Front and Rear in Spanish Civil War

Peces històriques triades per Josep Maria CasasúsThere was war in Spain on last May Day [1937], there was war in Spain on this May Day, and there will be war in Spain on next May Day. That is the impression that you get at the front. For the front and the rear in Spain are two different civilizations. The front is young, brave, determined and already forged in two years of fighting into a skillful army. The front is all of these things at this moment, now, after the defeat of Teruel, after the defeat of Aragon, and after the Fascists have cut to the sea. Its morale is solid and unshaken. The troops of Modesto, of Campesino, of Lister, and Durán, and of other young leaders that are rising fast, have as sound morale at this moment as any troops that I have ever seen and in the last three weeks they have done some of the finest fighting that has ever been done in history. They stopped the Moors outside of Lérida, they held the line of the Ebro and they beat the Italians for ten days above Tortosa. It was not their fault they had to cross the Ebro. The Italians could never have broken through Lister’s divisions and the Rome papers were full of apology for that knowledge. I saw that fight. But the two civilizations of the front and the rear are merging in Spain. The cancers that have always eaten the life of Spain, politicians without faith, generals without ability, are disappearing. As the front comes closer to the rear its purifying effect is felt. Finally the two will merge. And in the purification of that merging is Spain’s hope of ultimate victory. But meantime she must have planes and guns. Anyone who thinks the war is over in Spain is a fool or a coward. A great fighting people who are for the first time being led by generals who are of the people, who are not fools, nor traitors, will not be defeated that easily. But she must have planes and guns; and she must have them at once.