angiescarr

I'm helping someone with some research for a piece of fiction set during the Guerra Civil.
Can someone tell me what side the female militia were in this case in Barcelona.
I think they were republicans but i don't want to get something so fundamental wrong! If there are any Expats who believe they know quite a lot about the Guerra Civil. Esp in the Barcelona area. Can you please PM me?

steviedeluxe

"which side" is an interesting concept for that time in Barcelona - the opposition spent more time fighting each other than helping the war effort against Franco (Republicans v anarchists v communists).
If you're on Facebook try contacting a guy called Nick Lloyd - he runs civil war tours in Barcelona and is very knowledgeable on the subject/

rspltd

I'm sure that someone else will have more detailed knowledge than I, but looking at one of my books it says that Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia all declared for the Republicans so presumably the female militia followed this?.

cricketman

The female militia were republican, part of the anarchist movement which allied with the Russian communists

Many of the anarchists didnt like the aliance with the communists but they had no funds for weapons so had to look somewhere

Basically lefty women are independent and strong while right wng fascists like women to stay at home breeding children and cooking and cleaning

Chiclanagir

Is that right......female militia were republican who allied with the communists????

cricketman

The female militia were republican and mainly part of the ananarchist movement. The anarchist movement allied with the communists. Not all anarchists were women, and the women fought with the men, not seperately

The anarchist women later formed a women's movement called donas lliures (in Catalan) because all the anarchist leaders were men and wouldnt give them a voice. Here is an interesting documentary about the women who were fighting around that period, both politically and in the forces

I havent watched it yet...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH4R2rOxZAM

Chiclanagir

Apologies - I got muddled in thinking that the republicans were Francos people.

Retired in Euskadi

You could contact Paul Preston who teaches at the LSE (London school of economics), has written many books on the Civil War & Franco, & also a fluent Spanish speaker. His latest book, "The Spanish Holocaust" came out last year.

Pocaloca

Paul Preston's book The Doves of War deals with four real-life women who played different roles in the war. Two English, two Spanish, two Republican and two Nationalist. Recommended reading!

angiescarr

Brilliant replies guys. Esp Stevie. Good point about them fighting each other. I'll follow the various links and suggestions. Read a good paper I picked up from the internet called ' The Struggle for the Streets' By someone called Chris Ealam. Beginning to track down the info I need. It's for a student doing a piece on the Mujeres Libres.