Abraham Lincoln Brigade

Approximately 2,800 Americans joined the International Brigade to fight alongside the Spanish Republican forces against General Francisco Franco's fascist regime during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). The Abraham Lincoln Brigade refers to the American component of the international volunteer force that assisted the Spanish Republicans. “Brigade” is a misnomer, as multiple American units existed, such as the George Washington Battalion and the John Brown Anti-Aircraft Battery.

Following Franco's coup against the democratically elected government of Spain in July 1936, the Western democracies opted not to interfere in Spain. The nations of Western Europe signed a nonintervention agreement. The Axis powers of Germany and Italy consistently violated the accord and assisted Franco. The United States passed a neutrality act and enacted an embargo, prohibiting the sale of arms to either side in the Spanish conflict.

The Soviet Union was the only nation to officially support the Republicans. The Soviets sold war materials to the Republican forces. The Comintern, which was the international Communist organization, was responsible for creating the International Brigades, encouraging foreign nationals to aid in the fight against fascism. The Abraham Lincoln Brigade consisted mainly, though not entirely, of American communists and socialists. Those who joined the Lincolns and supported them on the home front felt that backing the Spanish Republican forces was necessary in order to prevent the spread of fascism through Europe.

The Communist Party in the United States organized the Lincoln Battalion of American volunteers, but not all members were communists. The volunteers represented a diverse segment of American society. Approximately 40% of the Lincolns were Jewish. About 100 black Americans volunteered. Women participated in the Brigade as nurses, technicians, ambulance drivers, and truck drivers. An estimated 1,800 returned from Spain, and most remained politically active throughout their lives. Many participated in World War II, opposed McCarthyism, and fought for civil rights in the United States.

The first group of Lincolns went to Spain in 1936, and they continued to arrive until February 1937, when the League of Nations prohibited foreign nationals from participating in the war. American volunteers were particularly prominent in the battles at [Page 10]Valencia, Madrid, and the Jarama Valley in 1937. Americans also participated in battles at Teruel, Belchite, Zaragoza, and Brunete. Of the almost 3,000 Americans who enlisted in the International Brigades, nearly half lost their lives in Spain. The international forces were sent home in the spring of 1938. On March 31, 1939, the Republic fell and Franco's government became the official power in Spain.