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Quote by Adam Hochschild

“I think in many ways, the Spanish Civil War was the first battle of World War II. After all, where else in the world at this point did you have Americans in uniform who were being bombed by Nazi planes four years before the U.S. entered World War II? Hitler and Mussolini jumped in on the side of Francisco Franco and his Spanish nationalists, sent them vast amounts of military aid, airplanes, tanks - and Mussolini sent 80,000 ground troops as well - because they wanted a sympathetic ally in power. So I think it really was the opening act of World War II.”

Quote by Adam Hochschild

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Adam Hochschild
Adam Hochschild

Adam Hochschild is an American author renowned for his historical works. His writing often focuses on social justice and human suffering, particularly historical events of the 19th and 20th centuries. His style is well-received by readers for its in-depth research and vivid storytelling. more

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“Some 2,800 Americans went to Spain [during the Spanish Civil War], and it was, by far, the largest number of Americans before or since who've ever joined somebody else's civil war. I think they were primarily people who were deeply alarmed by the menace of fascism. They saw this on the horizon. I quote one volunteer, Maury Colow of New York, who said, "for us it was never Franco, it was always Hitler."”

PeopleThinkingSaidWarNumbersSawsNew YorkCivil WarHorizonFascismVolunteerSpainMenaceFrancoSpanish Civil WarMaury
Author:Adam Hochschild
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“Many of the principle weapons that the Nazis used during World War II had their first trial in combat in Spain - the Messerschmitt 109 fighter plane for example, the Stuka dive bomber, the 88 millimeter artillery piece, which could be used both for antiaircraft purposes and also shelling on the ground. And American soldiers were the victims of these things in Spain, American volunteers. So this war was really a testing ground for Hitler. And he learned a great deal from it about the strengths and weaknesses of these different weapons.”

WorldFirstsDifferentWarUsedPurposeDealsPrinciplesPiecesExampleWeaponsWeaknessVictimSoldierTrialsFighterPlanesWar Of The WorldsCombatWorld War IiWorld War IVolunteerNaziTestingSpainStrength And WeaknessBombersArtilleryAmerican Soldier
Author:Adam Hochschild
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