The Spanish civil war

All war is brutal and terrible, but here is something especially bitter about civil war. This week marks the 70th anniversary of the commencement of the Spanish civil war – a three year conflict )1936-1939) in which between 300,000 and 1 million people were killed. A special feature of this war was the international involvement from the International Brigade and Soviet support on the Republican side to the backing of Fascist Germany and Italy on the Nationalist side.
Even today, this is a war which shapes Spanish society and a conflict on which there is still not open discussion and debate in Spain. I remember that, when we were on holiday in Madrid, we visted the nearby town of Toledo where there were still many reminders of the war. The Alcázar (fortified palace) was rebuilt after the successful Nationalist defence of the town in the war and it became a Nationalist shrine.