The importance of international intervention or non-intervention.
Your notes need to contrast the effective military support given
to the Nationalists by Portugal, Germany and Italy with the
ineffective 27 member non-intervention committee led by Britain and
France. (Farmer 193-4) Louise Phillips, a former student of mine,
researched her IB extended essay on the importance
of British non-intervention. Forrest (73-77) addresses the question 'What
was the significance of German aid to the Nationalist side?' and
produces plenty of useful evidence for you to note. Culpin and
Henig (233-4) also focus on the problem of Soviet aid. You need to be
able explain their controversial statement that 'In the end, the
Communist (USSR) takeover contributed powerfully to the Republican
collapse'. This imbalance between state led international
aid for Franco and non-intervention for the Republic needs to be
qualified by reference to the critical role of the 35, 000
International Brigade volunteers. (C&H 234-5). Forrest (94-98)
analyses the question ' How did the International Brigades and the
USSR affect the course and outcome of the war?' Forrest's
document exercise (87-90) might encourage you to empathize with the
men you risked everything to fight for an ideal in the International
Brigades.
