Spanish Civil War labourers, and parts of the middle class. The conservative, strongly Catholic Basque country, along with Catholic Galicia and the more left-leaning Catalonia, sought autonomy or independence from the central government of Madrid. The Republican government allowed for the possibility of self-government for the two regions, whose forces were gathered under the People's Republican Army ("Ejército Popular Republicano", or EPR), which was reorganized into mixed brigades after October 1936. A few well-known people fought on the Republican side, such as English novelist George Orwell (who wrote "Homage to Catalonia" (1938), an account of his experiences in the war) and Canadian thoracic
Scottish volunteers in the Spanish Civil War be found in each of Scotland’s major cities. The renowned Scottish Gaelic poet Sorley Maclean had strong sympathies with the Republicans. Much of his earlier poetry focuses on the war, such as "Cornford" about British poets John Cornford and Julian Bell and the Spanish writer Federico García Lorca, who all died as a result of the war. In "An Roghainn" ("The Choice"), the poet expresses disappointment about his decision to stay in Scotland. This was put to a tune and is sung on the album by North Uist singer Julie Fowlis. Scottish volunteers in the Spanish Civil War Scottish Volunteers