* * * July - December 1936 * * *
On July 18th, 1936, the Spanish Republic fell apart. Nationalist forces waged civil war against the Republican troops. The Nationalists leaned towards the right, the Republicans to the left, and so Stalin was of course partial on this conflict on the Southwestern tip of Europe. Italy and Germany sent men and material to aid the nationalists in this conflict while Great Britain and France refrained from supporting any side. Seeing how this war might tip the scales more in favor of anti-communist countries in Europe, Stalin commissioned an order that men were and material were to be dispatched to support the Republicans. Afterwards, all that could be done was to sit and watch. Learning of the Soviet aid for their opponents, and encouraged by the support from Italy and Germany, the Nationalists under General Franco turned fascist.
General Franco watching a parade
In September our scientists and engineers had solved the problem of mounting 20 mm guns onto light tanks and began designing an armored vehicle accordingly right away. The premier pressed them to make the model available for the next year and the intended campaign against Persia, although his generals warned him that the terrain was too mountainous to be of advantage for the new tank, but Stalin would have nothing of that.
By October, thanks to the aggressive diplomacy of Litvinov, Finland and Romania had reached amicable terms with the U.S.S.R. All the more it was a shock what Stalin had in mind for their future. NOw that our agents could act rather freely in their territories he planned to support communist groups in both countries and hopefully bring them into power, creating thankful new governments in Helsinki and Bucharest.
The U.S.A. elected a new president in November. While F. D. Roosevelt had led the country through the Great Depression, he was now voted out of office in favor of the Republican Alf M. Landon. Stalin was pleased at this. He had estimated that Roosevelt would go to great lengths to contain both Fascism and Communism and he hoped that President Landon was less bent in that direction.
During a maneuver in early December the new light tank was introduced, the T-26. It was the most advanced tank of the Red Army at the time, bringing together speed and firepower so far unprecedented in the Soviet troops. Stalin ordered two divisions of Field Marshal Zhukov's 11th Army on the Polish border to be supplied with these new tanks right away, and Armaments Minister Kaganovich complied only too gladly. In addition with the new 90 mm dield artillery, Stalin hoped that the Persians would be in for a bitter surprise the following year.
Shortly before the end of 1936, the Spanish Civil War was over. The fascists under Franco had prevailed, turning Spain into another right wing dictatorship. Stalin was distressed at this and was only re-assured that his plans of creating Soviet states in Finland and Romania was necessary.
The new T-26
On July 18th, 1936, the Spanish Republic fell apart. Nationalist forces waged civil war against the Republican troops. The Nationalists leaned towards the right, the Republicans to the left, and so Stalin was of course partial on this conflict on the Southwestern tip of Europe. Italy and Germany sent men and material to aid the nationalists in this conflict while Great Britain and France refrained from supporting any side. Seeing how this war might tip the scales more in favor of anti-communist countries in Europe, Stalin commissioned an order that men were and material were to be dispatched to support the Republicans. Afterwards, all that could be done was to sit and watch. Learning of the Soviet aid for their opponents, and encouraged by the support from Italy and Germany, the Nationalists under General Franco turned fascist.
General Franco watching a parade
In September our scientists and engineers had solved the problem of mounting 20 mm guns onto light tanks and began designing an armored vehicle accordingly right away. The premier pressed them to make the model available for the next year and the intended campaign against Persia, although his generals warned him that the terrain was too mountainous to be of advantage for the new tank, but Stalin would have nothing of that.
By October, thanks to the aggressive diplomacy of Litvinov, Finland and Romania had reached amicable terms with the U.S.S.R. All the more it was a shock what Stalin had in mind for their future. NOw that our agents could act rather freely in their territories he planned to support communist groups in both countries and hopefully bring them into power, creating thankful new governments in Helsinki and Bucharest.
The U.S.A. elected a new president in November. While F. D. Roosevelt had led the country through the Great Depression, he was now voted out of office in favor of the Republican Alf M. Landon. Stalin was pleased at this. He had estimated that Roosevelt would go to great lengths to contain both Fascism and Communism and he hoped that President Landon was less bent in that direction.
During a maneuver in early December the new light tank was introduced, the T-26. It was the most advanced tank of the Red Army at the time, bringing together speed and firepower so far unprecedented in the Soviet troops. Stalin ordered two divisions of Field Marshal Zhukov's 11th Army on the Polish border to be supplied with these new tanks right away, and Armaments Minister Kaganovich complied only too gladly. In addition with the new 90 mm dield artillery, Stalin hoped that the Persians would be in for a bitter surprise the following year.
Shortly before the end of 1936, the Spanish Civil War was over. The fascists under Franco had prevailed, turning Spain into another right wing dictatorship. Stalin was distressed at this and was only re-assured that his plans of creating Soviet states in Finland and Romania was necessary.
The new T-26
