Soldiers of the Mackenzie-Papineau battalion of the XV International Brigade hold up their banner. They were Canadian volunteers who fought for the Second Spanish Republic. Spanish civil war, photo taken 1937-1938. [1695 x 1000]
The battalion was formed in late July 1937 to support the left wing Spanish Republicans. The unit got its name from the two leaders of the 1837-1838 uprising in Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie and Louis Joseph Papineau. Many of the volunteers did have connections to the Canadian Communist party and were ideologically motivated. The battalion was dismissed in September 1938. During their service the battalion suffered a very high casualty rate, out of 1500 more than half would be killed or wounded during the war. Due to the Foreign Enlistment Act which prohibited Canadians to serve in foreign militaries abroad, some were detained and investigated upon their return. But the government was generally lax and the vast majority returned to normal life without problems. A few would go on to enlist in the Canadian army during the Second World war.
-The unit has zero connection to the far left anti-fascist organization Antifaschistische Aktion or Antifa.
![Soldiers of the Mackenzie-Papineau battalion of the XV International Brigade hold up their banner. They were Canadian volunteers who fought for the Second Spanish Republic. Spanish civil war, photo taken 1937-1938. [1695 x 1000]](https://i.imgur.com/VrcVTz5.png)
verostein
The battalion was formed in late July 1937 to support the left wing Spanish Republicans. The unit got its name from the two leaders of the 1837-1838 uprising in Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie and Louis Joseph Papineau. Many of the volunteers did have connections to the Canadian Communist party and were ideologically motivated. The battalion was dismissed in September 1938. During their service the battalion suffered a very high casualty rate, out of 1500 more than half would be killed or wounded during the war. Due to the Foreign Enlistment Act which prohibited Canadians to serve in foreign militaries abroad, some were detained and investigated upon their return. But the government was generally lax and the vast majority returned to normal life without problems. A few would go on to enlist in the Canadian army during the Second World war.
-The unit has zero connection to the far left anti-fascist organization Antifaschistische Aktion or Antifa.
https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/macpaps/
statueofliberty3
Fighting facism in the name of communism doesn’t make sense to me. Either way, daddy makes the decisions for you.
DemonFromtheNorthSea
No idea Vanadians fought in the Spanish Civil War. Very interesting.