British Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War: The British Battalion in the International Brigades 1936-1939 [Paperback]

During the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939, almost 2,500 men and
women left Britain to fight for the Spanish Republic. This book examines
the role, experiences and contribution of the volunteers who fought in the
British Battalion of the 15th International Brigade, asking who were these
volunteers? Where did they come from? Why did they go to Spain? And how
much did they actually help the Spanish Republic?

"There is a huge literature on the role of the British volunteers in the
International Brigades. Some of it is inspirational, some of it deeply
moving, yet if I could keep only one book on the subject it would have to
be the one by Richard Baxell. No one before or since has managed to weld
the huge volume of disorganised and confusing memoir material into a clear
and coherent political and military chronology and geography. Not only is
this entirely serious but it is also extremely exciting. Baxell's book is a
classic in the making on the Spanish Civil War."

"Brimful of insight and imaginative understanding. It is
excellently presented and written in a highly fluent and elegant prose
style."

"A wonderful example of how exhaustive research can be presented
in a clear and interesting manner...Essential reading for those who would
like to know more about the British in the International Brigades."

"This outstanding work sets the 21st century standard and is
required reading for anyone interested in the subject."

This book is an examination of the role, experiences and
contribution of the volunteers who fought in the British Battalion of the
15 International Brigade, in Spain's civil war of 1936-1939.

The study first analyses the composition of the British contingent, before
turning to an examination of the motivations of the volunteers, in order to
explain why almost 2 500 men and women left Britain to fight `in a far away
country'.

The volunteers' experiences within Spain are traced, from the `first few'
who fought with the multifarious militia units in the defence of Madrid in
the autumn and winter of 1936, to the creation and development of the
International Brigades in early 1937. The role of the volunteers in the
battles around Madrid of 1936-1937, and the battles of Aragon in 1937-38,
is examined in particular detail, as are the brutal experiences of the
British captured and imprisoned by the Rebels during the war.

Finally, some of the more contentious issues surrounding the role of the
volunteers in the British Battalion in Spain are tackled. The organisation
of the brigades and the role of the Comintern, and the maintenance of
discipline, desertions, and the execution of volunteers are all examined
closely. The study concludes that discipline was indeed tough in the
International Brigades, particularly as all the members of the battalion
were, after all, volunteers. However, it is argued that, despite recent
studies which purport to `prove' that the brigades were the pliant
instrument of Comintern and/or Soviet policy, discipline was driven by
military, rather than political necessity, and these studies have
over-played the extent of `Stalinist' control within the battalion.

During the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939, almost 2,500 men and
women left Britain to fight for the Spanish Republic. This book examines
the role, experiences and contribution of the volunteers who fought in the
British Battalion of the 15th International Brigade, asking who were these
volunteers? Where did they come from? Why did they go to Spain? And how
much did they actually help the Spanish Republic?

Richard Baxell studied history as an undergraduate at Middlesex
University, before taking an M.A. in Computer Applications for History at
the Institute of Historical Research. This book developed from research
whilst reading for a Ph.D. at the London School of Economics and Political
Science. He is currently researching into the British volunteers' attitudes
and experiences during World War Two.

In November 1996, 400 elderly men and women, including a number
from Britain, gathered in a ceremony near the Spanish capital of Madrid to
pay homage to their friends and comrades who had died fighting in the
Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. These were the surviving members of the
International Brigades, the volunteers from around the world who had rushed
to the country between 1936 and 1938 to fight for the Spanish Republic
against its enemies from both inside, and outside, Spain. For many of these
men and women, this was their first visit to Spain since the civil war, for
they had refused to set foot there whilst the regime of General Franco,
which so many of their comrades had died to prevent, still existed.
However, following the death of Franco in 1975, a new democratic government
had replaced the old regime, and as a gesture of gratitude to the
international volunteers who had come to Spain to fight the military
uprising of 1936, the Spanish Government offered citizenship to the
surviving members of the brigades. So what did these volunteers do that was
so significant such that, 60 years later, the few hundred still alive would
be offered the citizenship of Spain? Who were they? Where did they come
from? Why did they go to Spain? And how much did they actually help the
Spanish Republic? These are some of the questions that this study will
attempt to answer.