B.A., M.A. (Trent)
B.Ed (Queen’s)
Supervised by: Antonio Cazorla-Sanchez
Committee: Carolyn Kay, and Finis Dunaway
External Examiner: Aitana Guia, California State University
Chair: Olga Andriewsky
Abstract:
The Spanish Civil War was a theatre of political tension where democracy, communism, and fascism clashed during the interwar period, starting in July 1936 and ending in April 1939. The war defied the traditional concept of a civil war as Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union became involved. All three saw Spain as a testing ground for new military technologies. Meanwhile the United States government stayed steadfast in its isolationist approach to foreign conflict and sent no aid to either side. American military attachés, who are military observers to foreign nations, in Spain witnessed the ongoing conflict, creating detailed reports of their observations before, during, and after the war. This thesis argues that the reports, which contained valuable information regarding military technology and doctrine, had little impact on American military innovation during the interwar period. This was due to both politically dictated neglect and doctrine prejudice regarding European conflicts. Based on the attaché reports, this thesis will explain what Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union learned about aviation, tanks, and artillery from their participation in Spain. This will be contrasted with the state of the United States’ military at the same time to demonstrate not only the little impact the attaché reports had on the trajectory of the American military, but how the military lagged behind those in Spain upon the beginning of the Second World War.
Sabrina completed her B.A. degree at Trent University in History and English. Afterwards she attended Queen’s University where she obtained a Bachelor of Education, qualifying her to teach History and English, with a specialization in Outdoor Education as well. She is also a certified member of the Ontario College of Teachers. In her undergraduate career, Sabrina took courses centering on the World Wars and Cold War, focusing on espionage whenever possible. Sabrina's thesis analyzes the Spanish Civil War through American Military Intelligence. Sabrina is demonstrating what the countries who provided foreign intervention learned from their participation in the war, and what the American military chose to ignore.