"Republican Victory in the Spanish Civil War" Topic

"kay, so I've got a great idea for a timeline. My only issue is that I don't think my historical knowledge is date specific and detailed enough to attempt to write a full on timeline, even though I've got the basis idea of what I want it to be about.

The idea is that the Republicans win the Spanish Civil War. In our timeline, the military struggle was hindered by constant pandering to Britain and France for aid, which never came. In Felix Morrow's: Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Spain, it reveals the disastrous naval policy followed by the Naval Minister Jose Giral and later Indelecio Prietro, ordering sailors to retreat from Malaga even though it could easily have stopped the Moorish armies from invading Andalusia. The Communist Party pursued an entirely non-communist line when it sacrificed revolution for the Popular Front government, which was ineffective and disastrous when it came to managing the war effort. They remained not only loyal to the popular front government, but also served as one of its most right wing factions, and was a prime factor in leading Largo Caballero's fall from power.

The POUM potentially could have led the Republicans to victory. By far the most successful Trotskyist party in history, at the start of the war it could boast a higher membership than the PCE, having over 70,000, due to the heroic role it has played in the Asturian Miners Strike of 1934. Their biggest mistake however, was sticking with the Popular Front government and being insufficiently critical of the decisions it made, also underestimating the reactionary role of the Communist Party. Earlier mistakes were its sectarianism, it's refusal to work within the PSOE Young Socialists, which led the Stalinists to win them over to their side…."
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Amicalement
Armand

I scanned your post, Armand. Interesting idea, but it does read like a bit of a fairy tale. If Spain (or the Iberian Union) had emerged from a bloody civil war in 1938, only be to invaded by Italy in +/- 1941, Iberia would have been in no position economically or politically to influence the governments of Yugoslavia in 1953 or the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. I also doubt that Iberia could have recovered sufficiently to play a leading role in the fields of science in the 1950's, 60's and 70's. A significant portion of Iberia's population was illiterate, or barely literate in 1940. It takes at least 20 years to educate the next generation, so even if it had introduced universal education, the effects of that education would not have been felt much before 1965.

I think fairy tale is a very generous assessment. I particularly laughed at the "Britain surrendering" part. And wasn't the POUM exterminated by the Communists as part of the price for massive Russian armaments?

You are right my friends… but still an interesting Reading (imho)… (smile)

Amicalement
Amrand