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Comrades And Commissars: The Lincoln Battalion in the Spanish Civil War

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Written by retired Professor of English Cecil D. Eby, Comrades and Commissars: The Lincoln Battalion in the Spanish Civil War is a fascinating history of 2,800 American fighters who formed a Battalion to fight against Generalissimo Francisco Franco and his right-wing nationalists against the Republican government of Spain during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930's. Building upon Eby's previous study published in 1969, "Between the Bullet and the Lie", Comrades and Commissars draws from additional data that Eby gathered in recent decades, including the Lincoln Battalion archives that have been hidden in a Moscow storeroom for sixty years. These papers shed light on some of the most provocative questions concerning the Battalion, including which Americans were persecuted or even executed by the brigade commissariat. An in-depth reference, composed by an author with a solid reputation for expertise, balance, and objectivity on the topic, Comrades and Commissars is a welcome addition to world and military history reference shelves.

This is probably the most interesting read on the SCW that I've come across.

I like the fact that the book specifically targets only the ALB and doesn't try to give a general history of the war which would be all but too much. If you are not in any way knowledgeable about the war, I recommend a general summary first before diving into this work.

I liked how it also does not give a politically-corrected view of the Republican side nor the Communist influence over the ALB.

Again, it covers only one aspect of the war, and that is the International Brigades and more specifically the A.L. Battalion.

A retired history professor friend of mine once described the Spanish Republic of the 1930's as a strange animal. At the time we were discussing the odd coalition that came together to create it and we talked about the anarchists, communists, trade unions and other factions that combined to make up the Republican government.
Along with that strange government was the unusual coalition that fought the conservative forces led by Franco. One collection of groups that fought on the Republican side was the International Brigades, groups of volunteers that were anti-fascist at the least and often committed communists. The members of these groups came from all over the globe, there were anti-fascist Germans and Italians, a few Asians and one group that should be publicized more, the American members of the Lincoln Battalion.
These men violated U. S. law to travel to Spain and enlist in the Lincoln Battalion. They came from all over the country and their passports were confiscated when they arrived in Spain. They were held there until they were killed, wounded or released. Their casualty rate was very high, largely due to incompetent leadership and inadequate weapons. The governments of Germany and Italy sent military units with the latest equipment to fight on the Franco side, which largely led to their victory.
This book describes the horrific conditions that the men endured while fighting in Spain, regularly going without food and shelter while facing the fire of the enemy. What is most interesting about this book is the incompetent machinations that took place on the Republican side. Stalin sent some equipment and military advisors, but in true Stalin style he used the fighting to consolidate his control over international communist forces. Stalin most likely cared very little who won in Spain, most of the commissars were stupid men, more interested in wielding their "petty power" than in operating as a unified and well-armed fighting force. More than anyone else, probably even more than the political leaders themselves, Stalin understood how willing Britain and France were to appease Hitler.
Whatever else you may think of them due to their political orientation, the Americans of the Lincoln Battalion were the first Americans to fight against what was to become the greatest military enemy the United States ever faced, the land armies of Germany. For those reasons they are to be commended, they were anti-fascist at a time when the governments of Britain, France and the United States were largely prostrate against the rise of fascist power. While those countries backed off and allowed Germany and Italy to expand, these men took up arms against the growing fascist menace, risking and giving their lives for their beliefs. This was an action that ultimately turned out to be in the best interests of the United States.
This book fills a critical hole in the historical record of what is the least known war that large numbers of Americans fought in. Approximately 2,800 Americans fought for the Spanish Republic, with a death rate of approximately 25%. These men fought for a belief and it is also a generally accepted fact that they were the first unit of white soldiers commanded by a black man.
As you read how disorganized the Republican military forces were, it is easy to see how they really had very little chance to defeat the Franco forces that contained most of the professional Spanish military, the ruthless Moor forces and the organized military units from Italy and Germany. If you want to know why the Spanish Republic lost the civil war, then this book will enlighten you.

I'm a very busy guy who does an awful lot of reading. I made room, however, for this book, and it didn't disappoint. (This is a solid effort!) Eby was able to grab me by the collar and take me back to Spain circa 1936-1939 and place me in the ranks of the Lincoln Battalion. Believe me, I was there.

One important note. Eby does a great job of not romanticizing the Lincolns nor does he demonize their opponents. Very, very balanced.

Eby's book is clearly written to indict the Soviet Union and Communism, portraying the Lincoln volunteers as, at best, useful dupes of Stalin that suffered both at the hands of the inflexible and authoritarian commissars, and also under the disorganized Republican military structure that could not train or supply them adequately.

The truth, as in all cases, is more complex and nuanced than that. Of course Stalin had other geopolitical concerns in mind when he decided to support the democratically-elected Spanish Republican government, but Soviet assistance was crucial at a time when the US and the other democracies refused to help the Republic. Of course many American volunteers were shocked at the level of incompetence, political infighting and cronyism within the Lincoln Battalion and throughout their parent 15th Brigade. However, any reading of memoirs from US Army and Marine units during WW 2 would reveal many of these same problems and concerns.

Eby's dogmatic and sectarian work is far from being the definitive book on the Abraham Lincoln Battalion and the American experience in Spain. A much better account is "Men in Battle" by Alvah Bessie, the classic first-hand memoirs of a volunteer who, while supporting the Republican cause, does not mince words when describing shortcomings and mistakes.

However, history has already rendered judgment on the American and other foreign volunteers of the International Brigades. In 1996 the Spanish government officially honored these men and women for their sacrifice on behalf of democracy and bestowed on them Spanish citizenship.

I bought this book because of my interest in rifles that were supplied to the Republicans by the Soviets. I was prepared to slog through what I expected to be a somewhat dull book in order to find out more about the weapons.

I was happily surprised to find a well-researched, informative, and extremely readable story about the American volunteers. (I also found interesting information regarding the Mosin-Nagant rifles.)

I highly recommend it on anyone who is remotely interested in the Spanish Civil War.