Confidential memorandum : conversation between Julius Deutsch and the editor of 'Populaire'

1937-08 016b-0059-003 2. In so far as the outcome of the war is concerned, the prospects are not too bad. The Government forces have been turned, from an armed militia, into an army, but only into an army of resistance. It lacks sufficient equipment and above all mobility to constitute an attack...

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Bibliographic Details
Institution:MCR - The Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick
Language:English
Published: 12 August 1937
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10796/A2C433BA-4095-47F6-9826-A9C8080B60A1
http://hdl.handle.net/10796/C52FA112-2F2A-4AB7-8DDF-F48EB65F3615
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Summary:1937-08 016b-0059-003 2. In so far as the outcome of the war is concerned, the prospects are not too bad. The Government forces have been turned, from an armed militia, into an army, but only into an army of resistance. It lacks sufficient equipment and above all mobility to constitute an attacking force of any considerable worth. (This corresponds exactly with the impression that I gathered when in Spain). In these circumstances, there is no serious danger of a really big and successful movement by the rebels on the Teruel front (on account of the Government troops' good resisting qualities) and no chance of Madrid being taken. If no important change occurs outside (big foreign expeditionary forces or anything of that kind) the war may continue for another eighteen months without any profound modification in the situation. The important factors in the internal political situation are the following: The Communists (domestic and foreign) are determined to secure complete control of the army and police forces. Prieto is resisting them insofar as the army is concerned but is leaving them a free hand in Barcelona for their "suppression" of "Trotskyists" etc (cf. case of Nin, Marc Rein, etc.) The source of this information warned Dan, representative of the Russian Socialists on the Socialist International, that he should on no account go into Governmental Spain if he value his life. Caballero and Prieto are at daggers drawn. 292/946/16b/65(iii)
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