La Marseillaise Battalion
The La Marseillaise Battalion was a French battalion of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War . It was named after the national anthem of the French Republic. It was a battalion of the XIV International Brigade. The battalion was later renamed Ralph Fox Battalion after a mutiny . The history of this battalion is completely blurred, although the XIV International Brigade was later given the honorary name of Marseillaise.
XIV International Brigade
The XIV International Brigade was formed on December 10, 1936 in Albacete , the central base and training camp of the International Brigades. The La Marseillaise battalion was named N o 12 . In addition, the Nine Nations Battalion , the Vaillant Couturier Battalion and the Henri Barbusse Battalion were grouped into the XIV International Brigade. The XIV International Brigade was commanded by the Poland General Walter . The Italian Aldo Morandi took over the management staff . Political commissioner was the Englishman Ralph Fox Cornford , later the Frenchman André Heusler . At the end of 1936 the French La Marseillaise battalion was assigned an all- British company .
Cordoba Province
The XIV International Brigade took the train to Andújar in the province of Jaén on December 24, 1936 without the Nine Nations Battalion . This battalion had already hurried ahead of the XIV Brigade. During the advance of the Nine Nations Battalion across the road from Andújar to Villa del Rio , the battalion was attacked and encircled by nationalists shortly before Villa del Rio. From December 25, 1936, the XIV International Brigade with the La Marseillaise Battalion, the Vaillant Couturier Battalion and the Henri Barbusse Battalion moved into positions in front of Villa del Río and Lopera .
The brigade tried to take the village of Lopera with the La Marseillaise battalion on December 28, 1936. The British company of the La Marseillaise battalion was the most affected unit. Of the company's 145 brigadists, 78 died. After these failures, André Marty appeared at headquarters and had the commander of the La Marseillaise battalion, Major Gaston Delasalle , tried before a court martial. He was convicted of espionage and shot. After the liquidation of Gaston Delasalle, the British George Montague Nathan became the commander of the British company.
By advancing the brigade to the places Villa del Rio and Porcuna , the nine-nationality battalion managed to break away. After the front had stabilized, the XIV Brigade took up positions near Porcuna.
Battle of the Coruña Road
The XIV International Brigade was ordered to Galapagar on January 7, 1937 to intervene in the battle for the road from Madrid to La Coruña . On January 11th, the brigade left its positions in the Sierra de Guadarrama and conquered villages on the Vieja .
Battle of the Jarama
February 16, the XIV International Brigade fought in the Battle of the Jarama . The brigade was deployed at Loeches , northeast of Arganda del Rey .
Toledo
In May 1937 the XIV International Brigade fought near Toledo , where it stopped the advance of the nationalists. After this success, the brigade was involved in an attack on La Granja . Their task was to take the strongly defended positions of the Cerro del Puerco , but the fire by artillery prevented any attempt to take these positions. The brigade attacked four times in two days. There was a mutiny before the fourth attack. Five brigadists were then selected at random and liquidated. Around 900 brigadists died in the four attacks.
Due to the high casualties, the XIV International Brigade did not take part in the Battle of Brunete . The brigade was consolidated during a break until the beginning of October, on a quiet section of the front of Sanata Maria de la Alameda near El Escorial .
Ralph Fox Battalion
During the consolidation, the La Marseillaise battalion was stripped of its name in May 1937. The battalion was named Ralph Fox Battalion . It was named after Ralph Fox Cornford . He was the first political commissar of the La Marseillaise battalion and fell on January 3, 1937 on the front section from Villa del Rio to Porcuna in the province of Cordoba .
The Ralph Fox Battalion was disbanded on February 23, 1938.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hanns Maaßen : Brigada Internacional is our name of honor ... , Röderberg-Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt / Main 1976, ISBN 3-87682-515-6 , page 224
- ↑ a b c La Marsellesa, Historique de la XIVeme Brigade Internationale (French), accessed on May 10, 2012
- ^ Hugh Thomas : The Spanish Civil War , Ullstein Verlag, Berlin West 1962, page 271
- ↑ Hanns Maaßen : Brigada Internacional is our name of honor ... , Röderberg-Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt / Main 1976, ISBN 3-87682-515-6 , page 224
- ↑ Hanns Maaßen : Brigada Internacional is our honorary name ... , Röderberg-Verlag GmbH, Frankfurt / Main 1976, ISBN 3-87682-515-6 , page 232