The XII International Brigade was mustered on 7 November 1936 at Albacete, Spain. It was formerly named the Garibaldi Brigade, after the most famous and inspiring leader in the Italian Independence Wars, General Giuseppe Garibaldi.
| XII International Brigade Garibaldi Brigade | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1936–1939 |
| Country | Mostly Italian |
| Allegiance | .svg){kind=small} Spain |
| Branch | .svg){kind=small} International Brigades |
| Type | Mixed Brigade – Infantry |
| Role | Home Defence |
| Part of | 14th Division (1937) 11th Division (1937) 35th Division (1937) 45th Division (1937–1939) |
| Garrison/HQ | Albacete, Barcelona |
| Nickname(s) | Brigada Garibaldi |
| Engagements | Spanish Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Máté Zalka Randolfo Pacciardi |
Structure
editIts first commanding officer was a Soviet advisor of Hungarian origin, Gen. "Pavol Lukács" (Máté Zalka), who went on to command the 45th Division of the Spanish Republican Army (he was killed during the Huesca Offensive), and its first political commisar was Gustav Regler.[1]
The brigade included, among others, the following battalions:[2][3][4]
- Garibaldi Battalion – Albanian, Italian and Spanish volunteers, led by Randolfo Pacciardi.[5]
- André Marty Battalion – Franco-Belgian volunteers (named after André Marty).
- Dabrowski Battalion also known as the Dombrowski Battalion – exiled Polish volunteers
- Thaelmann Battalion – German and Austrian volunteers (named after Ernst Thälmann), led by Ludwig Renn.[6]
- Figlio Battalion – Spanish volunteers
- Madrid Battalion – Spanish volunteers
- Prieto Battalion – Spanish volunteers
The Brigade fought in the battles of Madrid,[7] the Corunna Road,[8] Guadalajara,[9] Guadarrama[10] and Brunete.[11]
See also
edit- International Brigades
- International Brigades order of battle
Troops of the Garibaldi Battalion, XII International Brigade. November 1936.
References
edit- ^ Thomas, Hugh. (2001). The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. p. 468
- ^ Hugh Thomas, The Spanish Civil War, Appendix III
- ^ (in Spanish) EPR Order of Battle Website
- ^ (in Spanish) Associació Catalana Website Archived 29 April 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Thomas, Hugh. (2001). The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. p. 468
- ^ Thomas, Hugh. (2001). The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. p. 468
- ^ Beevor, Antony. (2006). The battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939. Penguin Books. London. p. 179
- ^ Beevor, Antony. (2006). The battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939. Penguin Books. London. pp. 190 and 192
- ^ Thomas, Hugh. (2001). The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. pp. 580–581
- ^ Beevor, Antony. (2006). The battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939. Penguin Books. London. p. 277
- ^ Beevor, Antony. (2006). The battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939. Penguin Books. London. p. 280
Bibliography
edit- Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939. Penguin Books. London. 2006. ISBN 0-14-303765-X
- Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. 2001. ISBN 978-0-14-101161-5
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