Biomaterial Database

Medical aid to the Spanish Republic during the Civil War (1936-1939). 1982

M F Shapiro

During international or civil wars, private citizens of noncombatant nations often provide medical aid to one or the contending factions. To examine the role of such an aid campaign in a military conflict, I did a detailed historical analysis of the prominent campaign in the United States to provide medical aid to the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939). Substantial medical aid was provided that clearly alleviated some suffering, but one of the major objectives of the campaign was to arouse public opinion sufficiently to end the boycott of aid to Republican forces by the American government; this objective was never achieved. I conclude that even a successful medical aid campaign to people in a military conflict may save some lives but may not affect substantially the course of the conflict. Persons who are primarily interested in influencing political or military developments may find tactics other than medical aid campaigns more useful in accomplishing their goals.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008493	Medical Missions	Travel by a group for the purpose of undertaking a health-care related project of short-term duration.	Medical Missions, Official,Missions, Official Medical,Official Medical Missions,Medical Mission,Medical Mission, Official,Mission, Medical,Mission, Official Medical,Missions, Medical,Official Medical Mission
D011057	Politics	Activities concerned with governmental policies, functions, etc.	Political Activity,Conservatism,Decentralization,Liberalism,Political Factors,Activities, Political,Activity, Political,Factor, Political,Factors, Political,Political Activities,Political Factor
D006076	Government	The complex of political institutions, laws, and customs through which the function of governing is carried out in a specific political unit.	Governments
D013030	Spain	Country located between France on the northeast and Portugal on the west and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The capital is Madrid.	Balearic Islands,Canary Islands
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D014857	Warfare	Methods of conducting ARMED CONFLICTS.
D049673	History, 20th Century	Time period from 1901 through 2000 of the common era.	20th Century History,20th Cent. History (Medicine),20th Cent. History of Medicine,20th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 20th Century,History of Medicine, 20th Cent.,History, Twentieth Century,Medical History, 20th Cent.,Medicine, 20th Cent.,20th Cent. Histories (Medicine),20th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 20th (Medicine),Cent. History, 20th (Medicine),Century Histories, 20th,Century Histories, Twentieth,Century History, 20th,Century History, Twentieth,Histories, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 20th Century,Histories, Twentieth Century,History, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Twentieth Century Histories,Twentieth Century History