The Spanish Civil War From The German Propaganda Perspective

Let's get the inevitable joke out of the way: Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead. So far as I know.

That taken care of, let's discuss the Spanish Civil War, which I studied up on about forty-five years ago. The legitimate government of Spain in 1936 was definitely leftist, with the Communists having a substantial voice. This annoyed the military, always a conservative bunch. They revolted, and received semi-official aid from the Soviet Union, and other communist and allied groups throughout the world. This movie would have you believe that all the western powers were secretly backing the communists, which justified the volunteers' sent by Germany, as well as Italy. This meant that we spent most of the last eighty years referring to the Spanish government as Fascist. In fact it was nationalist and highly conservative, even reactionary. It was so reactionary, it was handed, at Franco's death, back to the Bourbons.

Once your get past the false narrative of the opening, much of this movie is a war documentary that makes the mistake of assuming its audience knows what's going on. As a result, it is slightly incoherent for the first fifty minutes; then, in the Battle of Madrid, it becomes totally incoherent, a series of striking battle footage that does not show any clear sign of showing the progress of the campaign, although they blow stuff up real good. Finally, the last dozen minutes are devoted to the victory parades, particularly the all-volunteer Condor Legion, who are awarded a special medal by Hitler. In three classes. Not bad for something the government didn't require.

German cinema is famous for its historical depth, expressionist aesthetics, and social-political engagement. It has moved from Expressionism to political reckoning, from New German Cinema's raw realism to contemporary genre experiments. Its legacy lies in both technical innovation and deep explorations of history, morality, and philosophy.

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

Dziga Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

The war genre features armed conflicts, both historical and fictional, and the experiences of individuals and groups involved in warfare. This genre explores the physical, emotional, and moral challenges faced by soldiers, civilians, and others affected by war.

Im Kampf gegen den Weltfeind: Deutsche Freiwillige in Spanien

Nazi propaganda film about the Condor Legion, a unit of German "volunteers" who fought in the Spanish Civil War on the side of eventual dictator Francisco Franco against the elected government of Spain.

Im Kampf gegen den Weltfeind: Deutsche Freiwillige in Spanien (1939)

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In Battle Versus the Enemy of the World: German Volunteers in Spain

Im Kampf gegen den Weltfeind: Deutsche Freiwillige in Spanien

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