International Brigades order of battle
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International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
(IB) were volunteer military units of foreigners who fought on the side of the Second Spanish Republic
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. The number of combattant volunteers has been estimated at between 32,000–35,000, though with no more than about 20,000 active at any one time. A further 10,000 people probably participated in non-combattant roles and about 3,000–5,000 foreigners were members of CNT
CNT
-Buildings:* Canadian National Tower, or CN Tower, a communications and observation tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada-Businesses:* Cantiere Navale Triestino , an Italian shipbuilding company founded in 1908 and renamed Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico Monfalcone in 1929-Non-profit organizations:*...
or POUM
Poum
Poum is a commune in the North Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. The town of Poum is located in the far northwest, located on the southern part of Banare Bay, with Mouac Island just offshore....
. They came from a claimed "53 nations" to fight against the Spanish Nationalist forces led by General Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
and assisted by German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and Italian
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
forces.
The volunteers were motivated to fight on political or social grounds and made their way to Spain independently of the Spanish government. The brigades were not initially formally conceived and methodically recruited. Instead, they evolved as a means of organising the streams of volunteers arriving from every quarter of the world. It has been estimated that up to 25% of IB volunteers were Jewish. This article describes the order of battle of each of the International Brigades, describing the order and manner in which each brigade was mustered and formed, and following the progress of individual battalions throughout the conflict.
Early International units
The first volunteers arrived in Spain in Mid-August 1936. These were mostly Franco-Belgian, German, British and Italian. At first, they grouped themselves into sections, called Columns or Centuria (nominally of a hundred men). These were mostly formed in August/September 1936.- The Tom Mann Centuria, named after English trade unionist leader Tom MannTom MannTom Mann was a noted British trade unionist. Largely self-educated, Mann became a successful organiser and a popular public speaker in the labour movement.-Early years:...
, became part of the Thaelmann Battalion - The Thaelmann Centuria (the nucleus of the Thaelmann Battalion), named for Ernst ThälmannErnst ThälmannErnst Thälmann was the leader of the Communist Party of Germany during much of the Weimar Republic. He was arrested by the Gestapo in 1933 and held in solitary confinement for eleven years, before being shot in Buchenwald on Adolf Hitler's orders in 1944...
. - Centuria Gastone Sozzi, named for Gastone Sozzi
- Rosselli's Italian Column
- Colonna Giustizia e Libertà
Brigade structure
Each brigade consisted of four battalions, sometimes with an ancillary specialist support company. They had a brigade commander and a political commissarPolitical commissar
The political commissar is the supervisory political officer responsible for the political education and organisation, and loyalty to the government of the military...
, and a small brigade staff. Initially, the battalions were formed entirely of foreign volunteers but, increasingly, it became practice to have at least one Spanish battalion in each brigade (and, from spring 1937, one Spanish company in each battalion). As time went on, and the difficulties of recruiting new international volunteers increased, the percentage of Spaniards went up. At first, these were volunteers but conscription was later introduced. The brigades were formally incorporated into the Spanish Army in September 1937, as Spanish Foreign Legion units.
Battalion structure
The battalions were originally organised by language, with volunteers sharing the same (or similar languages) and given names that reflected the groups. To develop an esprit de corps, these names were replaced by names of inspirational figures or events, for example, GaribaldiGiuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
, or Commune de Paris
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
.
"Theoretically, the Battalion organisation consisted of the Battalion Commander, his Second in Command, the Political Commissar, the Adjutant and orderly room staff, three Companies of infantry, one machine-gun Company, Battalion scouts, and the Quartermaster and cookhouse staff. There were three platoons in each company, each divided into [four] sections of ten men, so that the Battalion at full strength would number more than 500 men...."
International brigade depots
- AlbaceteAlbaceteAlbacete is a city and municipality in southeastern Spain, 258 km southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The municipality had a population of c. 169,700 in 2009....
- Headquarters - MadriguerasMadriguerasMadrigueras is a municipality in Albacete, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It has a population of 4,917 according to the official statistics by the National Statistics Institute of Spain . The principal productions of this village are wine, knives and spatulas...
- Training camp - Tiflis - Officer training school
- Camp Lukácz - Penal battalion
XI International Brigade
Names:- The Hans BeimlerHans Beimler (Communist)Hans Beimler was an active member of the German Communist Party and a deputy in the Reichstag.Beimler was born in Munich and served in the Kaiserliche Marine during the First World War...
Brigade (after Hans BeimlerHans Beimler (Communist)Hans Beimler was an active member of the German Communist Party and a deputy in the Reichstag.Beimler was born in Munich and served in the Kaiserliche Marine during the First World War...
) - The Thälmann Brigade (after Ernst ThälmannErnst ThälmannErnst Thälmann was the leader of the Communist Party of Germany during much of the Weimar Republic. He was arrested by the Gestapo in 1933 and held in solitary confinement for eleven years, before being shot in Buchenwald on Adolf Hitler's orders in 1944...
)
Songs by Ernst Busch
Ernst Busch (actor)
Ernst Busch was a German singer and actor.Busch first rose to prominence as an interpreter of political songs, particularly those of Kurt Tucholsky, in the Berlin Kabarett scene of the 1920s...
and the choir of the XI Brigade: Hans Beimler Lied Lied von XI Brigade ("Song of the XIth Brigade") Lied der XI Brigade Or Ballade or Marsch der XI Brigade)
Detailed Order of Battle EPR Order of Battle Website Associació Catalana Website
Formation
- Formed at AlbaceteAlbaceteAlbacete is a city and municipality in southeastern Spain, 258 km southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The municipality had a population of c. 169,700 in 2009....
: 14–17 October 1936 as IX Brigada Movil ("Mobile Brigade").- 1st Bn Franco-Belgian (14 October 1936)
- 2nd Bn Austro-German (14 October 1936)
- 3rd Bn Italo-Spanish (14 October 1936)
- 4th Bn Polish-Balkan (17 October 1936)
- Re-Organised: 14–22 October 1936 as XI "Hans Beimler" International Brigade. The battalions were renamed as follows:
- Commune de Paris Battalion (after the Paris CommuneParis CommuneThe Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
. (Formerly 1st Franco-Belge) - Edgar André Battalion (after Edgar AndréEdgar AndréEdgar Josef André, or Etkar Josef André was a politician in the Communist Party of Germany and an antifascist.-Early years:...
). (Formerly 2nd Austro-German) - Garibaldi BattalionGaribaldi BattalionThe Garibaldi Battalion was a group of mostly Italian volunteers that fought in the Spanish Civil War from October 1936 to 1938...
(after Giuseppe GaribaldiGiuseppe GaribaldiGiuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
). (Formerly 3rd Italo-Español) - Dabrowski BattalionDabrowski BattalionThe Dabrowski Battalion, also known as Dąbrowszczacy was a battalion of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. It was initially formed entirely of volunteers, "chiefly composed of Polish miners recently living and working in France and Belgium". Because of the relatively short...
, (after Jarosław Dąbrowski). (Formerly 4th Polish-Balkan)
- Commune de Paris Battalion (after the Paris Commune
- Minor Re-Organisation: 3 November 1936
- Garibaldi Battalion, as it had no rifles, was transferred to XII Brigade
- Thaelmann Battalion joined XI Brigade from XII Brigade
- Asturias-Heredia Battalion (Spanish) joined XI Brigade.
Brigade staff
Brigade Commanders:)
Chiefs of Staff:
|
Brigade Commissars:
|
Division "Kléber" (XI and XII Brigade 20 Nov.36 - 4 Feb 37 )
- Commander: General "Kléber" (Manfred SternManfred SternManfred Stern was a member of the GRU, Soviet military intelligence. He served as a spy in the United States, as a military advisor in China, and gained fame under his nom de guerre as General Kléber, leader of the International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War.- Early life :He was born into...
)
XII International Brigade
Name: The Garibaldi BrigadeDetailed Order of Battle EPR Order of Battle Website Associació Catalana Website
Formation
Raised 22 October 1936 at Albacete, General "Lukàcs" (Mate Zalka) commanding. (Lukàcs was killed during the Huesca Offensive.)- Units that formed part of the Brigade at different times:
- André Marty Battalion
- Dabrowski BattalionDabrowski BattalionThe Dabrowski Battalion, also known as Dąbrowszczacy was a battalion of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. It was initially formed entirely of volunteers, "chiefly composed of Polish miners recently living and working in France and Belgium". Because of the relatively short...
a.k.a Dombrowski Battalion - Figlio Battalion
- Garibaldi BattalionGaribaldi BattalionThe Garibaldi Battalion was a group of mostly Italian volunteers that fought in the Spanish Civil War from October 1936 to 1938...
- Madrid Battalion
- Prieto Battalion
- Thaelmann Battalion
XIII International Brigade
Names: The Dabrowski Brigade, The Dombrowski BrigadeDetailed Order of Battle EPR Order of Battle Website
1st formation
Raised: 12 December 1936- Louise Michel (II) BattalionLouise Michel BattalionsTwo battalions of French-speaking volunteers in the International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War were named after Louise Michel, a heroine of the 1871 Paris Commune. They mustered in November/December 1936....
- Tchapaiev Battalion / Czapiaew
- Vuillemin Battalion
- One Balkan Company
- 1st Battery "Ernst Thaelmann"
- 2nd Battery "Karl Liebknecht"
- 3rd Battery "Antoni Gramsci"
2nd formation
Reformed: 4 August 1937- Dabrowski BattalionDabrowski BattalionThe Dabrowski Battalion, also known as Dąbrowszczacy was a battalion of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. It was initially formed entirely of volunteers, "chiefly composed of Polish miners recently living and working in France and Belgium". Because of the relatively short...
- Palafox BattalionPalafox BattalionThe Palafox Battalion was a volunteer unit of largely Polish and Spanish composition in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. It was named after José de Palafox, a Spanish general who successfully fought French Napoleonic forces during the Peninsular War.The Palafox Battalion was...
- Rakosi BattalionRakosi BattalionThe Rakosi Battalion was a volunteer unit, formed predominantly of Hungarians, who fought in the XIII International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War .-Prominent veterans:...
4th formation
Reformed: 23 January 1939 (from demoblised International Brigade members who had remained in Spain)Brigade staff
Brigade Commanders:
Chiefs of Staff:
|
Brigade Commissars:
|
XIV International Brigade
Name/s: The Marseillaise BrigadeOrder of Battle EPR Order of Battle Website Associació Catalana Website
Formation
Raised 20 December 1936 with volunteers mainly from France and Belgium, under General "Walter" (Karol ŚwierczewskiKarol Swierczewski
Karol Wacław Świerczewski was a Pole who became a Soviet military officer and a general. He served as a general in the service of the Soviet Union, Republican Spain, and the Soviet sponsored Polish Provisional Government of National Unity after World War II.- Life :Karol Świerczewski grew up in...
).
After the Battle of Brunete
Battle of Brunete
The Battle of Brunete , fought 15 miles west of Madrid, was a Republican attempt to alleviate the pressure exerted by the Nationalists on the capital and on the north during the Spanish Civil War...
(6–25 July 1937), brigade strength was reduced from four to two battalions. The battalions attached to this Brigade at different times were:
-
- Commune de Paris Battalion
- Domingo Germinal Battalion
- Henri Barbusse Battalion
- Louise Michel I BattalionLouise Michel BattalionsTwo battalions of French-speaking volunteers in the International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War were named after Louise Michel, a heroine of the 1871 Paris Commune. They mustered in November/December 1936....
- Louise Michel II BattalionLouise Michel BattalionsTwo battalions of French-speaking volunteers in the International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War were named after Louise Michel, a heroine of the 1871 Paris Commune. They mustered in November/December 1936....
- Marsellaise Battalion
- Pierre Brachet Battalion
- Primera Unidad de Avance Battalion
- Nine Nations Battalion a.k.a. Sans nons or Des Neuf Nationalités Battalion
- Sixth February Battalion
- Vaillant-Couturier Battalion
XV International Brigade
- Raised: AlbaceteAlbaceteAlbacete is a city and municipality in southeastern Spain, 258 km southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The municipality had a population of c. 169,700 in 2009....
, 31 January 1937 - Brigade name/s: XVth Brigade, XV Brigada Mixta
- Brigade songs: Jarama ValleyJarama Valley (song)This song from the Second Spanish Republic is also known as Jarama Valley and El Valle del Jarama. The tune is Red River Valley.It refers to the Battle of Jarama, a Spanish Civil War battle. The battle was fought from 6–27 February 1937, in the Jarama river valley a few kilometres east of Madrid...
, An tldirnisinta (Internationale), Viva la Quinta Brigada, Ay Carmela (song)Ay Carmela (song)The lyrics to this Republican song, which is also known as El Paso del Ebro and Viva la XV Brigada, date from the Spanish Civil War. The melody, however, is a folk tune of far greater antiquity, dating back to the early 19th century. For comparative purposes, the links are: , , and -Lyrics:...
(Viva La Quince Brigada) - Battles: Jarama, Brunete, Boadilla, Belchite, Fuentes de Ebro, Teruel, Ebro
Order of Battle
| Date joined | Number | Battalion Name | Composition | Date left | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 January 1937 | 16th | British Battalion British Battalion The British Battalion was the 16th battalion of the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War.- Early volunteers :A number of British volunteers, including Tom Wintringham and Nat Cohen, arrived in Spain during August-September 1936 and formed the Tom Mann Centuria - a rifle company in... |
Irish, Basque, Catalonian & British | 23 September 1938 | Demobilised |
| 31 January 1937 | 17th | Lincoln Battalion | US, Canada, Irish, British | 23 September 1938 | Demobilised |
| 31 January 1937 | 18th | Dimitrov Battalion Dimitrov Battalion The Dimitrov Battalion was part of the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. It was the 18th battalion formed, and was named after Georgi Dimitrov, a Bulgarian communist and General Secretary of the Comintern in that period.... |
Balkan | 20 September 1937 | Moved to 45th Div. Reserve |
| 31 January 1937 | 19th | Sixth February Battalion | French & Belgian | 4 August 1937 | Moved to 14th Brigade |
| 14 March 1937 | 24th | Volontario 24 | Spanish volunteers | Destroyed in the Ebro Battles | |
| 5 April 1937 | ~ | Español Battalion | Latin Americans | 23 September 1938 | Demobilised |
| 29 June 1937 | ~ | Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion The Mackenzie–Papineau Battalion or Mac-Paps were a battalion of Canadians who fought as part of the XV International Brigade on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. Except for France, no other country gave a greater proportion of its population as volunteers in Spain than Canada. The... |
Canadian & US | 23 September 1938 | Demobilised |
| 4 July 1937 | 20th | Washington Battalion | US | 14 July 1937 | Merged with Lincoln Battalion |
- Main Sources: (i) EPR Order of Battle Website, (ii) Associació Catalana Website
- Sub-battalion units attached to Brigade
- Connolly ColumnConnolly ColumnThe Connolly Column was the name given to the Irish volunteers who fought for the Second Spanish Republic in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. They were named after James Connolly, the executed leader of the Irish Citizen Army...
(Irish volunteers operating as a unit of the Lincoln Battalion) - Brigade Anti-Tank Company
- XVth Brigade Photographic Unit (August 1937 – September 1938) Archive
- Connolly Column
- Re-organised May/June 1937, into two regiments:
- First regiment, commanded by George NathanGeorge NathanGeorge Montague Nathan was a British volunteer in the International Brigades in Spain. He initially commanded the British Company of the otherwise French Marseillaise Battalion but was appointed battalion commander in early 1937 following the execution of his predecessor for espionage.He later...
- Lincoln Bn, commanded by Robert Hale MerrimanRobert Hale MerrimanRobert Hale Merriman was an American professor of economics at the University of California. He joined the Republican forces in Spain during the Spanish Civil War and commanded the Abraham Lincoln Battalion of the International Brigades....
- Washington Bn, commanded by Mirko Markovic
- British Bn, commanded by Fred CopemanFred CopemanFred Copeman OBE was an English volunteer in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War, commanding the British Battalion...
- Lincoln Bn, commanded by Robert Hale Merriman
- Second regiment, commanded by Major "Chapaiev"
- Dimitrov BattalionDimitrov BattalionThe Dimitrov Battalion was part of the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. It was the 18th battalion formed, and was named after Georgi Dimitrov, a Bulgarian communist and General Secretary of the Comintern in that period....
- Sixth February Battalion
- Voluntario 24 Battalion (Spanish) (Capitano Aquilla)
- Dimitrov Battalion
- First regiment, commanded by George Nathan
- Post-Brunete, reinforced by:
- Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion
- International Volunteers Demobilised
- Barcelona, 23 September 1938
86th Brigade
Raised 13 February 1938- Units that formed part of the Brigade at different times:
- Veinte Battalion (Twentieth Battalion)
CXXIX / 129th Brigade
Name/s: Central European BrigadeRaised 13 February 1938
- Units that formed part of the Brigade at different times:
- Dimitrov Battalion
- Djure Djakovic Battalion
- Thomas Mazaryk Battalion (after Tomáš MasarykTomáš MasarykTomáš Garrigue Masaryk , sometimes called Thomas Masaryk in English, was an Austro-Hungarian and Czechoslovak politician, sociologist and philosopher, who as an eager advocate of Czechoslovak independence during World War I became the founder and first President of Czechoslovakia, also was...
) - Tschapaiew Battalion
CL / 150th Brigade
Name/s: Dabowski BrigadeRaised 27 May 1937
- Units that formed part of the Brigade at different times:
- André Marty Battalion (after André MartyAndré MartyAndré Marty was a leading figure in the French Communist Party, the PCF, for nearly thirty years. He was also a member of the National Assembly, with some interruptions, from 1924 to 1955; Secretary of Comintern from 1935 to 1944; and Political Commissar of the International Brigades during the...
) - Mathis Rakosi Battalion (after Mátyás RákosiMátyás RákosiMátyás Rákosi was a Hungarian communist politician. He was born as Mátyás Rosenfeld, in present-day Serbia...
)
- André Marty Battalion (after André Marty
Ad-hoc units
- Agrupació Torunczyk (21 January 1939 – 9 February 1939)
- Elements from XI, XIII and XV Brigades
Catalonia Offensive
Catalonia Offensive
The Catalonia Offensive was part of the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist Army started the offensive on December 23, 1938, and rapidly conquered Republican-held Catalonia with its capital city from October 1937, Barcelona. Barcelona was captured on January 26, 1939. The Republican government...
- Agrupació Szuster (1 February 1939 – 9 February 1939)
- Elements from XII and CXXIX Brigades
Catalonia Offensive
Catalonia Offensive
The Catalonia Offensive was part of the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist Army started the offensive on December 23, 1938, and rapidly conquered Republican-held Catalonia with its capital city from October 1937, Barcelona. Barcelona was captured on January 26, 1939. The Republican government...