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Showing posts from April 22, 2012

The Spanish Civil War

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Facts about the Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War started in 1936 and finished in 1939. The forces on the right were lead by Generals Franco and Sanjurjo. They were known as Nationalists. The forces on the left were lead by Azana and were known as Republicans. At the start of the war, the cities of Cadiz, Saragossa, Seville and Burgos declared their support for the Nationalists. Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia declared for the Republicans. The Nationalists received help from Nazi Germany in the form of the Condor Legion from the Luftwaffe - Germany's air force. 50,000 "volunteers" from Mussolini's Italy also helped the Nationalists. The Republicans received help from Russia . Stalin sent advisers and technicians. An International Brigade comprising of volunteers from all over the world also helped the Republicans. However, the Nationalists held the advantage in the sense that those who fought for them were professionals – the ...

St George's Day

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Today is the 23rd of April - St George's Day. Do you know the history behind this date? In 1222 the Council of Oxford declared April 23rd to be St George’s Day It was not until 1348 that St George became the Patron Saint of England In 1415, St George’s Day was declared a national feast day and holiday in England However, after the union with Scotland at the end of the 18th Century, the tradition diminished and since has not been widely acknowledged and is no longer a national holiday Traditional customs were to fly the St George’s flag and wear a red rose in one’s lapel The hymn ‘Jerusalem’ was also sung on the 23rd April, or the nearest Sunday to that date, in churches across the nation The 23 April 1616 was also the date of the death of the English playwright William Shakespeare. UNESCO marked this historic date by declaring it the International Day of the Book. But "Who was St George?" Facts of St George’s life have passed through the centuries growing in ...