Swedish volunteers

Discussions on all aspects of the Spanish Civil War including the Condor Legion, the Germans fighting for Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
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Daniel L
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Swedish volunteers

#1

Post by Daniel L » 09 Apr 2003, 20:48

Does anyone have any statistics for Swedes who volunteered in the Spanish civil war?

Best regards/ Daniel

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Marcus
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#2

Post by Marcus » 09 Apr 2003, 20:51

I'll see what I have, but meanwhile, check out "Svenskarna i spanska inbördeskriget" by Lennart Lundberg.

/Marcus


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Daniel L
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#3

Post by Daniel L » 10 Apr 2003, 00:11

I might have orderad that at the library today. I'd be most thankful for any information that you could provide me.

Best regards/ Daniel

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Javier Acuña
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#4

Post by Javier Acuña » 10 Apr 2003, 05:20

This one seems to be a swedish site about the Brigades. I hope it is, since I can't understand swedish.

As far as I know there were no Swedish Brigade, nor a Scandinavian brigade. But, when the Brigades were redrawed from Spain, 4640 men of 29 different countries left. Among them there were 2.141 french, 407 english , 347 belges, 285 polish, 182 swedes , 194 italians , 80 swiss and 54 from the USA. It is important to notice that there might have been some swedes that stayed in Spain because they liked the country or the spaniards, or because they thought they would not be received well in Sweden.

Source :http://www.guerracivil1936.galeon.com/polrep5.htm

this is a swedish webpage about Spanish-Swedish history, it says that nearly 500 swedes fought in Spain

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Daniel L
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#5

Post by Daniel L » 10 Apr 2003, 09:23

Thanks Javier, the first link is to an essay made by a student. This was most helpful. I doubt that any feared that they wouldn't be welcomed back in Sweden.

Best regards/ Daniel

scout
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#6

Post by scout » 10 Apr 2003, 10:10

There is a thesis although not quite finished yet
http://www.umu.se/histstud/personal/dalin_stefan.html

See also "Solidaritet och partitaktik"a thesis from 1980.

A book with interviews with swedish veterans and some pictures Jändel, Richard, 1963- ,
Kämpande solidaritet : möten med svenska spanienfrivilliga / Richard Jändel . - Stockholm bibl

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Daniel L
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#7

Post by Daniel L » 10 Apr 2003, 12:05

Thanks, I've ordered Solidaritet och partitaktik at the library.

Best regards/ Daniel

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asturwaffen
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#8

Post by asturwaffen » 22 May 2003, 23:17


von Adler
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#9

Post by von Adler » 16 Sep 2003, 18:41

As far as I know, the Swedes had their own batallion in the otherwise German-speaking Thälmann International Brigade.

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Ike_FI
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#10

Post by Ike_FI » 27 Sep 2003, 23:31

Javier Acuña wrote:As far as I know there were no Swedish Brigade, nor a Scandinavian brigade. But, when the Brigades were redrawed from Spain, 4640 men of 29 different countries left. Among them there were 2.141 french, 407 english , 347 belges, 285 polish, 182 swedes , 194 italians , 80 swiss and 54 from the USA.
And here's one more nationality group's numbers to add into the list - I noticed this news article at http://www.yle.fi/news/ today:
More Than 200 Finns Fought in Spanish Civil War
25.09.2003, 19.53

A new study reveals that more than 200 Finns saw combat in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The majority of Finns fought in the ranks of Republican Spain.

The study by Jyrki Kuusela is the first comprehensive look at Finns involved in the Spanish Civil War. Only 14 Finns saw combat in General Fransisco Franco's Nationalist army, while 239 opposed them on the Republican side.

Finns from as far afield as the United States and the Soviet Union travelled to Spain to take part in the war. The main motive for the majority was ideological.

Nearly one third of the Finns (71) were killed in combat. At least 1.2 million people died in the bloody Spanish Civil War.

The war broke out in 1936, when military units in Spanish-administered Morocco rose in revolt against the Republican government. The revolt soon spread to the mainland and led to civil war.

One of the most infamous incidents of the war took place in 1937, when bombers sent by Nazi Germany to assist Franco destroyed the town of Guernica. Some 1,600 people - mainly civilians - lost their lives.

The war ended in April 1939. The Finnish Republican volunteers fled across the Pyrenees to be interned in France.

STT (Finnish News Agency)

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alieneyes
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Swedes in the Spanish Civil War

#11

Post by alieneyes » 11 Jun 2004, 18:50

This is my first post so please bear with me! I have just finished a book entitled "The Gallant Cause-Canadians in the Spanish Civil War-1936-1939" by Mark Zuehlke, published in Vancouver by Whitecap Books in 1996. There is a most fascinating story about a wounded Swedish volunteer that is worth noting. Canadian Dr Norman Bethune is in Guadelajara with his assistant, a Danish-Canadian by the name of Henning Sorenson. Bethune had pioneered a way of getting blood to the hospitals and in doing so saved many lives. While in the hospital both Canadians are advised that there is a wounded man there who has lost both hands and is blind. They had tried speaking English, French, Italian, Spanish and German to him but to no avail. Bethune called over Sorenson and the wounded man responded to the sound of his name. Sorenson quickly determined that the wounded volunteer was a Swede. In the 5 minutes it took for Bethune to heat up the blood to body temperature Sorenson kept talking to the Swede. As the transfusion took place Bethune asked Sorenson what the wounded man had said. Sorenson's voice was sad as he related what the Swede said, "10 days ago I was in Sweden. I have been in Spain 3 days. This was my first engagement, and now I am no more use to my comrades. I have done nothing for the cause".

Bethune and Sorenson looked at each other. "Done nothing? What modesty, what courage, what a soul"

There is a picture in the book of the two Canadians and a nurse treating the Swede but the book does not ever say what happened to him.

Fascinating reading. Does anybody have any further info on this volunteer?

Regards.

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alieneyes
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Re: my last post

#12

Post by alieneyes » 12 Jun 2004, 21:11

I have come across an online photo of the story told above:
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