Winston Churchill and Catalonia: a long overdue monument to be unveiled on Saturday in Barcelona

The unveiling on Saturday, 15 December, at 11:00 AM of a monument to Sir Winston Churchill in Barcelona is a long overdue event. Unfortunately, there are still many people who are not fully aware of the connections between the great British statesman and the Catalan capital. The following is a brief summary, written in the hope that it will prompt readers to seek to learn more about it.

 

                                                              Sir Winston Churchill

 

Although the British Government was understandably reluctant to intervene in the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War, it followed with great attention some of the developments in what would come to be seen by many as a "laboratory" for the trial of new weapons and tactics. Despite successive sincere, albeit deeply misguided, attempts to secure peace by appeasement, by that time it was becoming increasingly clear that the clouds of war were gathering and, while still seeking to reach a deal with Hitler, Great Britain started to take steps to prepare for an outbreak of hostilities. This included an increase in aircraft production, preparations for civil (also known as passive) defence, and the building of underground facilities for the cabinet in the event of war.

A view of the 307 Air Raid Shelter. (169 Nou de la Rambla Street, Barcelona). Visits regularly scheduled at different times, in English on Saturdays at 1030. Advance booking necessary, Tel. 932562122, reservesmuhba@bcn.cat

 

It was precisely strategic bombing, mainly carried by Franco's Italian allies against Catalan cities from bases in Majorca, which attracted a great deal of attention by British observers, both military officers and politicians and civil servants. Although long prophesized on the back of the rapid technological progress of military aviation in the inter-war years and spurred by the frustration of trench warfare during the Great War, this was the first time that the world saw what for many was still a theory: the comprehensive bombing of cities, in an attempt to destroy the enemy's will to fight. Although historians disagree on the impact this had in the war, at that time there were widespread fears in both British and French quarters than another war with Germany would result in this kind of punishment metered out to their civilians. Such fears were compounded by the possibility that gas may be employed, and explain in part the reluctance to engage in total warfare following the Anglo-French declaration of war on the Reich.

 

The 1936-1939 war resulted in a long night for Catalonia, whose language, culture, economy, and critical infrastructures, were suppressed (a policy which to some extent continues to this day). Among others, the country's history was kicked out of schools and the media, and whole generations grew up with very little knowledge of it. The impact is still visible today, and includes an insufficient awareness of the bombings, made even more difficult by the policy of destroying the remains of underground shelters, of which only a very limited number have been restored and are currently open to the public. Barcelona Local Council itself did not always gave it all when it came to preserving the city’s historical heritage, but fortunately the new mayor seems to be paying more attention to history and will actually be delivering a speech at the ceremony on Saturday.  

 

Gibraltar is also refusing to surrender, despite a string of incidents at sea

 

Luckily, Sir Winston Churchill was not one to forget. Rather the contrary. On becoming prime minister, following the Norwegian debacle and the subsequent need to choose between surrender and defiance, between the Phoney War and total war, in his famous 18 June 1940 "Finest Hour" speech he said "It is true that the German bomber force is superior in numbers to ours; but we have a very large bomber force also, which we shall use to strike at military targets in Germany without intermission. I do not at all underrate the severity of the ordeal which lies before us; but I believe our countrymen will show themselves capable of standing up to it, like the brave men of Barcelona, and will be able to stand up to it, and carry on in spite of it, at least as well as any other people in the world." His words could not have been clearer.

Thus, this appeal, this reminder of the bravery of Catalan civilians under a rain of bombs from the skies, would, by itself, more than justify the building of a memorial to Sir Winston Churchill in Barcelona. By honoring this great leader, we would be remembering a historical episode and their victims, paying hommage to them, and issuing a clear message to those who are once more openly threatening to resort to violence. The same violence they often employ on Gibraltar in an unsuccessful bid to subject them to tirany, the same approach used by their cousins in the South Atlantic.  Let us rest assured that, if people stand firm and remember Churchill’s injunction to “never surrender”, justice and liberty will prevail in these three battles.

However, this is not all. A monument to Sir Winston Churchill in the heart of Barcelona is also a reminder of our many shared values. Let us never forget that Catalonia and England were the first countries in the world to have a working parliament, the first to develop a constitutional traditional based on the consent of the governed, which Great Britan later successfully exported to what is now the Commonwealth, a world force for progress.

See you all on Saturday.

 

Àlex Calvo
Alex Calvo is a Professor of International Relations and International Law, Head of the IR Department, and Postgraduate Research Director, European University (Barcelona Campus). An expert on Asian security and defence issues, he got his LLB from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, University of London) and is currently doing an MA in Second World War Studies at the University of Birmingham.
 

The monument to Sir Winston Churchill is located at Via Augusta, corner with Ronda del General Mitre

 

Note: The Mayor of Barcelona Mr Xavier Trias, and Fundació Catalunya Oberta invites all of you to the unveiling of the memorial dedicated to Sir Winston Churchill on Saturday, 15th December at 11:00  AM in Barcelona (Catalonia).The monument will be at the junction of the Via Augusta and Ronda General Mitre  in Barcelona. The work has been created by sculptor Pep Codó made with basalt stone and has a height of 2.20 meters.