Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Communism

  • Operation Pedro Pan: Saving Cuban children from communism

    Howard FischerUppsala, Sweden In 1959, lawyer and revolutionary Fidel Castro (1926–2016) overthrew the corrupt, US-supported government of Fulgencio Batista, the dictator of Cuba. Castro promised reforms and democracy. However, early in his regime, members of the Batista government were executed after pro forma trials. Businesses were nationalized in 1960, and the following year, all private…

  • George Orwell and the Spanish Civil War: A brush with death

    James Franklin Chicago, Illinois, United States   Picture of George Orwell, which appears in an old accreditation for the BNUJ. Internet Archive. Via Wikimedia. Robert Capa’s “The Fallen Soldier” is the iconic photograph of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). The original title was “Loyalist Militiaman at the Moment of Death, Carro Muriano, September 5, 1936.”…

  • Dr. Norman Bethune: A tale of military heroism

    Satish Saroshe Indore, India   A frontline surgeon, noted medical innovator, and early proponent of universal health care, Henry Norman Bethune was best known for his services in World War I, the Spanish Civil War, and above all for selfless work in war-torn China, treating sick Chinese villagers and wounded soldiers. He was one of…