Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

The Abraham Lincoln Brigade refers to approximately 2,800 US men and women who volunteered to defend the elected government of Spain against a military rebellion led by General Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War (1936–9). The American volunteers served in various units, including the Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and MacKenzie-Papineau battalions, as well as the Regiment de Tren (transportation), John Brown Artillery Unit, and the American Medical Bureau. Together with 35,000 volunteers from over 50 countries, these units formed the International Brigades; most US volunteers served in the 15th International Brigade. When the Spanish Civil War began in July 1936, the US government adopted a policy of neutrality or non-intervention. To discourage civilian participation, US passports were stamped after January 1937 “not valid for travel in Spain.” Most volunteers enlisted in violation of such laws, though it was legal for medical and humanitarian aid workers to serve in Spain. The US Communist Party secretly organized their recruitment and travel. Approximately 70 percent of the American volunteers were members of the US Communist Party, though many non-communists merely used membership as a way of reaching Spain. The volunteers came from a cross-section of society, but most were from large cities. The Brigade consisted of diverse ethnic and nationality groups. African ... log in or subscribe to read full text