‘Mere sympathy is not enough’: Glasgow and the Spanish Civil War

Abstract

Despite its central role in the British efforts to combat General Franco and his fascist allies, previous studies on Britain and the Spanish Civil War have largely ignored Glasgow’s contribution. This thesis examines the relationship between Glasgow and Spain, including Glaswegian volunteers fighting in Spain, Aid Spain movements in Glasgow and the lingering impact these events had on working-class memory and history in Glasgow and Scotland. It contends that Glasgow’s experience of Spain differed significantly from other places in Britain, and that a top-down, national approach to such histories has concealed important local and regional complexities.