Anarchy
Being on the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War, Orwell operated within Leftist factions in Catalonia. The most major of these factions that he discusses are the Anarchists who were represented by red and black flags. The colors red and black being the symbolic colors of Anarchism. Orwell uses the symbol of the Anarchist flags to represent the disorder of the war in general though. It has moved beyond the simple ideology of the participants (and not in a good way). The use of flags comes to symbolize the general chaos Orwell witnessed across Leftist occupied territory.
Squalor Of Warfare
A major recurring observation by Orwell is the squalor, dirt, and sickness of the trenches. The Spanish battlefield was covered in trash and refuse from both sides of the war. This carried over into the cities and camps where organization was rather poor. It was not uncommon to find disused cartridges, torn rags, and other garbage close to camps. This of course lead to infection, disease, and sickness spreading through the poorly maintained medical areas and hospitals. A fact Orwell observes may have killed more troops than actual combat.
Avoiding The Bullet
One of the few moments of actual combat George Orwell experienced in the Spanish Civil War was avoiding a Nationalist bullet. The event came as a great disappointment to Orwell as it finally shattered all his hopes for the war. There was to be no heroism in the Spanish trenches. Nearly all of the war was defined by scant artillery fire and scattered exchanges of fire between the Nationalist and Republican forces. The conflict was more an extended period of boredom and infighting rather than a glorious revolution to save Spain.
The Torn Flag
A flag Orwell finds among the refuse of the battlefield and returns to his command. Despite the devotion and sentimentality in the action, it earns Orwell little praise. The flag is torn up then used for cleaning rags at camp. The action implies how utility has triumphed ideological dedication on the battlefield. The symbol of the flag to the ideological cause now means nothing. A simple action which Orwell comes to regard as symbolic of the wider Leftist war effort in Spain.
War Propaganda
The proliferation of propaganda during the Spanish Civil War is one of Orwell's major complaints. Posters, pamphlets, speeches, and articles Orwell all finds useless by the end of the book. Orwell adds to his remarks by pointing out most of the propagandists were not even fighting in the war. If not outright lies, the media of both sides of the conflict was incredibly deluded. Both sides were only interested in using the news to energize their own soldiers and reach their own goals. The use of bright colors and loud noises existed only to attract Spain's large illiterate population to either side of the civil war.
