Impacts of Foreign Powers on Civil War

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

Argument, foreign intervention most important in Spanish

however gmd failure most important in CCW

Question 2

Foreign Intervention opening statement

Answer 2

Both similar —> Ideological

Question 3

SCW FI EVD

Answer 3

1253 aircrafts in comparison to USSR only gave 648

FI useful in the invasion of Extermadura on the way to Madrid. Foreign influence helped them to cover 320 km  killed 7k troops

Guernica 7k  27k bombs (Nationalists took it easily 3 days after)

Question 4

CCW FI EVD

Answer 4

USSR 900 aircrafts and 82 tanks.

Furthermore, more than 1,500 Soviet military advisers and about 2,000 members of the air force were sent to China.

$250 million in aid from the Soviet Union.

Question 5

CRITICISMS OF CCW FI

Answer 5

Nationalists  USA gave them 2 billion between ’45 and ‘49

• US support less valuable in monetary terms + effectiveness  2 billion value of American assistance included all US supplies to China rather than just military aid, which actually constituted 798 million
• Freda Utley  Further deductions to the figure should be made to take into account items and costs which were never of any effective military values
• She belives 360 million effective military supplies
• US secretary of State Dean Acheson  USA provided enough for victory  National incompetence
• “the reasons for the failures of the Chinese National Government do not stem from any inadequacy of American aid”
• “Its leaders had proved incapable of meeting the crisis in front of them”
• Many of the US supplies also arguably arrived too late to be useful
• USA imposed an embargo in 1946 and 1947 making it impossible for the Nationalists to obtain weaponry

Question 6

How did tactics play an outcome in the SCW?

Answer 6

October 1936  Republicans advanced to Valencia, despite Nationalists being halted at Casa de Campo
 1937 Franco tactically changed (they realised that they failed in the Guadalajara campaign)

 so Franco started looking elsewhere, looked at Basque and Asturia

 Failure due to manpower the republicans had
.
 Easier to take industries + resources

 1939 (Fall of Madrid and Barcelona)

 food shortages meant that 2 million people were effectively cut of.

 Therefore, did not need any reinforcements

 1938 (Negrin had a strategy to prolong the war)  Push along the nationalists lines at the Ebro River. They made a 40km advance. However, they got crushed due to the tech

Question 7

CCW Tactics and Strength Evidence

Answer 7

• Van de van argues that the strength and strategy of the CCP was the most important factor leading to victory during the Chinese civil war.
• Use of white terror and long march as propaganda vices, ccp growingly popular amongst peasantry, enabled guerrilla warfare as CCP guerrillas often supported in small villages.
• PLA better disciplined and more motivated than the GMD as land reform and the ideology of Mao increased drive and willingness to win the war, less deserters, better training, better fighting
• this is similarly the case during the Spanish civil war, Patricia knight argues that the republican strength had the greatest impact on the outcome of the war.

Question 8

Criticisms of Tactics

Answer 8

Spain: without foreign aid 1200 tanks there could not be the use of those tactics

China: increasing popularity for CCP arose from misorganisations and harshness of GMD, and failures during WW2 rather than any specific tactics.

Question 9

China: GMD failures

Answer 9

• Mitter argues that the failure of the GMD to overcome guerrilla forces and maintain popularity had the largest impact on the outcome of the war.
• use of a conscription army leads to an unmotivated and unwilling army, especially within peasantry
• impact as GMD army 3.5 million stronger then CCP however due to conscription, many desertions (70%) and low morale.
• Corruption within gmd, commanders not elected by chosen, poor military strategy, overstretching lines within Manchuria allowing for guerrilla attacks from CCP

Question 10

Spain GMD unity

Answer 10

Lack of unity between the Republican forces

 Divide: Communists vs Anarchists

 Socialists: “revolution” should now be postponed until the war was won, whereas the anarchist argued war could only be won through revolutionary policies

 Lack of unity evidenced in the four days of street fighting in Barcelona March 1937  Communists and Socialists vs Anarchists

 This fighting became known as the ‘May days’  Caballero replaced by Juan Negrin who attacked the POUM leaders

 War did increase popularity  40,000 – 400,000 (1936-1937)

 Anarchists dominant in Catalonia, Aragon and Andalusia, encouraged ‘revolution from below’ in areas they controlled, and some historians suggest that this added a crucial hurdle for the Republic, as they had to regain their centralized control

Question 11

Spain GMD

Answer 11

Lack of unity between the Republican forces

 Divide: Communists vs Anarchists

 Socialists: “revolution” should now be postponed until the war was won, whereas the anarchist argued war could only be won through revolutionary policies

 Lack of unity evidenced in the four days of street fighting in Barcelona March 1937  Communists and Socialists vs Anarchists

 This fighting became known as the ‘May days’  Caballero replaced by Juan Negrin who attacked the POUM leaders

 War did increase popularity  40,000 – 400,000 (1936-1937)

 Anarchists dominant in Catalonia, Aragon and Andalusia, encouraged ‘revolution from below’ in areas they controlled, and some historians suggest that this added a crucial hurdle for the Republic, as they had to regain their centralized control