Although the International Brigades comprised an interesting and historically significant component of the Spanish Civil War, few official documents exist as a result of official national policies, the wide variety of languages of participating volunteer fighters, and the generally tumultuous history of Europe during the decades of the 1930’s and 1940’s. Estimates of participation and contributions vary widely pointing to the overall deficiencies in historical records. This is quite unfortunate because, in fact, the records which do exist show that the Spanish Civil War drew 35,000 volunteers from more than 50 countries to support the Spanish Republic.
The Spanish Civil War was waged between the Republicans and the Nationalists from July 1936 to April 1939. Fraser M. Ottanelli of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives reported that the conflict broke out in July 1936 in Morocco where Spanish army garrisons disarmed loyal Republican Officers and declared the region for the Rebels. This group of right-wing generals proclaimed themselves to be the new authority. The revolt quickly spread across the Strait of Gibraltar to the mainland areas of Mallorca, Old Castile, Navarre, Aragon and South Andalusia.
The uprising was primarily supported by the large landowners of Spain, the clergy and wealthy members of the Catholic Church, and some financiers and industrialists because they felt threatened by the elected Communist government's plans for reform. The nationalist generals controlled some of the most effective and competent units of the Spanish army. Helen Graham in The Spanish Civil War explained that in the early stages of the war, the level of support for the nationalists varied by region, but the country quickly divided into distinct zones. The rebellion tended to fail in large urban areas with organized labor movements that supported progressive Republican reform. Southern Spain with the high concentration of landless peasants and the northeast seacoast that held strong anti-centralist sentiments also remained Republican. Rural northern and western Spain supported the military coup of the Nationalists. However, splintered areas of loyalty were scattered throughout Spain.
Only seven days into the coup, international intervention became a factor in the conflict. Both Nationalists and Republicans received help from abroad. From the earliest days, foreign fighters played key roles in support of the rebel Spanish Nationalist army. Graham stated that units of the Army of Africa, comprised of the Spanish Foreign Legion and Moroccan troops, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and arrived in southern Spain throughout the summer months. According to the British Broadcasting System (BBC), full divisions of Italian troops fought on the rebel Nationalist side. Hitler contributed German aircraft, tanks, artillery and communications equipment, along with the crews needed to operate these contributions. German and Italian ships terrorized the Spanish southern and eastern coastline against Republican shipping.
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives reported that the Republican army had few friends, but Czechoslovakia and Mexico did send arms. The Soviet Union provided the most effective support through tanks and aircraft. Thousands of citizens from many countries and political parties arrived in Spain. Exiles from Germany, Italy and East European countries, driven from their own countries by dictatorship, were the first to arrive.
John Simkins of Spartacus Educational noted that many of the volunteers who joined the Republican forces were fighters experienced in fighting against fascism and had personal scores to settle. The largest contingents came from France, Germany, Poland and Italy. Additional volunteers were from England, Ireland, Scandinavia, Hungry, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. A smaller but significant number came from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Most served in the International Brigades and the international medical service. Women were also active supporters of the International Brigades, serving in Medical Units.
The British were well represented in the International Brigade. Bill Alexander in Memorials of the Spanish Civil War explained that even though Britain officially declared a position of neutrality, young and idealistic Britons were drawn to fight against the forces of the dictator, Francisco Franco. Although an exact figure cannot be assessed because of the Nonintervention Agreement of the British Conservative Government, the Spanish Civil War drew an estimated 2,400 British volunteers into the International Brigade. Because keeping records and names was dangerous and difficult under British law, volunteers entered Paris for “no passport” weekends where they enlisted in the International Brigades.
British volunteers came from all areas of the British Empire, mostly from industrial areas. They were accustomed to the heavy labor and discipline of working in factories and pits. Alexander also reported that British intellectuals, academics, and writers played a small but significant role in the Spanish Civil War. They had deep abhorrence for the burning of books in Nazi Germany, persecution of individuals, and the philosophy of fascism. They had the means to go to Spain to use their talents to sway the world for the Republican cause. Famous author and journalist George Orwell was one such individual. Orwell, a committed socialist, went to Spain in December 1936 to report on the Spanish Civil War, but soon joined the struggle against the rebel Nationalist Army and became a member of the Lenin Division in Barcelona.
Nobel prizewinner, American author Ernest Hemingway also covered the Spanish Civil War. As described by the Teachers' Virtual School, a part of the Association of Teachers, Hemingway went to Madrid in February 1937 to report on the Spanish Civil War. There he spent most of his time with the International Brigades. His writings advocated international support for the Popular Front Government of the Republicans. In March 1938, Hemingway wrote the play The Fifth Column promoting the cause of the Republicans.
The Swedish Academy for the Nobel Prize in Literature notes that afret the war, Hemingway wrote his famous For Whom the Bell Tolls which deals with Republican partisans. In other works after the war, Hemingway wrote about the role of the International Brigade:
The dead sleep cold in Spain tonight. Snow blows through the olive groves, sifting against the tree roots. Snow drifts over the mounds with small headboards.
For our dead are a part of the earth of Spain now and the earth of Spain can never die. Each winter it will seem to die and each spring it will come alive again. Our dead will live with it forever.
Over 40,000 volunteers from 52 countries flocked to Spain between 1936 and 1939 to take part in the historic struggle between democracy and fascism known as the Spanish Civil War.
Five brigades of international volunteers fought on behalf of the democratically elected Republican (or Loyalist) government. Most of the North American volunteers served in the unit known as the 15th brigade, which included the Abraham Lincoln battalion, the George Washington battalion and the (largely Canadian) Mackenzie-Papineau battalion. All told, about 2,800 Americans, 1,250 Canadians and 800 Cubans served in the International Brigades. Over 80 of the U.S. volunteers were African-American. In fact, the Lincoln Battalion was headed by Oliver Law, an African-American from Chicago, until he died in battle.
The idea of an international force of volunteers to fight for the Republic was initiated by French Community Party leader Maurice Thorez. With the support of Joseph Stalin, an international recruiting center for the International Brigades was established in September 1936 in Paris and a training base at Albercete in Spain. Simkins further reported that fighters were usually smuggled in groups from Paris over the Pyrenees and then taken to the International Brigade headquarters at Albacete. There they were processed and divided up by nationality into the different battalions that comprised the Spanish Republican Army's International Brigades.
The International Brigades provided Communist countries the opportunity of supporting the Spanish Republican Army without intervening directly or risking alienation of Britain and France, both of whom had declared non-intervention status in order to limit foreign involvement in the war. Communist leaders also seized the occasion to counter German and Italian help for the rebels. Communist International (ComIntern), an international Communist organization dedicated to the overthrow of the international bourgeoisie and for the creation of an international Soviet republic, recruited and organized the International Brigades. They seized their opportunity to try to establish a stronghold in Spain.
The Spanish Civil War served as a lesson in the international context in which future wars would be fought. The conflict resounded around Europe and Britain as a symbol for the struggle of two world views that is still playing out today. People from countries who valued democracy saw Fascism as a deplorable menace that had to be crushed. They saw themselves as having the obligation to defend the Spanish Republic from the savage aggressor or the ideology would eventually crush all democratic countries. Defending Spain was a matter of self-preservation for all free people. Franco and the Nationalists represented the new Fascist world order. Hitler saw Spain as a testing-ground for Germany's newest weapons and tactics that he would use during World War II. The Spanish Civil War showed the world how airplanes could be used to bomb cities and this strategy received the attention of the world via the news media. Propaganda was a powerful force that drew attention to the drama of the conflict as portrayed by the respective cause. The International Brigade was a signpost of how future wars would be fought – a system of allies and coalitions as evidenced today in Iraq.
Condor Legion Forces of Germans & Italians
French members of the International Brigade (Madrid, 1937)
Spanish Civil War Posters
Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives
http://www.alba-valb.org/
http://www.alba-valb.org/curriculum/index.php?page=images&special=on&start1=1
