William placed a question two issues ago following a Murray Bookchin book on the war, in which there was a query raised by the libertarians on several executions performed by the Communists against CNT members during the battle of the Ebro river. The issue is not an easy one, and probably must be treated as a whole situation in which the Communist Party was introducing their sole control of the Popular Army (which meant the radical elimination of any possible opposition); and the hardship and difficulties faced by the Republican soldiers during the longest and probably one of the fiercest battles of the SCW.

I haven't found yet any direct witness of such summarial executions, but the truth is that there are plenty of good references to what was happening in many sources, ea.:

Martinez Bande refers to the Republican army at the Ebro battle "as a red force in its leaders and commisars" ("La batalla del Ebro" Servicio Historico Militar, Monografias de la Guerra Civil Espanola no 13 pg. 85), and Ramon Salas mentions in his "Historia del Ejercito Popular de la Republica, vol II, that "The unit commanders at the Ebro battle were mostly communist, and the party was controlling not only the the army leadership, but the three army corps and all units commissars".

Ramon Salas also says that "the Carabineros were sent to large patrol services in order to avoid defections and uprisings. Dozens were arrested and probably shot, but thousands could escape towards the border. The dispirit was widely spread not only among the communist foes, the anarchist or the syndicalist, but also among catalonian nationalist, socialist and others." (this paragraph refers to a late moment of the three months battle)

As an indirect reference, Martinez Bandes finds in Azana's memoirs a sentence awarded to general Hernandez Saravia: "Almost all the Ebro army is communist. There's a sort of internal discipline in each unit. General Rojo had said him (H. Saravia) that there are no more republicans."

Clear Idea

There is a clear idea among these authors that the conununist were not only leading the Ebro army, but control and new discipline was their immediate aim.

On page 160 of Martinez Bande's mentioned book there is an order of the CCXXVII Brigade Commander (42nd Division) dated July 30 giving instructions "to shoot any soldier that either abandons or losses his weapon". He continues saying "The draconian decisions and execution without trial or reason will be frequent and without cease."

Other instruction mentioned by M. Bande says: "Each commander, n. c. o. or soldier is responsible for the guard, and defence of their field position and if lost or abandoned will be punished with death, being fully authorized any unit officer to execute such decision".

Accordingly, any defeat or repulse could be considered by the communist officers as treason and death deserving.

On page 189 M. Bande mentions that each night there were guard patrols to keep an eye on the mass of soldiers, and that commissars lead the vigilance. In the documents of a Battalion belonging to 60th Division, LXXXIV Brigade (8th August order) there was a general circular letter given to all units in which it is requested the "defence without recoiling possibilities"... "even to the death." The corporal will never recoil without written order from his commander, and if he does without permit, he will be shot inmediately. The same would be applicable for any sergeant, lieutenant and captain."

On page 201, there is a description of documents dated August 16th from the XXIII Brigade reminding the Ministry of Defence order relating the reprisals to be taken against the families of those daring to defect. On the 21st of August, Manuel Mora commander of the 16 Division (will later rout and withdraw from battle) says that the Division must either disappear or win in the battle. A third document from the G.E.R.O. commissariat, dated April 25th tells of the defection problem as "these soldiers were not changing sides, but going home; they were soldiers with very good political background, even volunteers from the first days of the campaign."

The report continues saying that "it can be said that our soldiers are not attended properly, being the fight so hard and cruel that the enemy is not the most important thing"... "Sometimes these soldiers have not eaten for several days and have nor clothes neither shoes"...

On page 223, M.Bandes remembers Andreu Castells words ("Las Brigadas Internacionales en la guerra de Espana". Ed. Ariel) : "At the Commissariats and all units commanders began to issue orders, coercitive menaces to repress any abandon, even in the rearguard. The list of summarial executions and punishment could be really large. The Horta prison and the Castelldefels castle was converted to a "checa" (torture and missing people gulags) for the International Brigades, and received quite a few of these soldiers".

Besides, there are lots of references in anarchist sources claiming against communist atrocities and provocations -- from 1937 onwards -- against their members, either at the front, or at the rearguard "colectivities" (see for instance "Los anarquistas y el poder" by Cesar Lorenzo. Ed Ruedo Iberico).