitia), O.SS.T.
José de Vega Pedraza, O.F.M.
José Delgado Pérez, O.P.
José Federico (Nicolás Pereda Revuelta), F.M.S.
José Gafo Muñiz, O.P.
José Gando Uña, O.S.A.
José Gutiérrez Arranz, O.S.A.
José Joaquín Esnaola Urteaga, O.S.A.
José Limón Limón, S.D.B.
José López Piteira, O.S.A.
José López Tascón, O.P.
José Luis Palacio Muñiz, O.P.
José María Azurmendi Mugarza, O.F.M.
José María Cánovas Martínez, Sac. Dioc.
José María Celaya Badiola, S.D.B.
José María de la Dolorosa (Vicente Álamo Jiménez), O.C.D.
José María Escoto Ruiz, O.Carm.
José María García Tabar, O.P.
José María Laguía Puerto, O.P.
José María López Carrillo, O.P.
José María Palacio Montes, O.P.
José Mariano de los Ángeles, O.C.D.
José Menéndez García, O.P.
José Noriega González, O.S.A.
José Peque Iglesias, O.S.A.
José Polo Benito, Sac. Dioc.
José Prieto Fuentes, O.P.
José Santonja Pinsach, O.P.
José Villanova Tormo, S.D.B.
Josefa de Jesús (Josefa Boix Riera), A.A.S.C.
Josefina Sauleda Paulis, O.P.
Juan Baldajos Pérez, O.S.A.
Juan Codera Marqués, S.D.B.
Juan Crespo Calleja, O.P.
Juan Crisóstomo (Juan Pelfort Planell), F.M.S.
Juan de Jesús María (Juan Otazua y Madariaga), O.SS.T.
Juan de la Virgen del Castellar (Juan Francisco Joya y Corralero), O.SS.T.
Juan de Mata (Jesús, Mechon Franco), F.M.S.
Juan de Mata Díez, Laico
Juan Duarte Martín, Diacono
Juan Herrero Arroyo, O.P.
Juan José de Jesús Crucificado, O.C.D.
Juan Larragueta Garay, S.D.B.
Juan Luis Hernández Medina, S.D.B.
Juan María Puigmitjá Rubió, O.Carm.
Juan Mendibelzúa Ocerin, O.P.
Juan Monedero Fernández, O.S.A.
Juan Pérez Rodríguez, O.S.A.
Juan Sánchez Sánchez, O.S.A.
Julián Navío Colado, O.F.M.
Julián Zarco Cuevas, O.S.A.
Julio Alfonso (Valeriano Ruíz Peral), F.S.C.
Julio Marcos Rodríguez, O.S.A.
Julio María Fincias, O.S.A.
Julio Melgar Salgado, Sac. Dioc.
Justino Alarcón Vera, Sac. Dioc.
Justo Arévalo y Mora, Sac. Dioc.
Justo Juanes Santos, S.D.B.
Ladislao Luis (Isidro Muñoz Antolín), F.S.C.
Lamberto Carlos (Jaime Mases Boncompte), F.S.C.
Laureano Carlos (Pedro Sitjes Puig), F.M.S.
Laurentino (Mariano Alonso Fuente), F.M.S.
León Justino (Francisco del Valle Villar), F.S.C.
Leonardo José (José María Aragonés Mateu), F.S.C.
Leoncio Arce Urrutia, O.P.
Leoncio Lope García, O.S.A.
Leónides (Jerónimo Messegue Ribera), F.M.S.
Leónides Francisco (Colóm González), F.S.C.
Leopoldo José (Florentino Redondo Insausti), F.M.S.
Liberio González Nombela, Sac. Dioc.
Licarión (Ángel Roba Osorno), F.M.S.
Lino Fernando (Victor Gutierrez Gómez), F.M.S.
Lorenzo Arribas Palacio, O.S.A.
Lorenzo Gabriel (José Figuera Rey), F.S.C.
Lorenzo Santiago (Emilio Martínez de la Pera y Álava), F.S.C.
Lucas de San José, O.C.D.
Luciano Pablo (Germán García García), F.S.C.
Luciano Ramos Villafruela, O.S.A.
Lucila María de Jesús (Lucía González García), A.A.S.C.
Lucinio Ruiz Valtierra, O.S.A.
Ludovico María Ayet Canós, O.Carm.
Luis Abia Melendro, O.S.A.
Luis Blanco Álvarez, O.S.A.
Luis de Jesús (Joseph-Louis Marcou Pecalvel) , F.S.C.
Luis de San Miguel de los Santos (Luis de Erdoiza y Zamalloa), O.SS.T.
Luis Echevarría Gorostiaga, O.F.M.
Luis Furones Furones (Arenas), O.P.
Luis Gutiérrez Calvo, O.S.A.
Luis María de la Merced, O.C.D.
Luis Martínez Alvarellos, S.D.B.
Luis Suárez Valdés, O.S.A.
Luisa de la Eucaristía (Luisa Pérez Andriá), A.A.S.C.
Mª Dolores de Jesús Crucificdo (Mª Dolores Monzón Rosales), A.A.S.C.
Mª Dolores de la Santísima Trinidad (Mª Dolores Hernández Santorcuato), A.A.S.C.
Macario Sánchez López, O.S.A.
Magdalena (Magdalena Pérez), A.A.S.C.
Magdalena Fradera Ferragutcasas, C.M.F.
Mamerto Carchano Carchano, Sac. Dioc.
Manuel Álvarez Álvarez, O.P.
Manuel Álvarez Rego de Seves, O.S.A.
Manuel Borrajo Míguez, S.D.B.
Manuel Fernández Ferro, S.D.B.
Manuel Formigo Giráldez, O.S.A.
Manuel Gómez Contioso, S.D.B.
Manuel Gutiérrez Ceballos, O.P.
Manuel Martín Pérez, S.D.B.
Manuel Moreno Martínez, O.P.
Manuel Santiago Santiago, O.P.
Manuela del Sagrado Corazón (Manuela Arriola Uranga), A.A.S.C.
Marcelino Ovejero Gómez, O.F.M.
Marcelo de Santa Ana, O.C.D.
Marcos Guerrero Prieto, O.S.A.
Marcos Pérez Andrés, O.S.A.
María de la Presentación (María García Ferreiro), A.A.S.C.
María del Camen Zaragoza Zaragoza, O.P.
María del Carmen Fradera Ferragutcasas, C.M.F.
María Patrocinio de San José, O.Carm.
María Refugio de San Ángelo, C.M.
María Rosa Adrover Martí, O.P.
María Rosa Fradera Ferragutcasas, C.M.F.
Mariano de San José (Santiago Altolaguirre Altolaguirre), O.SS.T.
Mariano León (Santos López Martínez), F.S.C.
Mariano Revilla Rico, O.S.A.
Martín Lozano Tello, O.F.M.
Martiniano (Isidro Serrano Fabón), F.M.S.
Mateo Garolera Masferrer, S.D.B.
Matías Espeso Cuevas, O.S.A.
Máxima de San José (Emilia Echeverría Fernández), A.A.S.C.
Maximino Fernández Marínas, O.P.
Máximo Valle García, O.S.A.
Melchor del Espíritu Santo (Melchor Rodríguez Villastrigo), O.SS.T.
Melchor del Niño Jesús (Melchor Martín Monge) O.C.D.
Melchor Martínez Antuña, O.S.A.
Miguel Beato Sánchez, Sac. Dioc.
Miguel Cerezal Calvo, O.S.A.
Miguel de Jesús (Jaime Puigferrer Mora), F.S.C.
Miguel Díaz Sánchez, Sac. Dioc.
Miguel Ireneo (Leocadio Rodríguez Nieto) , F.M.S.
Miguel Iturraran Laucirica, O.S.A.
Miguel Lasaga Carazo, S.D.B.
Miguel Léibar Garay, S.M.
Miguel María Solér Sala, O.Carm.
Miguel Menéndez García, O.P.
Miguel Molina de la Torre, S.D.B.
Miguel Peiró Victori, Laico
Miguel Rodríguez González, O.P.
Miguel Sanrromán Fernández, O.S.A.
Miguel Zarragúa Iturriaga, O.F.M.
Miquel Pons Ramis, M.SS.CC.
Miquela Rullan Ribot, O.F.M.
Narciso Estenaga Echevarría, Obispo
Nazario del Sagrado Corazón (Nazario del Valle González), O.C.D.
Nemesio Díez Fernández, O.S.A.
Nemesio García Rubio, O.S.A.
Nicasio Romo Rubio, O.P.
Nicolás de la Torre Merino, S.D.B.
Nicolás de Mier Francisco, O.S.A.
Olegario Ángel (Eudaldo Rodas Mas), F.S.C.
Onofre (Salvio Tolosa Alsina), F.S.C.
Otilia Alonso González, O.P.
Ovidio Beltrán (Esteban Anuncibay Letona), F.S.C.
Pablo Caballero López, S.D.B.
Pablo García Sánchez, S.D.B.
Pascual de Castro Herrera, S.D.B.
Pau Noguera Trias, M.SS.CC.
Pedro Alonso Fernández, O.S.A.
Pedro Artolozaga Mellique, S.D.B.
Pedro Buitrago Morales, Sac. Dioc.
Pedro Carbajal Pereda, O.S.A.
Pedro de la Varga Delgado, O.S.A.
Pedro Ferrer Marín, O.Carm.
Pedro Ibañez Alonso, O.P.
Pedro José de los Sagrados Corazones (Pedro Jiménez Vallejo), O.C.D.
Pedro Luis Luis, O.P.
Pedro Martínez Ramos, O.S.A.
Pedro Simón Ferrero, O.S.A.
Pedro Tomás de la Virgen del Pilar, O.C.D.
Pedro Tomás María Prat Coldecarrera, O.Carm.
Pedro Vega Ponce, O.P.
Perfecto Carrascosa Santos, O.F.M.
Perfecto de la Virgen del Carmen (Perfecto Domínguez Monge) O.C.D.
Pío Conde Conde, S.D.B.
Plácido del Niño Jesús (José Luis Collado Oliver), O.C.D.
Porfirio (Leoncio Pérez Gómez), F.M.S.
Prima de Jesús ( Mª Prima Ipiña Malzárraga), A.A.S.C.
Primitivo Sandín Miñambres, O.S.A.
Prisciliano (José Mir Pons), F.M.S.
Prudencia Canyelles Ginesta, Laica
Prudencio de la Cruz (Prudencio Gueréquiz y Guezuraga), O.SS.T.
Purificación de María (Purificación Martínez Vera), A.A.S.C.
Rafale Rodríguez Mesa, S.D.B.
Raimundo Eloy (Narciso Serra Rovira), F.S.C.
Ramiro Alonso López, O.S.A.
Ramón Alberto (Feliciano Ayúcar Eraso), F.M.S.
Ramón de la Virgen del Carmen (José Grijalvo Medel), O.C.D.
Ramón Eirín Mayo, S.D.B.
Ramón Tejado Librado, O.F.M.
Ramona Fossas Románs, O.P.
Ramona Perramón Vila, O.P.
Reginalda Reginalda Picas Planas, O.P.
Reginaldo Hernández Ramírez, O.P.
Ribogerto A. de Anta y de Barrio, Sac. Dioc.
Ricardo Marcos Reguero, O.S.A.
Ricardo Pla Espí, Sac. Dioc.
Román Martín Mata, O.S.A.
Romualdo de Santa Catalina, O.C.D.
Rosa Jutglar Gallart, O.P.
Rosaura de María (Rosa López Brochier), A.A.S.C.
Ruperta (Concepción Vázquez Áreas), A.A.S.C.
Sabino Ayastuy Errasti, S.M.
Sabino Hernández Laso, S.D.B.
Sabino Rodrigo Fierro, O.S.A.
Salvador Fernández Pérez, S.D.B.
Samuel Pajares García, O.S.A.
Santiago (Serafín Zugaldía Lacruz), F.M.S.
Santiago de Jesús (Santiago Arriaga y Arrien), O.SS.T.
Santiago Franco Mayo, O.P.
Santiago María (Santiago Sáiz Martínez), F.M.S.
Santiago Mate Calzada, O.F.M.
Santos (Santos Escudero Miguel), F.M.S.
Saturnino Ortega Montealegre, Sac. Dioc.
Saturnino Río Rojo, O.F.M.
Segundo de Santa Teresa (Segundo García y Cabezas), O.SS.T.
Senén García González, O.S.A.
Severino Montes Fernández, O.S.A.
Silvio (Victoriano Gómez Gutierrez), F.M.S.
Simò Reynes Solivellas, M.SS.CC.
Simón Miguel Rodríguez, O.F.M.
Sinforosa de la Sagrada Familia (Sinforosa Díaz Fernández), A.A.S.C.
Sulpicia del Buen Pastor (Dionisia Rodríguez de Anta), A.A.S.C.
Teodosio Rafael (Diodoro López Hernando), F.S.C.
Teódulo (Lucio Zudarie Aramendia), F.M.S.
Teódulo González Fernández, S.D.B.
Teófilo Montes Calvo, O.P.
Teresa Cejudo Redondo, Laica
Teresa Prats Martí, O.P.
Tirso de Jesús María (Gregorio Sánchez Sancho), O.C.D.
Tomás Alonso Sanjuán, S.D.B.
Tomás Gil de la Cal, S.D.B.
Tomás Sánchez López, O.S.A.
Ubaldo Revilla Rodríguez, O.S.A.
Valentín Díez Serna, O.F.M.
Valentín Gil Arribas, S.D.B.
Valeriano Luis (Nicolás Alberich Lluch), F.S.C.
Vicente Álvarez Cienfuegos, O.P.
Vicente Justino (Vicente Fernández Castrillo), F.S.C.
Vicente Majadas Málaga, O.F.M.
Vicente Peña Ruiz, O.P.
Vicente Rodríguez Fernández, O.P.
Vicente Toledano Valenciano, Sac. Dioc.
Víctor Chumillas Fernández, O.F.M.
Víctor Conrado (José Ambrós Dejuán), F.M.S.
Víctor Cuesta Villalba, O.S.A.
Víctor Gaitero González, O.S.A.
Víctor García Ceballos, O.P.
Victoriano Fernández Reinoso, S.D.B.
Victoriano Ibáñez Alonso, O.P.
Victorino José (José Blanch Roca), F.M.S.
Victorio (Martín Anglés Oliveras), F.S.C.
Vidal Luis Gómara, O.P.
Vidal Ruiz Vallejo, O.S.A.
Virgilio Edreira Mosquera, S.D.B.
Virgilio, (Trifón Lacunza Unzu) , F.M.S.
Vito José (José Miguel Elola Arruti), F.M.S.
Vivencio (Juan Núñez Casado), F.M.S.
Vulfrano (Ramón Mill Arán), F.M.S.
SIGLAS ORDEN RELIGIOSA
A.A.S.C Adoratrices Esclavas del Santísimo Sacramento y Caridad
C.C.V. Carmelitas de la Caridad – Vedruna
C.M. Carmelitas Misioneras
C.M.F. Misioneras del Corazón de María
F.H.M. Franciscanas Hijas de la Misericordia
F.M.S. Hermanos Maristas de la Enseñanza
F.S.C. Hermanos de las Escuelas Cristianas – La Salle
M.SS.CC. Misioneros de los Sagrados Corazones
O.C.D. Carmelitas Descalzos
O.Carm. Carmelitas. Orden del Carmen
O.F.M. Orden Franciscana – Franciscanos
O.P. Orden de Predicadores – Dominicos
O.S.A. Orden de San Agustín – Agustinos
O.SS.T. Orden de la Santísima Trinidad – Trinitarios
S.D.B. Sociedad Salesianos de Don Bosco – Salesianos
S.M. Compañía de María – Marianistas
35 Comment by Tom K on 16 July 2008:
Franco took extreme measures, to be sure, but someone had to avenge Roland and Oliver, whose deaths have too often been ascribed to Islam rather than the true, Basque perpetrators!
36 Comment by jamesvkruse on 16 July 2008:
What’s a good book on the Spanish Civil War?
37 Comment by Derek Leaberry on 16 July 2008:
Remember, many of the original neo-conservatives were on the wrong side in the Spanish Civil War. Irving Kristol. Norman Podhoretz. And the modern neo-conservatives likfe Kristol the younger and Podhoretz the younger truly believe in democracy, even for Islamic backwaters like Iraq. On the other hand, Pat Buchanan’s father supported the pro-Catholic Franco. Which side of the Spanish Civil War one supports generally tells whether one is on the left or the right. True in the 1930s and true today.
38 Comment by rob on 16 July 2008:
#35: The Cyprus Love God
39 Comment by Daniel Maxwell on 16 July 2008:
Red,
You are basically correct. Franco was a military centralizer. No one disputes that. Yes he did suppress the Basque Nationalists.
Why do so many still like Franco despite these facts? Probably because he was slightly better than a ‘lesser of two evils’. Spain was on the road to becoming the Soviet Union’s second puppet state, after Mongolia – the communists had already begun to liquidate their opponents. The anarchists and communists were brutal against Catholics, as everyone knows (not so much the social democrats). Franco, a legitimate Catholic, stopped all of this. Many Catholics (myself included) will remember Franco in a positive light for good because of these facts. That is not to say he is someone we should strive to emulate.
I find the comparison to the War Between the States to be wrongheaded. Lincoln wasnt ending genocide against slaves (there was none) – he was suppressing sovereign states.
40 Comment by Red Phillips on 16 July 2008:
I am not making a case for the communists in the Spanish Civil War. My issue is with the unqualified praise of Franco. Is it too much too ask for nuance? Must people be all good or all bad? That is how children and Frum think. (Pardon the redundancy.) It is good that Franco defeated the communists. My criticisms of Franco would certainly not be the same as Frum’s. But his nationalism should be a problem for decentralist minded paleos. Period.
I have noticed a common theme among nationalists. The plea for nationalism is often made on the grounds of necessity and not on the grounds of what is right. We must have united nation states or else the other guys are going to over run us. Well that is highly debatable. Perhaps if we didn’t have large modern nation states we wouldn’t have so many of the other guys over here because of stupid immigration policies. Europe is suffering under an excess of the modern nation state, not a deficiency of it.
41 Comment by O.S. on 16 July 2008:
to jamesvkruse,
If you read Spanish try any of the work by Ricardo de la Cierva. For example:
HISTORIA DE LA GUERRA CIVIL ESPAÑOLA
http://www.casadellibro.com/fichas/fichabiblio/0,,2900001144172,00.html?codigo=2900001144172&nombre=HISTORIA%20DE%20LA%20GUERRA%20CIVIL%20ESPA%D1OLA
HISTORIA ACTUALIZADA DE LA SEGUNDA REPUBLICA Y LA GUERRA DE ESPAÑA 1931-1939
http://www.casadellibro.com/fichas/fichabiblio/0,,2900000936985,00.html?codigo=2900000936985&nombre=HISTORIA%20ACTUALIZADA%20DE%20LA%20SEGUNDA%20REPUBLICA%20Y%20LA%20GUERRA%20DE%20ESPA%D1%20A%201931%AF1939%3A%20CON%20LA%20DENUNCIA%20DE%20LAS%20ULTIMAS%20PATRA%D1AS
42 Comment by Tom Piatak on 16 July 2008:
Mr. Kruse,
I actually found Hugh Thomas’ history of the war quite informative. A more polemical book from the Nationalist perspective is Warren Carroll’s “The Last Crusade.”
43 Comment by Red Phillips on 16 July 2008:
I am not comparing the Spanish Civil War to the War for Southern Independence, and I’m not really comparing Franco to Lincoln. If anything, I am compairing the arguments in favor of a united Spain to the arguments for “saving the union.”
44 Comment by Tom Piatak on 16 July 2008:
For all those interested in the Spanish Civil War, I highly recommend this series of articles from the Catholic website Rorate Caeli: blogsearch.google.com/?as_q=passion+of+spain&ie=UTF-8&ui=blg&bl_url=+rorate-caeli.blogspot.com&x=0&y=0&ui=blg
45 Comment by John Willson on 16 July 2008:
Tom,
You are so right in exposing the FrummieComm, consistently and with care and prudence. In this case, about Franco, Frummie is way, way out of his league. If one really wants to understand Spanish politics in the period from about the 1920s through the early Cold War, just Google “Stanley Payne” and read his several books for a judicious and detailed scholarly account. I did a doctoral dissertation on US relations with Spain during WWII many years ago–I was the first to see the opening State Department and other government documents that show how FDR liberals and their communist advisers tried to manipulate a reopening of the Spanish revolution. Thanks in large part to the American Ambassador, the great Catholic historian Carlton J.H. Hayes, it never happened, and the Catholic Spanish patriot Franco managed to keep his country out of the war and on the side of the anticommunists. It’s a complicated story, of course, and I’ve oversimplified it here, but the FrummieComms, as usual, get it all wrong. Thanks for keeping their feet to the fire, Tom.
46 Comment by Tom Piatak on 16 July 2008:
Dr. Willson,
Thanks for your kind words. Are there any books of Payne’s that you would recommend in particular?
47 Comment by David on 16 July 2008:
Ah, for Spain: “Espana, cuno de san ignacio, luz de trento, martillo de los erejes, evanglizadores al mitad del mundo, esta ha nuestra gloria, no tenemos otro.” (Spain, birthplace of St. Ignatius, light of Trent, hammer of the heretic, evangelizer to half the world. This has been our glory, we have no other.) Pray for the repose of the soul of Franciso Franco.
48 Comment by Clyde Wilson on 17 July 2008:
I agree with Dr. Phillips that we must take care in praising brutal centralists. The tragedy of Europe was that so many people were forced to choose between fascism and communism because they had no other option. Americans should always favour decentralist movements. Most of the current academic “experts” on secession maintain that secession is a right if it is morally defensible. This is just another way of saying it is never justified—if my people’s right of self-government is dependent on your opinion of whether it is justifiable or not, then my right is effectively denied. A people is the only judge of its right to self-government.
49 Comment by John Willson on 17 July 2008:
Tom @46, Yes, his The Spanish Civil War, The Soviet Union, and Communism (Yale, 2004) and Franco and Hitler (Yale, 2008) are definitive. They are not light reading, nor are they especially “conservative,” but they tell the real story. I also generally agree with Clyde Wilson @48, but Spain was a particularly tragic case by 1936, faced with two forms of nationalism, the Catholic version of which was far superior. Willard Beaulac, who was the American political counsellor in Spain during WWII, once said to me that Franco’s brutality was far overrated, that he was much more like a “Chairman of the Board” dictator than an ideologue. And we must remember that the FrummieComms are themselves ideologues, and certainly have no interest in decentralizing movements anywhere. By the way, should we favor decentralization in, let’s say, Iraq, Sudan, and Zimbabwe? I tend to think so; but what happened to Spain in the 1930s was better than the alternative.
50 Comment by Eagle on 17 July 2008:
“A people is the only judge of its right to self-government.”
Prof. Wilson, I would respectfully submit that this is an oversimplification. A case by case assessment of secessionist movements would reasonably lead to a conclusion that there are typically many factors in play and many important ones besides the wishes of any one constituent people. The debate over what consitututes a “people” is often part of the debate in is in and of itself a complicated issue. Often times “people” have been driven by propoganda and emotion and their wishes have led to their own suffering in ill-advised secession movements.
Just because the American South had a just cause in its secession in the 19th century does not mean that all secession movements are just. Some are and some are not.
51 Comment by David on 17 July 2008:
Eagle: Important to emphasize. We would surely not look with equanimity on the secession of parts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern California, perhaps parts of Colorado. Yet, one suspects that these areas could be ripe for secession (La Republica del Norte) in, let’s say, thirty or forty years as people of Mexico become an absolute majority in these states. One might conclude there is no way to prevent the event given the demographic collapse of European origin Americans. There are few means to assimilate this invading population. One can see the adumbrations in U.S. border cities where “Anglos” are already in a distinct minority.
George Kennan actually advocated breakup of the American Union into a more manageable confederation, though the scenario indicated above was likely not what he had in mind!
52 Comment by Kirt Higdon on 17 July 2008:
I’m neither a Spaniard nor a nationalist, so certainly not a Spanish nationalist. But the issue in the Spanish Civil War was not centralism vs. decentralism, but Communism vs. a traditional Spanish and Christian society. With respect to the Basques, many of them fought on the side of Franco – many if not most of the Carlists were Basques. They were the best fighters on Franco’s side; this was attested to by none other than Radio Moscow. Like most Basques they wanted their autonomy, their local rights within a Spanish federation and in this Franco disappointed them. But their Catholic faith was more important to them and they had their priorities right.
53 Comment by O.S. on 17 July 2008:
Kirt Higdon is on target. When you have priest-killing, nun-raping, church-desecrating fanatics on one side of the fight (like Dolores Ibárruri aka La Pasionaria), you don’t have much time to think about centralism or decentralism, you just fight them.
54 Comment by Clyde Wilson on 17 July 2008:
#50 Eagle. I was not referring to the expediency of secession in any particular case but to any people’s RIGHT to self-government, which seems to me vital to the moral universe.
I doubt if the Mexican situation in the SW qualifies since it is an invasion by a foreign country and not a true independence movement. Likewise Chechnya and other Islamic revolts do not qualify because the end objective is a universal Muslim Empire.
Whether a particular people have a RIGHT to independence is necessarily determined by them alone as an articulated social organism. Whether they can make it good is another question.
55 Comment by Red Phillips on 17 July 2008:
As someone suggested above, I think the Spanish Civil War has become a bit of a litmus test. You are either for one side or the other, and this makes nuance and objectivity difficult. That is was also a proxy war at a particularly momentous time in history, and that there were religious motivations further contributes to this sort of all or nothing which side are you on dynamic. One can believe that the right side, however flawed, won, without overlooking Franco’s flaws or without endorsing nationalism based on the dubious rational that that is what works.
56 Comment by Eagle on 17 July 2008:
Prof Wilson,
Thank you for your response and insights which I always value. I wholly agree with what your saying.
57 Comment by John Willson on 17 July 2008:
I don’t at all disagree with Dr. Phillips’ desire for nuance, but we can also nuance ourselves to death. Franco was not morally equivalent to Hitler or Stalin, nor was his regime anywhere near as totalitarian. I’ve made the point elsewhere that every western revolution since the French (and here I might even be willing to include the American revolution of the 1860s) was at its heart a revolution against traditional religion (”ye shall be as gods…”). Looked at this way the Spanish Civil War was the only successful modern counter-revolution. One doesn’t have to be an apologist for Franco (Carlton Hayes certainly wasn’t) to recognize that the world was better off that the right guys won. As if further proof of this is needed, the neocons line up, predictably, on the wrong side.
58 Comment by Tom Piatak on 17 July 2008:
Prof. Willson’s comment number 57 is on target, as usual.
Frum’s claim that Franco was the worst European dictator behind only Hitler and Stalin is absurd; it means that Lenin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, and Andropov were better than Franco, as were Tito, Ceausescu, Hohxa, Rakosi, Bierut, etc.
59 Comment by Daniel Maxwell on 17 July 2008:
Tom Piatak
You’re right – Ceausescu is often forgotten – despite that he was easily one of the most brutal. We here in the American Empire didnt care as he was seen as ‘Pro Western’ (Remember that?)
Hohxa – dictator of the only communist nation to officially ban all religion..be it the native Muslims or the Orthodox minority.
Dr. Wilson @54
I agree with what you say except I dont think it being an Islamic independence movement automatically invalidates it. Good examples – the Kurdish – despite the fact that the main arm of the movement are a bunch of marxist terrorists. They happen to be Muslims, but their movement by and large is a classic nationalist movement at its heart.
60 Comment by David on 17 July 2008:
Daniel Maxwell: And Ceausescu was also perceived to be pro Israel. If I recall, Golda Meier made a special stop in Romania to, presumably, cement the ties between the two countries. Hard to get better bona fides than that!
61 Comment by David on 17 July 2008:
Tom Piatak
It seems to me its pretty hard for any person with any knowledge of Franco, the Spanish Civil War, and WWII to make a case that Franco was in the same class as the bad guys of Europe during the last named war. Was it Pinchas Lapidas who credited Franco with saving more Jews than even Pius XII? Franco, to be sure, had his faults, but in that age he stands out as one of the slightly soiled white hat guys!
62 Comment by Eagle on 17 July 2008:
Mr. Piatak, if I recall correctly the Croat Tito actually fought against Franco in Spain. Tito probably learned a thing or two from the commies there and applied it to suppressing Yugoslav Christians (Cathloic and Orthodox) while allowing massive migrations of Muslims from Hoxha’s Albania and creating what we today call the “Kosovo conflict”.
63 Comment by Leo on 17 July 2008:
I appreciate your input,Red Phillips,and I have enjoyed provoking some of this discussion.But let’s face it-a unified,militantly Catholic Spain has been an indispensable,I repeat indispensable, agent in the survival of the West.That Franco wished to continue this tradition only brings glory to Franco.I am not deaf to a different model for 2008 Spain but I know the present government should be buried and I am unimpressed with the leftist separatists.Again….for Franco…without apologies.
64 Comment by David on 17 July 2008:
Leo
Amen to that!
65 Comment by AWLC on 17 July 2008:
Franco was among the 20th century’s most astute politicians.
He kept Spain out of WWII, and defied Hitler at the height of the latter’s power and influence, October of 1940. An incredibly gutsy and savvy move. He did send the Blue legion to the Eastern front.
I echo the sentiments re: Hugh Thomas’s book- to me the definitive work on the war, and a fairly even-handed treatment at that. The Spanish civil war was a fascinating conflict- a preview of WWII in so many ways. Today it is all but forgotten- ask an educated person, even a history student about the war and they will no doubt trot out Guernica and the Lincoln Brigade. Very few foreign volunteers served on the Nationalist side- Franco, to his credit, wanted to keep the War a Spanish affair. That being said, he relied heavily on the Condor Legion but marginalized the Italian CTV quickly- even placing the troops under command of Spanish officers! Peter Kemp, an Oxford graduate and devout Catholic, served with the Carlists and the Foreign Legion, and was wounded several times. Yet to even find mention of his name requires a thorough search through the most obscure texts on the war.
For a moving read, check out Brent Bozell’s article on the Valley of the Fallen in the Guadarrama (I think). That to me, captures in essence what the War meant to the Nationalists, and what it should mean to Catholics today. Imagine the outcry if such a monument were erected in America today….
66 Comment by AWLC on 17 July 2008:
Peter Kemp went to Cambridge, not Oxford, my apologies.
And surprisingly, he can be googled.
67 Comment by David on 18 July 2008:
AWLC
Right you are, indeed. Hugh Thomas’ book is excellent and relatively balanced. Another Oxbridgian and Carlist sympathizer was Arnold Lund. I have forgotten the title of his book, but it was a wonderful Catholic perspective on the War and Franco.
You expect our citizens, “educated” in the U.S. school system, educated at our universities to know anything at all about the Spanish Civil War? Forget it! But people of the Studs Terkel perspective know all about the heroic Abraham Lincoln Brigade, fighting for the right, against the facists, etc., etc.
68 Comment by Tom Piatak on 18 July 2008:
To All:
Thanks for the many intelligent comments. Proof yet again that Chronicles readers are terrific.
69 Comment by AWLC on 18 July 2008:
Ah yes, the Lincoln brigade.
Very brave men, but incredibly poorly led. The vast majority were die-hard Communists. I wonder how many knew that Moscow was pulling the strings on the Republican side. Given their “politics” perhaps they knew and never gave it a second thought.
These men were examined carefully after the War. The Army at first refused to let them serve in combat, labeling them “pre-mature anti-fascists.” Many eventually migrated into OSS-type jobs and served with distinction. Edwin Rolfe was a Lincoln brigader and the poet laureate of the Battalion. Though I cannot agree with his politics, he wrote some beautiful and relevant poems that cross ideological lines, among them “First Love” and “Recruit.”
Guernica is another matter. I’d be interested to hear y’alls viewpoint on this. All but the most vehemently Nationalist sources on the war treat it as a deliberate terror raid (though Guernica was, at the time, a transportation centre for retreating Republican troops).
This site is such a refreshing change from the pop culture blogosphere. Sadly, I cannot access it at work. I’m an Army Captain and the site is blocked as “extreme” and “distasteful.” Move-on.org however, is readily available. Disgusting.
70 Comment by PcH on 18 July 2008:
I often see subscribed copies of NR in homes of people from church. I wish I had the money to send each of them a subscription to Chronicles; I am sure they would like it much better and we would certainly have more to talk about. Especially this one Limbaugh fanatic, the poor, muddled fellow… but ya gotta love’m.
71 Comment by pablo H on 19 July 2008:
#72 AWLC,
The US properly kept out of combat and should have kept them out of the OSS, since most of them were communists and not American patriots. I’m sure a few were, and others no doubt served with distinction. But the vast majority were fighting for their real homeland -the USSR -and to advance communism. The Abe Lincoln brigade position from Sept 39 to June 22, 1941 was for the US to stay out the “imperialist war”.
As for the bombing of Guernica – certainly a terror raid but given the vast atrocities committed during the war, why single that out? I suggest reading “Homage to Catalonia” by Orwell, where the Communists murdered any number leftists, and probably killed more of Republicans than died at Guernica
Finally, I find it hard to get misty eyed about a bunch of communists who went to Spain to help establish a Stalinist dictatorship.
72 Pingback by Piatak on National Review’s Radical Transformation « The Vermont Traditionalist on 21 July 2008:
[...] http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/?p=669 [...]
73 Comment by N. P. West on 21 July 2008:
David Frum, like most neocons, is definitely out of touch real conservatism. My question is why spend time deriding him when his opinions are of so little consequence except to Rush Limbaugh listeners, Fox News watchers, and National Review subscribers?
74 Comment by Robert on 21 July 2008:
“My question is why spend time deriding him when his opinions are of so little consequence except to Rush Limbaugh listeners, Fox News watchers, and National Review subscribers?”
Why don’t you ask Mr. Frum why he utilized his position at those very public venues mentioned above to revile, condemn and slander as unpatriotic Americans those who were trying to prevent the disaster called Iraq. You illustrate a good point in the duplicity of contemporary ethics that when the sauce for the goose is served to the gander, the sentimentalist in the flock always honk foul.
75 Comment by AWLC on 21 July 2008:
@ Pablo
I don’t admire the cause or the ideals of those who served in the Lincoln Battalion. I merely find it ironic that many of these men, so eager to fight fascism, were denied the chance by the government, while millions of reluctant draftees went instead. To label the common American soldier in WWII as a “patriot” is a bit of a stretch. I would wager that few thought of their service in such terms.
As for Guernica, we are on the same page. I believe that the reason the incident has such a long half life is that it was one of the first times a civilian center was bombed from the air, in Europe at least. What the Germans did to Guernica was nothing compared to what Bomber Command and the USAAF did to nearly every German town and city in WWII. Of course, with the exception of the SCW, it’s the victors who write the history.
76 Comment by Mike Ezzo on 22 July 2008:
Mr. West, I am under the assumption that the reason for concern about Frum’s commentary is precisely because Fox News and NRO do reach such a number of potentially true conservatives, a number that unfortunately exceeds what influence Chronicles currently wields. It is my fervent hope that the efforts of people like Tom Piatak will help to topple the neo-con platform, and bring some of those people towards a sincere conservatism. A longshot? Yes. But to refuse to attempt would be a mistake.
77 Comment by Tom K on 23 July 2008:
#72:
Am I extraordinarily naive to be shocked that this site is blocked by the U.S. military for being “extreme”, under a standard that permits MoveOn.org?
It is worse, in many ways, to have only leftist anti-war opinions available to active duty military than to have none at all.
78 Comment by Etienne Gervaise on 23 July 2008:
Tom, you forget that NR also stands for New Republic. The late Dr. Francis — of blessed memory — mentioned that the content of the two NR periodicals was pretty much identical.
Conspiracy theorists often mention that Buckley was a CIA product sent to undermine the Right. Even in the 80s it was pretty squishy, but when they refused my money to buy classified ads to sell conservative bumper stickers I lost all respect for them.
79 Comment by TNC on 3 August 2008:
“These men were examined carefully after the War. The Army at first refused to let them serve in combat, labeling them “pre-mature anti-fascists.”
This is a lie concocted by the veterans of the International Brigades:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=80D1D48A-4AAE-4254-ADCC-FDC6A7911294
“Despite all these confident assertions, “premature antifascism” is a myth. Not only is there no evidence that the United States armed forces ever used the phrase “premature antifascists” to describe those Americans who fought in Spain, there are indications that it was Communists and the veterans themselves who first employed the term. Moreover, many of the veterans were also “interim profascists” who in obedience to Soviet instructions dropped their anti-Nazism in September 1939 and opposed resistance to Fascist aggression while Germany conquered most of Western and Central Europe. Only when the Nazis turned against the USSR in June 1941 did the veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade rediscover their antifascism.”