Barcelona and The Spanish Civil War Revealed

The militias need us!
The militias need us!

This poster recruiting women to join and support the anti-fascist militias was just one of the remarkable graphics and photographs shared during this tour of civil war history in Barcelona.

The tour’s guide, Nick Lloyd offered a passionate, rich, information-crammed account of the war and the complicated situation that preceded and followed it.  The topic is thrilling, but it’s the teacher – the guide – who makes it real – and he does just that.

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Spanish Civil War guru Nick Lloyd delivers his lessons and brings clients to the edge of their “seats” — actually, feet….

The stories are stunning. The first: the International Brigades from all over the world who came to help, including the Abraham Lincoln Battalion – the first integrated US military force,  the second, the alliance among the police, the workers and the community – anarchists, communists, socialists, liberals – all trying to stop the viciousness that was the emerging Fascist machine.  The next, individual courage demonstrated among so many under cruel, sadistic conditions.

The women, of course, did find a place in the movement.  This first poster is the emblem of the Anarchist women in Spain.  The second, was for the “people’s Olympics” conducted in protest of the “real” 1936 games in Nazi Germany.  Young people came from everywhere for the event and many remained to support the struggle to sustain democracy and keep the Fascists at bay.  And the third – a shattering portrait of American “Negro” contributions to Spain’s struggle.

B Women Anarchists poster

B peoples olympics

B NEGRO donors to civil war

Very few stories combine romance, politics, evil, idealism, danger and courage as well as those surrounding the Spanish Civil War. Some of the stories were so moving they were hard to bear. To the people of Barcelona, they are still real, and tangible and tough to hear and recall. For the rest of us, they bring pain and inspiration and sadness at how often similar tragedies have entered our history.  And never seem to have taught anything to those who came after.

Done with Bonaparte: Portoferraio, Mark Knopfler and Napoleon

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This little fountain sits behind Napoleon’s “summer residence” in Elba, where he was exiled in disgrace after a horrific defeat — one Mark Knopfler described in his beautiful Done With Bonaparte.  Napoleon never lived here; this house outside Portoferraio Italy was not his home but was to be a summer retreat.  He fled Elba before he ever spent a night there.

The small island  also includes several other beach towns with lovely harbors.  There are also some lovely – and some weird, — sights.  I’ve added a few below.

Right now it’s really late; I’ve shared some of Knopfler’s lyrics from his meditation on the suffering of Napoleon’s soldiers in the defeat that cost their leader his command and position, and cost them far more:

We’ve paid in hell since Moscow burned
As Cossacks tear us piece by piece
Our dead are strewn a hundred leagues
Though death would be a sweet release
And our grande army is dressed in rags
A frozen starving beggar band
Like rats we steal each other’s scraps
Fall to fighting hand to hand
 

Save my soul from evil, Lord
And heal this soldier’s heart
I’ll trust in thee to keep me, Lord
I’m done with Bonaparte

I pray for her who prays for me
A safe return to my belle France
We prayed these wars would end all wars
In war we know is no romance
And I pray our child will never see
A little Corporal again
Point toward a foreign shore
Captivate the hearts of men

Save my soul from evil, Lord
And heal this soldier’s heart
I’ll trust in thee to keep me, Lord
I’m done with Bonaparte

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Everybody needs a Mussolini apron – buy one just outside Napoleon’s summer house!
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Old Portoferraio in oil
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The harbor in Porto Azzuro