Blason of the International Brigades

The International Brigade was the name given to the band of volunteers and mercenaries who travelled to Spain to fight against the "Nationalist" forces led by General Franco and helped by Nazi German and Mussolini Italian forces, and defend the legitimate Spanish Republic government in the Spanish civil war between 1936 and 1939. Commemorative medal for the International Brigades This work is copyrighted. ... Commemorative medal for the International Brigades This work is copyrighted. ... The name Franco may refer to: Francisco Franco, Dictator of Spain from 1936 to 1975 Francois Luambo Makiadi, a Congolese musician and founder of the band OK Jazz active from the 1950s to 1980s ... Flag of the Spanish Republics. ... History of Spain Series -Timeline -Roman Spain -Visigothic Spain -Moorish Spain -Age of Reconquest -Age of Expansion -Age of Enlightenment -Reaction and Revolution -First Spanish Republic -The Restoration -Second Spanish Republic -Spanish Civil War -The Dictatorship -Modern Spain Topics -Economic History -Military History -Social History The Spanish Civil War (July...

40,000 men and women were enrolled in the Brigades. As many as 10,000 of them never returned. 50 nationalities were represented in the Brigades (during the Battle of Madrid, the XIIth Brigade counted representatives from no fewer than 17 nationalities in its ranks)

Many important artists and writers were in Spain at the time, including W.H. Auden and George Orwell. Ernest Hemingway also was there as a war reporter for the NANA, and spent time on the front line -- see For Whom the Bell Tolls, as well as André Malraux (l'Espoir), or Simone Weil. Christopher Isherwood and W.H. Auden, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1939 Wystan Hugh Auden (February 21, 1907–September 29, 1973) was an English poet. ... George Orwell George Orwell was the pen name of British author Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950). ... Ernest Hemingway, 1950. ... For Whom the Bell Tolls book cover For Whom the Bell Tolls is a 1940 novel by Ernest Hemingway. ... André Malraux, French author, adventurer, and statesman André Malraux (November 3, 1901 - November 23, 1976) was a French author, adventurer and statesman preeminent in the world of French politics and culture during his lifetime. ... Simone Weil should not be confused with Simone Veil, a French politician. ...

Constitution of the Brigades

Republican propaganda poster featuring the International Brigades. The text reads : "Internationals, united with the Spanish people, we fight the invader".

The idea to use foreign Communist Parties to recruit volunteers (both Communist and non-Communists -- a non-Communnist volunteer would first have an interview with an agent of the NKVD) to come to the aid of the Spanish Republic was proposed in Moscow in September 1936 by Willy Muenzenberg, who was the chief of Comintern propaganda for Western Europe (perhaps at the suggestion by Maurice Thorez). By the end of September, the Italian and French Communist Parties had decided to set up a column. Luigi Longo, ex-leader of the Italian Communist Youth, was charged to make the necessary arrangements with the Spanish government. The Soviet Ministry of Defense also helped, since they had experience of dealing with corps of international volunteers (there had been precedents of such corps during the Russian Civil War). At first, the idea was opposed by Largo Caballero, but after the first setbacks of the war, he changed his mind, and finally agreed to the operation on 22 October. However, the Soviet Union did not withdraw from the Non-Intervention Committee, probably to avoid diplomatic conflict with France and Britain. Spanish civil war republican propaganda poster featuring the International Brigades. ... Spanish civil war republican propaganda poster featuring the International Brigades. ... A Communist party is a party which promotes Communism. ... Black Ravens by Boris Vladimirski, a depiction of the cars used by NKVD agents. ... There have been two Spanish Republics: First Spanish Republic (1873-1874) Second Spanish Republic (1931-1939) Franco declared Spain to be a monarchy, but did not permit a monarch until his death in 1975. ... Saint Basils Cathedral Moscow  listen? ( Russian/Cyrillic: Москва́, pronunciation: Moskva), capital of Russia, located on the river Moskva, and encompassing 1097. ... The first edition of Communist International, journal of the Comintern published in Moscow and Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg) in May 1919. ... Maurice Thorez Maurice Thorez (April 28, 1900–July 11, 1964) was a French statesman and longtime leader of the French Communist Party (PCF) from 1930 until his death. ... Luigi Longo (1900 - 1980) was an Italian Communist political figure. ... Soviet Union - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Francisco Largo Caballero (October 15, 1869 -March 23, 1946) was a Spanish politician and trade unionist. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ...

Republican propaganda poster. The text reads : "The International Brigades, in the heart of the popular army, help to defend your wealth and land". Notice the arm-band which features the emblem of the International Brigades, a three-pointed red star.

The main recruitment centre was in Paris, under the supervision of Soviet colonel Karol "Walter" Swierczewski. On 17 October 1936, an open letter by Stalin to José Diaz was published in Mundo Obrero, alleging that liberation for Spain was a matter not only for Spaniards, but also for the whole of "progressive Humanity"; in a matter of days, support organisations for the Spanish Republic were funded in most countries, all more or less controlled by the Comintern. Propaganda poster about the International Brigades File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Propaganda poster about the International Brigades File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვილი; see Other names section) (December 21, 1879[1] – March 5, 1953) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and leader of the Soviet Union. ... The first edition of Communist International, journal of the Comintern published in Moscow and Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg) in May 1919. ...

Paths were arranged for volunteers: for instance, Josip Broz, who would became famous as Marshal Tito, was in Paris to provide assistance, money and passports for the volunteers from Eastern Europe. Volunteers were sent by train or ship from France to Spain, and sent to the base at Albacete. However, many of them also went by themselves to Spain. The volunteers were under no contract, nor defined engagement period, which would later prove a problem. Josip Broz Tito (May 7, 1892 - May 4, 1980) was the ruler of Yugoslavia between the end of World War II and his death in 1980. ... Albacete is a city in southeastern Spain, 173 miles southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha. ...

American Brigadists in training

Many Italians, Germans, and people from other countries with repressive governments joined the movement, with the idea that combat in Spain was a first step to restore democracy or advance a revolutionary cause in their own country. There were also many unemployed workers (especially from France), and adventurers. Finally, some 500 Communists who had been exiled to Russia were sent to Spain (among then, experienced military leaders from the First World War like "Kléber" Stern, "Gomez" Zaisser, "Lukacs" Zalka and "Gal" Galicz, who would prove invaluable in combat). Training of American Brigadists during the Spanish Civil War File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Training of American Brigadists during the Spanish Civil War File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

The operation was met by Communists with enthusiasm, but by Anarchists with scepticism, at best. At first, the Anarchists who controlled the borders with France were told to refuse Communist volunteers, and reluctantly allowed their passage after protests.

The first group of 500 men (mainly French, with a few exiled Poles and Germans) arrived in Albacete on 14 October 1936. They were met by international volunteers who had already been fighting in Spain: the surviving Germans from the Taelmann Century, Italians from Gastone Sozzi and French from Commune de Paris. (Amongst these men, British poet John Cornford). Men were sorted according to their experience and origin, and dispatched to units. Albacete is a city in southeastern Spain, 173 miles southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha. ... October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in Leap years). ... 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Rupert John Cornford (27 December 1915 – 28 December 1936) was an English poet and communist. ...

Albacete base was under the command of André Marty, a French Communist whose obsession for plots and spies would trigger massive purges (Ernest Hemingway would draft a ferocious portait of Marty in For Whom the Bell Tolls). Marty was essentially incompetent and owned his position to the friendship of Stalin. He was seconded by better leaders, who set up training for Cavalry, Artillery and Infantry, and hospitals. Albacete is a city in southeastern Spain, 173 miles southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha. ... Ernest Hemingway, 1950. ... For Whom the Bell Tolls book cover For Whom the Bell Tolls is a 1940 novel by Ernest Hemingway. ... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვილი; see Other names section) (December 21, 1879[1] – March 5, 1953) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and leader of the Soviet Union. ...

The French Communist Party provided uniforms for the Brigades. Discipline was extreme. For several months, the Brigades were locked in their base while a strict military training was under way.

First Engagements: the Battle of Madrid

The first International Brigade, the XIth Brigade (numbered XI, next to the ten mixed brigades of the Spanish regular army), under command of Kléber, was engaged during the Battle of Madrid, occupying its positions on 8 November 1936. There were the Edgard André (German), Commune de Paris (French), and Dombrowsky (Polish) battalions, and a section of British machine-gunners, totalling around 1900 men. The XIIth brigade took its positions on the 13 November 1936, with 1550 men. November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 53 days remaining. ... 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... November 13 is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 48 days remaining. ... 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Republican propaganda poster featuring the International Brigades. The text reads: "All the people of the world are in the International Brigades at the side of the Spanish People". The three figures are those of a "yellow", "black" and "white" soldier, as to represent the whole humanity.

The Battle of Madrid was a major success for the Republic, and the role of the International Brigades in this victory was generally recognised, sometimes even beyond reality (the British Ambassador, Sir Henry Childon, declaring that there were no Spaniards in the Army which had defended Madrid). Even though the International Brigades did not win the battle by themselves, nor significantly change the situation, they certainly did provide an example by their superb fight, and improved the morale of the population by demonstrating the concern of other nations in the fight. Propaganda poster about the International Brigades File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Propaganda poster about the International Brigades File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Brigadists at Casa del Campo on the western outskirts of Madrid.

One of the strategic positions in Madrid was the Casa del Campo. There the Nationalist troops were Arab troops commanded by General Varela. They were excellent fighters in the open, but were ill-trained for urban warfare, a role which the Republicans mastered from the early days of the war. They were thus stopped by the IIIrd and IVth Brigades of the regular Republican Army. On 9 November 1936, the whole XIth Brigade was at the Casa del Campo. In the evening Kléber launched an assault on the Nationalist positions, which lasted for the whole night and part of the next morning. At the end of the fight, the Nationalist troops had been forced to retreat, abandoning all hopes of a direct assault on Madrid by Casa del Campo, while the XIth Brigade had lost a third of its men. International Brigades at the Casa del Campo File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... International Brigades at the Casa del Campo File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

On the 12th, as the battle was raging on, the XIIth Brigade, under General "Lukacs", took its positions on the Valencia-Madrid road, with battalions Thaelmann (Germans), André Marty(French and Belgians) and Garibaldi (Italians). The XIIth launched an attack on Nationalist positions on the hill Corro de los Angeles, which was unsuccessful (languages and communication problems, command issues, lack of rest, bad links with armoured units and insufficient artillery support seem to have contributed to the failure). Georg Lukács (April 13, 1885 - June 4, 1971) was a Hegelian and Marxist philosopher and literary critic. ... The Hemispheric at the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències by Santiago Calatrava, Valencia, Spain. ... Coat of arms The Plaza de España square Madrid, the capital of Spain, is located in the center of the country at 40°25′ N 3°45′ W. Population of the city of Madrid proper was 3,093,000 (Madrilenes, madrileños) as of 2003 estimates. ...

On the 16th, Anarchist units of the Republican Army were forced to retreat, and the University City was taken by Nationalist troops -- Arab troops and legionnaries covered by the Nazi Condor Legion. The XIth Brigade was sent to defend the City. The battle was extremely bloody, a mix of artillery and aerial bombardments with bayonet and grenade fights, room by room. Anarchist leader Durruti was shot there on the 19 November 1936, and died the next day. The battle in the University went on until 3/4 on the City was under nationalist control. Both sides then started setting up trenches and fortifications. It was then clear that any assault from either side would be far too costly; the nationalist leaders had to renounce the idea of a direct assault on Madrid, and ready for a siege of the capital. The Condor Legion (Legión Cóndor in Spanish) was a unit of Nazi Germanys air force which was sent as volunteers to support the Nationalists (i. ... Buenaventura Durruti (July 14, 1896 in Leon, Spain–November 20, 1936) was a central figure of Spanish anarchism during the period leading up to and during the Spanish Civil War. ... November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A siege is a prolonged military blockade and assault of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition. ...

On 13 December 1936, 18,000 nationalist troops attempted an attack to close the encirclement of Madrid at Guadarrama. The Republicans sent a Soviet armoured unit (under General Dmitry Pavlov, whose experience in Spain would make a future hero of the Second World War) and both XIth and XIIth International Brigades. Violent combat resulted in stopping the Nationalist advance. December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Guadarrama is a town in the Community of Madrid in Spain. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

An attack was then launched by the Republic on the Cordoba front. The battle ended in a form of stale-mate (a communication was issued, saying: "Today, our advance continued without loss of land"). Poets Ralph Fox and John Cornford were killed. Eventually, the Nationalists advanced, taking the hydro-electric station at El Campo. André Marty accused the commander of the Marseillaise Battalion, Gaston Delasalle, of espionage and treason and had him executed (it is doubtful that Delasalle would have been a spy for Franco; he was denounced by his own second, André Heussler, who might have been a traitor himself and was later executed for treason by the French Resistance during the Second World War). Córdoba most commonly means Córdoba, Spain, a famous city in Spain inhabited since the time of ancient Rome, and the seat of the Emir of Córdoba and the Caliph of Córdoba. ... Ralph H. Fox was an American mathematician specializing in topology. ... Rupert John Cornford (27 December 1915 – 28 December 1936) was an English poet and communist. ... The name Franco may refer to: Francisco Franco, Dictator of Spain from 1936 to 1975 Francois Luambo Makiadi, a Congolese musician and founder of the band OK Jazz active from the 1950s to 1980s ...

Further Nationalist attempts after Christmas to encircle Madrid met with failure, not without extremely violent combat. On 6 January 1937, the Thaelmann Battalion arrived at Las Rozas and held its positions virtually to the last man. On the 9th, only ten kilometers had been lost to the Nationalists, when the XIIth and XIVth International Brigades and the 1st British Company arrived in Madrid. Violent Republican assaults were launched in attempt to retake the land, but with little success. On the 15th, trenches and fortifications were built by both sides, resulting in a stalemate. January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The Nationalists did not retake Madrid until the very end of the war.

The battle of Jarama

On the 6 February 1937, following the fall of Malaga, the nationalists launched an attack on the Madrid-Andalusia road, south of Madrid. The Nationalists quickly advanced on the little town Ciempozuelos, held by the XVth International Brigade, which was composed by the Saklatvala Battalion (British), the Dimitrov battalion (miscellaneous Balkan nationalities), the 6 Février Battalion (Belgians and French) and the Abraham Lincoln battalion (550 Americans, some of them Black). February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Málaga, a port town in the province of Málaga in Andalusia, Southern Spain Malaga, a fortified wine originating in Málaga. ... Coat of arms The Plaza de España square Madrid, the capital of Spain, is located in the center of the country at 40°25′ N 3°45′ W. Population of the city of Madrid proper was 3,093,000 (Madrilenes, madrileños) as of 2003 estimates. ... Motto: Dominator Hercules Fundator Andalucía por sí, para España y la humanidad (Andalusia for herself, for Spain, and for humanity) Capital Seville Area  – Total  – % of Spain Ranked 2nd  87 268 km²  17,2% Population  – Total (2003)  – % of Spain  – Density Ranked 1st  7 478 432  17,9%  85,70/km² Demonym...

On the 11 February 1937, all sentries of the André Marty battalion of the XIVth Brigade were stabbed and a Nationalist brigade crossed the Jarama. The Garibaldi Battalion stopped the advance with heavy fire. At another point, the same tactic allowed the Nationalists to deploy their troops past the river. February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The British Saklatvala Battalion took most of the attack, on the 12th. It defended its positions under heavy artillery fire for 7 hours. The place became known as "Suicide Hill". At the end of the day, 225 men remained of the 600 of the British battalion. A company was made prisoner by ruse (Nationalists advanced amongst their ranks singing The Internationale). The Internationale (LInternationale in French) is the most famous socialist song and one of the most widely recognized songs in the world. ...

On the 17th, the Republican Army struck back. The 23rd and the 27th, the International Brigades were engaged, but with little success. The Abraham Lincoln battalion was put under great pressure, with no artillery support. There were 120 killed and 175 wounded. Amongst the dead was the Irish poet Charles Donelly [1] (http://www.ajoderse.com/varios/red/red.htm).

As in Madrid, the fight resulted in a stalemate, since both sides had consolidated their positions to the point were no useful assault could be undertaken.

The battle of Guadalajara

After the failed assault on the Jarama, the Nationalists attempted another assault on Madrid, from the North-East this time. The objective was the town of Guadalajara, 50 kilometers from Madrid. The whole Italian expeditionary corps (35,000 men, with 80 battle tanks and 200 field artillery) was deployed, as Mussolini wanted the victory to be credited to Italy. On 9 March 1937, the Italians made a breach in the Republican lines, but did not properly exploit the advance. However, the rest of the Nationalist army was advancing, and the situation appeared critical for the Republicans. A mixture of the best available units of the Republican army was quickly set up, among them the XIth and XIIth International Brigades. Guadalajara is a city in Castile-La Mancha, Spain, capital of the province of Guadalajara. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

At dawn on 10 March 1937 the Nationalists closed in, and by noon, the Garibaldi Battalion made its move. Some confusion arose from the fact that the sides were not aware of each other's moves, and that both sides spoke Italian; this resulted in scouts from both sides exchanging information without realising they were enemies. The Republican lines advanced and made contact with the XIth International Brigade. Fascist battle tanks were shot at and infantry patrols came into action (there took place the incident in which a fascist officer asked why Italian soldiers were shooting at his party, and was responded Noi siamo Italiani di Garibaldi, and which point the Fascists surrendered). The action went on as some sort of Italian civil war in foreign land. The common language was taken advantage of when the Republicans used loudspeakers to broadcast propaganda messages and airplanes to drop messages promising to pay Fascist deserters. March 10 is the 69th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (70th in Leap years). ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

On the 11th, the Fascists broke the front of the Republican army. The Thaelmann Brigade suffered heavy losses but succeeded in holding the Trijueque-Torija road. Garibaldi also held its positions. On the 12th, Republican planes and tanks attacked. The Thaelmann Brigade attacked Trijuete with bayonets and re-took the town, capturing numerous prisoners.

To re-write

The first Brigades to be formed were mostly composed from French, Belgian, Italian and German volunteers, and were numbered as the XIth, XIIth and XIIIth mixed brigades (according to the re-organisation of the Spanish army, which was consituted in ten mixed Brigades immediately after the failed coup; these brigades mixed experienced soldiers with volunteers who had just joined but had no experience of combat).

The battalions were often constituted of one particular nationality, so as to ease understanding of orders. They were named after national heroes of the Left movements. Examples are the

• British Saklatava Battalion (named after a Communist MP of Indian descent, the name was not widely used and the Battalions banner proclaims "British Battalion"
• German Thaelmann battalion (named after Ernst Thaelmann, leader of the German Communist Party during the Weimar Republic),
• French Louise Michel battalion (after Louise Michel a hero of the 1871 Paris Commune) and Commune de Paris battalion,
• Canadian Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion this was named after two leaders of the 1837 revolt against the British imperial powers,
• American Volunteers originally formed the Abraham Lincoln Battalion and they were later joined by the George Washington Battalion. These were the first American military units to be racially integrated; the Lincoln Battalion was at one point commanded by Oliver Law, who became the first black man to lead white American combat troops. After heavy casualties at Jarama and Brunete the two battalions were merged to form the Lincoln-Washington Battalion.

There were nearly 40,000 volunteers, of whom 9000 to 10,000 were French, for the defense of the Spanish Republic. Most of them were workers, and half of them were from Paris. They included a large number of veterans of the First World War, which made them efficient fighters. The first engagements fought by the International Brigades during the Battle of Madrid demonstrated their military value. Ernst Thälmann memorial in Weimar. ... The period of German history from 1919 to 1933 is known as the Weimar Republic (Pronounced Vye-Mar, and in German it is known as the Weimarer Republik). It is named after the city of Weimar, where a national assembly convened to produce a new constitution after the German monarchy... Louise Michel (1830-1905) was a French anarchist, school teacher and medical worker. ... The term Paris Commune originally referred to the government of Paris during the French Revolution. ... The Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion or Mac-Paps were a battalion of Canadians who fought as part of the Fifteenth International Regiment for the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. ... The Abraham Lincoln Brigade was an organization of United States volunteers supporting or fighting for the anti-fascist Spanish Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War as part of the International Brigade. ...

The International Brigades were mainly Communists, or under Communist authority. They were involved in the fighting in Barcelona against Republican opponents of the Communists -- the POUM (Partido Obredo de Unification Marxista, which defined themselves as Trotskyists, while having been explicitly backed by Trotsky) and Anarchists. 1915 passport photo of Trotsky Leon Davidovich Trotsky (Russian: Лев Давидович Троцкий; also transliterated Trotskii, Trotski, Trotzky) (October 26 (O.S.) = November 7 (N.S.), 1879 - August 21, 1940), born Lev Davidovich Bronstein (Лев Давидович Бронштейн), was a Bolshevik revolutionary and Marxist intellectual. ...

Later, mercenary contracts were cancelled, and learning Spanish became mandatory, coincidating with a tightening of military discipline amongst the Spanish Republican military.

Status of the Brigades after the war

The monument which honours the German brigadists in Berlin

Since the Civil War was eventually won by the Nationalists, the Brigadists were initially on the "wrong side" of History, especially since most of their home countries had a right-wing government (in France, for instance, the Popular Front was not in power anymore). However, since most of these countries found themselves at war with the very powers which had been fought in Spain, the Brigadists gained some prestige as the first guard of the democracies, having fought a prophetical combat. Retrospectively, it was clear that the war in Spain was not as much a Spanish Civil war than a precursor of the coming Second World War. Some glory was therefore accredited to the volunteers (a great deal of the survivors having also fought gallantly during the World War), but this soon faded in the fear of Soviet-like propaganda. Since the fall of the Soviet bloc, the International Brigades have been quite unanimously regarded as heroes, and the legitimacy of their fight seems to have washed away the stains of summary executions and Stalinist manipulations. International Brigades monument in Berlin File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... International Brigades monument in Berlin File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Popular Fronts comprise broad coalitions of political and other groups, often made up of oppositioners or left wingers, and often united against particularly stringent circumstances. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

Swiss Brigadists

766 Swiss went to fight for the Republic, while only 40 went on the other side. It is interesting to note that the pro-republicans were later prosecuted for breaking the Swiss neutrality laws, which prohibit Swiss nationals from fight for foreign countries, while the pro-fascists were never prosecuted. This might be explained on one hand by the anti-communism of the Swiss government at the time, but also because the Swiss living in Spain at the time (nearly 4000) were very much afraid of what was perceived as a communist movement. The Republican fighters were re-habilitated in the 1990s.

Interestingly, it has been noted that the punishments of those prosecuted were very variable (ranging from 15 days to 4 months in prison) but that the French-speaking tribunals had been as a rule much more lenient than the German-speaking ones. This is very much corellated to the openly pro-fascist sentiment of the so-called elite in those parts at the time.

Recognition of former Brigadists

On 26 January 1996 the Spanish government gave Spanish citizenship to the Brigadists. At the time, roughly 600 remained. By the end of 1938, Prime Minister Juan Negrin had promised Spanish citizenship to the Brigadists, a promise which had not been kept since the Republic had lost the war. January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Juan Negrín Lopez (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, February 3, 1887 - Paris, November 12, 1956) was a Spanish republican political figure during the Spanish Civil War. ...

Misc

Symbolism and Heraldic

The International Brigades were inheritors of a Communist aesthetic, which explains the numerous very stylised posters about the subject.

The flags featured the colours of the Spanish Republic : Red, Yellow and Purple, often along with Communist symbols (Red flags, hammer and sickle, fist,...). The emblem of the brigades themselves was the three-pointed red star, which is often featured.

Flags of the Brigades

Flags of the Brigades

Flags of the International Brigades File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Flags of the International Brigades File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Flags of the International Brigades File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Flags of the International Brigades File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Personalities involved in the International Brigades

Oliver Law (third from the right, with the hat) and his comrades in action

• André Marty
• "Kléber" Stern
• "Gomez" Zaisser
• "Lukacs" Zalka
• "Gal" Galicz
• John Cornford
• Norman Bethune
• Simone Weil
• Ernest Hemingway (although he was in Spain officially only as a reporter, Hemingway did not balk at lending a hand in the small arms training of the recruits)
• David Guest
• Oliver Law
• Stephen Spender
• Pierre Georges dit Colonel Fabien
• Henri Rol-Tanguy
• Willy Brandt

Oliver Law and other brigadists fighting during the Spanish Civil War File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Oliver Law and other brigadists fighting during the Spanish Civil War File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Oliver Law (1899-July 9, 1937) was an African American communist, labor organizer and social activist, who fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. ... Dr. Henry Norman Bethune (March 30, 1890 - November 12, 1939) was a Canadian physician, medical innovator, and humanitarian. ... Simone Weil should not be confused with Simone Veil, a French politician. ... Ernest Hemingway, 1950. ... David Guest (1911 - 1938) was a Communist British mathematician and philosopher who volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War and was killed in Spain in 1938. ... Oliver Law (1899-July 9, 1937) was an African American communist, labor organizer and social activist, who fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. ... Sir Stephen Harold Spender (February 28, 1909 - July 16, 1995) was an English poet and essayist who concentrated on themes of social injustice and the class struggle in his work. ... Henri Rol-Tanguy (1908-2002) was a French communist and leader in the French Resistance. ... Willy Brandt (December 18, 1913–October 8, 1992) was a left German politician and Chancellor of Germany from 1969 to 1974. ...

References

Books

Poster for the film Sierra de Teruel, by André Malraux

• Spanish Civil War, Hugh Thomas
• Nancy Mitford's novel The Pursuit of Love (1945)
• British Volunteers For Liberty, Bill Alexander
• Book of the 15th Brigade, edited by Frank Ryan
• Britons in Spain, Bill Rust
• Homage To Catalonia, George Orwell, (an account of his time fighting with the POUM)

Poster for the film Sierra de Turuel File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Poster for the film Sierra de Turuel File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... André Malraux, French author, adventurer, and statesman André Malraux (November 3, 1901 - November 23, 1976) was a French author, adventurer and statesman preeminent in the world of French politics and culture during his lifetime. ... Nancy Mitford (November 28, 1904 -1973), novelist and biographer, was born in London, the eldest daughter of Baron Redesdale. ... The Pursuit of Love is a novel by Nancy Mitford, first published in 1945. ... See also: 1944 in literature, other events of 1945, 1946 in literature, list of years in literature. ...

Internet pages

• IBMT the international brigade memorial trust (http://www.international-brigades.org.uk/)
• Farewell to the International Brigades  (http://www.international-brigades.org.uk/british_volunteers/farewell.htm)
• Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives (http://www.alba-valb.org/)
• Spartacus Educational (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/SPinternational.htm)

Photographs

• asso.acer.free.fr (http://asso.acer.free.fr/photos/galeriephotos.htm)
• english.uiuc.edu (http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/scw/photessay.htm)

Films

• Land and Freedom (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114671/), by Ken Loach (although the subject of the film is not the International Brigades, it portaits international volunteers, and the actual International Brigades are indeed featured. Loach is however not sympathetic to the Brigades and this is apparent in their portrayal in the film
• Sierra de Teruel  (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0037680/) by André Malraux (features the International bomber squadron in margin of the Brigades)