Brand New Title
Oliver Law
The First African-American Commander
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Spanish Civil War 1936-39
By Anthony Sparrowhawk
ISBN: 978 0 9956766 0 2
310 pages Over 250 photographs and maps
Available from Ebay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323419756746
The case is made Oliver Law was an ordinary man with strong convictions - who was used for political reasons. We have lost sight of the real Oliver Law and only see the propaganda; from both sides. It is arguable he was shot by his own men for racial reasons or because he was a communist But just as likely, it was plain jealousy.
Oliver Law is w
Oliver Law was the first African-American to lead - as commander of the Abraham Lincoln battalion - white troops in combat during the Spanish Civil War in 1936-37.
The circumstances of his death are controversial in that there are two opposing views on how he died, either killed in action or murdered by his own troops.
Early influences included growing up in the poor Texas flatlands and working in Galveston wharf with its labour problems. Furthermore, Oliver witnessed how in 1918-19 thousands of black soldiers returned from France unhappy with their reception; there was widespread rioting across the US. In the early 1920s Oliver went into the segregated US army and was subjected to the disharmony he found in the 24th infantry; this shaped his strong views on racial issues.
As a southern black and exposed to the Jim Crow laws, the prevailing threat of the KKK, and poor economic prospects he joined the flow of blacks northwards. In Chicago, he joined the Communist Party and took part in the militancy that so strongly motivated the cities working classes – black and white. Oliver was part of the fight for social and racial equality and moved in literary circles including the writer Richard Wright. It is very likely that as a communist he worked for the party organising demonstrations, strikes and coordinating the ILD organisation who defended blacks and militants.
Internationally, Hitler and Mussolini were becoming more and more powerful and western democracies were having to appease the two – in fact they were more worried about Stalin and the communists than the fascists. When the Spanish Civil War started in 1936, after General Franco led a rebellion of the army, the US Communist Party recruited hundreds of Americans to go to Spain to support the republican Popular Front government. Oliver arrived in January 1937, and because he had military experience and was a communist, he quickly gained promotion. The volunteer International Brigades were essentially controlled by communists who in turn were shaped by the Soviets.
Oliver took part in two battles - Jarama and Brunete - and because many of the senior officers were killed he advanced to commander in June 1937. The communists believed in multi-racial units; the battalion had other black officers. I examine how Soviet policy affected the war and positive discrimination. Law was killed leading his men in July; Oliver now fades into the background for a while, the official line being he was killed in battle.
In the 1939-40, the US communists fell out with each other over the Hitler/Stalin pact. One group, in order to discredit the Communist Party wrote that Oliver Law was a coward, incompetent and had been 'fragged' by his own troops. I examine the books by Bernard Wolfe, William Herrick and other participants and historians.
I try to show how this ill-feeling between communists served to discredit Oliver Law and how much that is written was the result of CP propaganda to promote him as a black hero, in fact he was promoted beyond his capabilities and the CP were more interested in publicity than the lives of the volunteers.
Spanish Political History
The Spanish Republic 1931-39 - A period of political turmoil with several opposing parties attempting to influence the direction Spain was to take. From Stalinist communists, POUM marxists, anarchists, republicans, socialists, Falange
right-wingers to Catholic conservatives.
With the Franco rebellion, foreigners rushed to Spain to defend the Popular Front Government and fought a war that was a prelude to WW2.
New Titles for 2019
Spanish Military, Social and Political History from the Franco years and the contribution made to Modern Spain
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