The International Brigades, formed by a the Soviet Union's Comintern, composed of military volunteers supporting the Republicans. The group of volunteers were anti-fascists, spanning from anarchists, socialists and communists. Over the course of the Spanish Civil War, a total of 35,000 men from 53 nations volunteered for the International Brigades. However, there were never more than 800 volunteers present at one time.
Of these volunteers, most were Communist and from the working-class. The Soviet Union, trying to hide the amount of support that they offered to the Spanish Civil War, sent many people from the Red Army via the International Brigades as volunteers. For example, various commanders, Kleber, Gal, Copic and Walter, were officers of the Red Army.
Of these volunteers, most were Communist and from the working-class. The Soviet Union, trying to hide the amount of support that they offered to the Spanish Civil War, sent many people from the Red Army via the International Brigades as volunteers. For example, various commanders, Kleber, Gal, Copic and Walter, were officers of the Red Army.
The recruitment of volunteers of the International Brigades was organized in Paris. Here, the volunteers were organized and separated. Despite their claims of having the volunteers prepared as "properly trained menw ith good rifles, a well-equipped corps", the men who went in to war, were often defenseless, merely knowing the standard procedures of marching and turning.
Antony Beever, The Battle for Spain:
"Many of them had never even handled a rifle until they were on the way to the front, and the few Great War veterans had to show them how to load their obsolete wapons of varied calibres"
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