PHILATELY OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR

Propaganda of the Postage Stamp

With roots deep in the Ceasars of Rome, the Germanic Visigoths, Moorish Invaders and the Reconquesta, the history of Spain does not have a beginning. It is a continum. The Spanish Civil War (or Alzamiento [uprising]) grew out of this continum. To understand war, and especially Civil War, cannot be accomplished in a few sentences. Enough to say that the Spanish Civil War was the culmination of a Spanish adventure in Democracy, the opposition of the traditional propertied interests (its church and monarcy), and the 20th Century rise of facism. In 1936 a right-wing government was replaced at the polls by "El Frente Popular" (The Popular Front), a coalition of left-wing and moderate parties. On the 18th of July 1936 the military, under the leadership of General Franco and the Army of Morocco staged a coup d'Etat, which made significant headway early-on, but faltered and the scene was set for one of the great pre-World War II contests of Europe. On this stage played the rising Facists of Germany and Italy, the Communism of Stalin, and the liberal anarchists such as George Orwell, and legions of young men from the United States (The Lincoln Brigade), Canada (the Mac-Paps), and International Brigades representing the liberal call-to-arms.