Guernica

When the local people who ventured out on a hot afternoon in Guernica, they had no idea that an imminent and dealdly threat had already been set into motion.

It was a cruel act of distruction, an evil collaboration between Franco, the country's acting head and its ally, Adolf Hitler. Franco wanted to break the Republican insurgents who continued to fight the incumbent Nationalists who ceased control of a nation already in deep trouble. In a cynical attempt to break the spirit of the residual Republican insurgents, Franco gave approval for the German luftwaffe to mette an arial attack which would give the German airforce an opportunity to test this new and novel way of dispensing insendiary devices. But their target were not the insurgents hiding in the mountains and in the forests, instead, their targets were to be the defencless townsfolk of Guernica. Women, children and the elderly.

At approx 15:00 a reconnaisance aircraft flew over the area and duly left. Followed shortly afterwards by the German Luftwaffe who were free to reek havoc on the hapless towns people who were largely women, children and the elderly.

Wave after wave of incendiary bombs were unleashed, Guernica was raised to the ground and the infamous act of cruel betrayal would survive long after the perpurtartors had themselves passed away.

The news of this attack quickly spread and so reached Picasso via a newspaper report. Outraged, Picasso took the baton to bring attention to what had happened and produced a painting to represent the Spanish submission at the Paris Expo. This painting is the result.

Today, the painting as a whole and its images are used to protest at the prospect of war. Or for it to symbolise the search for peace. But as laudible and honerable as these are, they're not aligned to what Guernica is about. 

Guernica is not about the avoidance of war, it's neither about the search for peace. The insurgents who fouught Franco's troops never shirked from their beliefs. They fought hard for them. No, it's not about peace. It's about an atrocity. A terrible atrocity. Deliberate targeting of the most vulnerable and least able to defend themselves. Ostensibly a test of a new way of dispensing death, but actually, probably just an excuse to put into effect the results of the luftwaffe's development. And nobody came to help. The leading free nations in Europe: Briatin and France, did nothing. America refused to help on the back of a principle of non intervention. Understandable but unacceptable. Guernica was a call to the world to bring what had happened into public knowledge. Shame being brought on those who betrayed and those who turned away. Shame on on the organisation that willfully engaged in this haneous act so willingly and with such expertise.