EKKO FRA SPANIA.DEN SPANSKE BORGERKRIGEN I NORSK OFFENTLIGHET

THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR -ONCE AGAIN !

Ageing  is not a topical issue among Norwegian historians. Not at all! An interesting book about the Spanish Civil War has been published in Norway. Two of the authors are retired professors in history: Hans Fredrik Dahl and Bernt Hagtvet. The third author is still in business as professor: Rolf Werenskjold. The political event dealt with in the book: «Ekko fra Spania. Den spanske borgerkrigen i norsk offentlighet» is how the Norwegian newspapers, radio broadcasting and indiviudual writers evaluated the civil war. My main question after having read the book is: Why would we take time to read a book about a war that ended in 1939 in Spain? What is the reason for paying attention to the event at all? The answer is easy to give. We have been informed about the war for years by authers, politicians and published reports, books and movies dealing with the war.

PRIVATE RESEARCH IN MY PRIVATE COLLECTIONS OF FILMS AND BOOKS

The result of my private research was a surprise.Take a look at the list of movies where the Spanish Civil War is an importantpart of the story presented:

-          BETHUNE. 1990

-          La Casa de las Chivas ( Adaptacion cinematografica de la exitosa obra teatral de Jaime Simon)

-          Tripple Agent.

-          Head in the Clouds.

-          Hemingway & Gellhorn. 2013

-          There Be Dragons. 2011

-          La Guerra Civil Espanola

-          La Mystere Malraux. 2006

-          Offer eller Spion ( About Asbjørn Sunde called «Osvald»).2015 

-          CAMBRIDGE SPIES (The story of four Cambridge students who became communist spies).2003
L     Land and Freedom. 1995.

-          L’Espoir: Sierra de Teruel.1945                                                                                                                 Documentary: Willy Brandt.Ein Leben fur Frieden und Freihet. Warner Home Video.1992.

           

The list of those who had written about the Spanish Civil War, is interesting study. The Norwegian Archive and Library for the Norwegian Labour Movement has published a list contenting 161 publications.Let me focus on one of the reporters: Willy Brandt.

The late German politician Willy Brandt went to Spain in 1937 as a reporter. Willy Brandt published the report: « Ein Jahr Krieg und Revolution in Spanien. Referat des Gen. Brandt auf der Sitzung der erweiterten Partei-Leitung der SAP, Anfang Juli 1937, SAP, ( 1937?), 36 s. «.

Willy Brandt came to Norway as German refugee in 1933. He was political active in Germany. Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm was his original name. He was born in Lubeck, Germany , in 1913. He died in 1992.

Take a look at some of the names of the writers of reports of the Spanish Civil War: Karsten Alnæs, Geir Bentzen, Willy Brandt, Bertolt Brecht, Kristian Gleditsch, Nina Haslund Gleditsch, Arthur Koestler, Trond Hegna, Nordahl Grieg, Eivind Otto Hjelle, Per Imerslund, Lise Lindbæk, Arve Kvaløy, Jon Olav Myklebust, Ottar Årdal, George Orwell, Martin Andersen Nexø, Sigrun Slapgard, Jan Jabob Tønseth and Yngvar Ustvedt.

Haakon Lie is not on the list of the library.A mistake, I think. He wrote and spoke much in support of fight against the Fasict revolt of Spain. Haakon Lie visited Spain too during the civil war.

MY PRIVATE BOOK COLLECTION- BOOKS CONTENTING INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR

-Errol Flynn: My Wicked, Wicked Ways. 1959

-Andre Malraux: L’Espoir (Håpet).1937

-Ernest Hemingway: For Whom the Bell Tolls. 1941

-Jean Lacouture: Andre Malraux. 1975

-Phyllis Auty:TITO. A Biography.1970
-Francois Maspero: L'ombre d'une photographe Gerda Taro.2006
-Elisabeth Vislie:Ved fronten. Gerda Grepp og den spanske borgerkrigen. Pax Forlag
-Dominique Bona: Clara Malraux " Nous avons ete deux".2010
-Hans Olav Lahlum: Haakon Lie.Historien,mytene og mennesket.2009
-Per Imerslund: Videre i passgang.Opplevelser i Mexico og Spania. Kamban Forlag 1944
-Yngvar Ustvedt: Arbeidere under våpen.Norske frivillige i den spanske borgerkrigen.1975
-Willy Brandt: Erindringer (Erinnerungen),1990, Pages 90 -96.

PAPERS PUBLISHED ON  MY BLOG: http://teddview.blogspot.no

-Who is Capa, Robert Capa?Forgotten already.1.12.2016
-The Osvald Group. A new monument in Oslo.19.05.2015
-Gerda Taro: Too young for Pere Lachaise Cemetery.A fictional story.19.01.2014
-Wanted: 100 000 NOK for Information about Asbjørn Sunde- called " Osvald".17.02.2013
-The Spanish Civil War.(Moy Historia).16.03.2017

PRESIDENT TITO OF YUGOSLAVIA AND THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR

The Story of the activities of Josip Broz -Tito-has been told in the biography of Tito written by Phyllis Auty. I do not know if it is common known, but Josip Broz was a communist agent trained in Russia. He was in charge of recruiting volunteers to fight for the Republican Army in the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish war was a fight against Nazism and Fascism in Europe.

EKKO FRA SPANIA. DEN SPANSKE BORGERKRIGEN I NORSK OFFENTLIGHET

Question: Is it possible to make any new reports about the Spanish Civil War at all? The three bold Norwegian historians are of the opinion that the last word about the war is still not written. Information about how the event was dealt with in Norwegian newspapers and above all: The radio is interesting reading. The Norwegian people was well informed about the war. Official meetings, films, radio programmes broadcasted, active politicians and writers were all engaged in fighting against  the fear of a Europe dominated by the Fascism thinking. We have forgotten how much work was done to assist the democratic elected government of Spain against the Fascist regime of Franco. The defeat must have been hard for those who spent days and nights in support of the Republic of Spain. An alarming information is also given in the book about the wiping of radio transmitted programmes of Nrk after the end of the war. To-day no transmitted radio or television programmes  are wiped. Copies of programmes are stored at the National Library at Mo i Rana in Norway.

CONCLUSION

Why should we spend hours reading the book contenting about 327 pages about a war we lost, forgotten but reminded of  in feature films, televison programmes year by year, you may ask?Is it possible that the event might happened again? I think so. The fight for a democratic society is an ever lasting struggle. The war was not won even if so many did so much to make all know about the danger of Fascism.No. But the Vietnam War was won by the free press. The message given by three bold and active historians is: The fight for a democratic society, for a free press, for free access to information, for free elections, is a fight we all have to join again and again.And above all:Do not wipe transmitted radio or films or television transmitted programmes!

Thank you all for the book.