1) In your own words describe the factions that are fighting on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War and those factions fighting on the Nationalist side of the war. The purpose of this question is to give you an opportunity to develop a working understanding of what can be a challenging set of groups and acronyms to understand and remember.  Some things to think about as your answer this question is who started the war; why was it started; and what were the major factors that contributed to the Nationalist victory?

2) What was the role of the Soviet Union in the Spanish Civil War? How did the actions and the directives coming from Moscow affect the events of the Spanish Civil War?

3) When Orwell arrives back in Barcelona he notices a distinct change in the mood of the people and the manner in which life in the city is operating. Choose a few of the passages where he speaks to this change and describes their importance.

4) Summarize the action that takes place in chapter 9. Why has fighting broken out in Barcelona? Who is fighting whom? Summarize Orwell’s actions and the thoughts he expresses in his writing about these events. Again, the point of my asking this question is so you have an opportunity to put your ideas and thoughts about this chapter down in your own words. I know there’s a lot of details of this faction and that faction, but challenge yourself to summarize the important points of the events.