The Spanish Civil War, 1936–39, was the curtain-raiser to World War II, and the major international event of the 1930s. It was the first great clash of 20th-century ideologies, between the rebel Nationalist army led by General Franco (right-wing, and aided by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy), and the Republican army of the government (left-wing, and aided by the Communist Soviet Union and many volunteers from liberal democracies). Three years of widespread campaigns involved the most modern weapons available. The war was fought ruthlessly by both sides, and when the Nationalists secured victory they installed a dictatorship that lasted until November 1975 – the last such regime in Western Europe. Featuring specially commissioned full-color artwork, this first part of a two-part study depicts the fighting men of the Nationalist forces that strove to take control of Spain alongside their German and Italian allies.
By:
Alejandro de Quesada
Illustrated by:
Stephen Walsh
Imprint: Osprey
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Volume: 495
Dimensions:
Height: 248mm,
Width: 184mm,
Spine: 5mm
Weight: 166g
ISBN: 9781782007821
ISBN 10: 1782007822
Series: Men-at-Arms
Pages: 48
Publication Date: 01 May 2014
Audience:
General/trade
,
Professional and scholarly
,
ELT Advanced
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction: historical background/ Chronology of main events, 1931–39/ Franco’s Nationalist armies: organization, orders of battle; uniforms, weapons, equipment/ Regional troops: Galicia, Andalucia, Navarra, etc./ Troops from Africa: Moroccan, African nomadic, Spanish Foreign Legion/ Security troops: Guardia Civil, Cuerpo de Seguridad/ Spanish Falange and other political militias/ Nationalist Air Force/ Nationalist Navy/ Foreign volunteers: German Legion Condor, Italian Volunteer Corps, Irish Brigade, Portuguese volunteers/ Select bibliography/ Plate commentaries/ Index
Alejandro de Quesada is a Florida-based military history writer, an experienced researcher, and collector of militaria, photos and documents. He runs an archive and historical consultancy for museums and films as a secondary business. Alejandro has written over 100 articles and over 25 books, including several for Osprey, and is a leading authority on Latin American subjects. Stephen Walsh studied Art at the North East Wales Institute and has worked as a professional illustrator since 1988. Since then he has illustrated a variety of books and games including the Settlers of Catan. His projects for Osprey include such diverse subjects as the battle of Otterburn, the Chinese army from 1937 to 1949 and the US Home Front in World War II. He is married with two children and lives in Macclesfield.
Reviews for The Spanish Civil War 1936–39 (1): Nationalist Forces
This book describes well the extraordinary range of troop types and their uniforms, included examples of the complex range of unit cross-postings between formations. There is a helpful, albeit brief, historical overview, then chapters on the Nationalist army (including militias), colonial troops, and foreign volunteers, plus the air force, navy and security forces. The text provides useful information on the state of training and 'combat effectiveness' of the various troops, and plentiful photographs and illustration to assist the modeller/gamer. Company and battalion structures are provided, although the author makes plain that these were often theoretical rather than kept to in the field. The back cover implies that there will be an accompanying volume on the Republican forces: together these will provide a nicely balanced profile of troops, uniforms, styles of fighting, weapons, and so on. (Chris Jarvis, Miniature Wargames, June 2014)