The 35th Division () was a division of the

Spanish Republican Army The Spanish Republican Army () was the main branch of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces, Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic between 1931 and 1939. It became known as People's Army of the Republic (''Ejército Popular de la República'' ...

in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

. This unit was established in March 1937 in order to gather certain scattered units of the

International Brigades The International Brigades () were soldiers recruited and organized by the Communist International to assist the Popular Front (Spain), Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. The International Bri ...

under one command, therefore it was also known as the 35th International Division (''35.ª División Internacional''). It took part in some of the major battles of the conflict such as

Brunete Brunete () is a town located on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain, with a population of 10,730 people. History There was no military garrison in Brunete and there was no rebel attempt to seize the city during the coup of July 1936. Brunete remai ...

Teruel Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel (province), Teruel Province. It had a population of 35,900 as of 2022, making it the least populated provincial capital in Spain. It is noted for its har ...

and the

Battle of the Ebro The Battle of the Ebro (, ) was the longest and largest battle of the Spanish Civil War and the greatest, in terms of manpower, logistics and material ever fought on Spanish soil. It took place between July and November 1938, with fighting mainly ...

persistently being afflicted by numerous casualties, especially in the latter.

History

The 35th Division was established on 23 March 1937 with the XII and XIV

and the 69th Mixed Brigade, becoming part of the 5th Army Corps. The command of the division was entrusted to

Karol Świerczewski Karol Wacław Świerczewski (; callsign ''Walter''; 22 February 1897 – 28 March 1947) was a Polish and Soviet Red Army general and statesman. He was a Bolshevik Party member and served in the Soviet Red Army during the Russian Civil War an ...

, also known as "General Walter" and the Chief of Staff was Lt. Colonel

Ludwig Renn Ludwig Renn (born Arnold Friedrich Vieth von Golßenau; 22 April 1889 – 21 July 1979) was a German author. Born a Saxon nobleman, he later became a committed communist and lived in East Berlin.''Oxford Companion to German Literature'', ed. Henr ...

, a renowned German Communist. It took part in the

Segovia Offensive The Segovia Offensive was a Republican diversionary offensive which took place between 31 May and 6 June 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. The main goal of the offensive was to occupy Segovia and divert Nationalist forces from their advance on ...

towards the end of May together with the 34th Division led by

José María Galán José María Galán Rodríguez (1904–1978) was a Spanish military officer. He served in the Spanish Civil War. He was the brother of Fermín Galán, leader of the Jaca Uprising, and Francisco Galán. Before the war, he was a lieutenant of th ...

. The combats were led by "General Walter" but ended up in complete failure, both divisions taking a high number of casualties. One month later the division took part in the

Battle of Brunete The Battle of Brunete (6–25 July 1937), fought west of Madrid, was a Republican attempt to alleviate the pressure exerted by the Nationalists on the capital and on the north during the Spanish Civil War. Although initially successful, the R ...

where it was unable to fulfill its targets ending up again with many casualties, even though it fought well and was able to conquer a few positions.

At the Aragon Front

Towards the end of August the 35th Division was transferred to

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

to take part in the

Zaragoza Offensive The Zaragoza Offensive took place during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. This battle involved the Spanish Republican Army. The main goal of the offensive was to occupy the city of Zaragoza. The main action of the offensive was the battle of Belch ...

together with the 11th Division. This would be one of the main battles of the Civil War. Both divisions were part of the ''Agrupación «D»'', which was under the leadership of

Modesto Modesto ( ; ) is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the 19th-most populous city in California. Modesto is locate ...

and included cavalry and artillery sections, as well as Soviet-made tanks. The international units under "

General Walter A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED Online. Mar ...

" soon took Codo town, where 300 fanatical

Carlist Carlism (; ; ; ) is a Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty, one descended from Infante Carlos María Isidro of Spain, Don Carlos, ...

troops holed up and put up a fierce fight against the two thousand attacking Republican soldiers. When the brigades entered Codo they saw a wall defaced with the words:'' "Por cada rojo que máteis, un año menos de purgatorio"'' (For every Red you kill, one year less in

purgatory In Christianity, Purgatory (, borrowed into English language, English via Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman and Old French) is a passing Intermediate state (Christianity), intermediate state after physical death for purifying or purging a soul ...

).Manuel Casanova, ''L'Espagne Livrée'', pág. 9 Then the division moved on to nearby

Belchite Belchite is a municipality and town in the province of Zaragoza, Spain, about 40 km southeast of Zaragoza. It is the capital of Campo de Belchite ''comarca'' (administrative region) and is located in a plain surrounded by low hills, the high ...

, a besieged town that doggedly resisted Republican attacks. The British and American troops of the

XV International Brigade The XV International Brigade was one of the International Brigades formed to fight for the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. History The XVth Brigade mustered at Albacete in January 1937. It consisted of English-speaking volunte ...

fought bravely from house to house, taking a high number of casualties among their ranks. The small town held until 7 September, when the Republican offensive lost steam without having been able to conquer the capital of Aragon further north. After three months of continuous combats the 35th Division was quite mangled and, following a brief attack on

Fuentes de Ebro Fuentes de Ebro () is a municipality in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2005 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 4,086 inhabitants. See also * Las Fuentes, Zaragoza * List of municipalities in Zaragoza ...

, it withdrew to the rearguard where it was given much needed reinforcement and new weapons. At that time the division was made up of the XI and XV International Brigades, as well as the

32nd Mixed Brigade 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...

. At the end of December the division went to the

Teruel Front The Battle of Teruel was fought in and around the city of Teruel during the Spanish Civil War between December 1937 and February 1938, during the worst Spanish winter in 20 years.Hugh Purcell, p. 95. The battle was one of the bloodiest actions of ...

in order to try to curb the Francoist counterattack which was threatening the small city which had been conquered by the Republicans at a high cost in human lives. At the beginning the 35th Division was assigned to the Reserve, but on 29 December it was called to check the rebel counterattack led by General

Antonio Aranda Antonio Aranda Mata (13 November 1888 – 8 February 1979) was a military officer who fought on the Nationalist faction in the Spanish Civil War. Biography Antonio Aranda Mata was born in Leganés on 13 November 1888. During the Morocco wars A ...

. Unable to face the powerful enemy thrust the division had to withdraw to ''La Muela'' Hill, a position which it defended fiercely during the following few days until it moved down to the Singra sector. On 19 January General Walter's men put up a good fight during the bloody combats in the outskirts of Teruel, putting a check to the Francoist onslaught. Fighting in conditions of extreme cold, the hapless 35th Division suffered a huge number of fatalities during the Teruel campaign. But all that effort would be in vain for on 7 March the rebel armies, after having reconquered

, attacked all along the

Aragon Front The Aragon Offensive was an important military campaign during the Spanish Civil War, which began after the Battle of Teruel. The offensive, which ran from March 7, 1938, to April 19, 1938, smashed the Republican forces, overran Aragon, and c ...

, breaching it in various places. The British, American and Canadian men of the XV International Brigade were the last to leave

, by then a ruined place, which they had conquered at such high cost in human lives and materiel the previous summer. In the middle of the debacle General

Vicente Rojo Vicente Rojo Lluch (8 October 1894 – 15 June 1966) was Chief of the General Staff of the Spanish Armed Forces during the Spanish Civil War. He is considered to have been one of the best commanders of the civil war. Early life He was the p ...

summoned the International Brigades to gather at

Caspe Caspe is a municipality in the province of Zaragoza, part of the autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain, seat of the comarca of Bajo Aragón-Caspe. As of 2018 it had a population of 9,525 inhabitants (INE 2018) and its municipality, of 5 ...

in order to try to contain the relentless enemy advance. The 35th Division did its best to comply with the order, although its units were badly shattered, all having suffered heavy casualties and hardly being fit for combat. On 17 March, despite the international units putting up a brave resistance, Caspe fell to the enemy and the Republicans initiated a massive withdrawal towards

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

and the

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

Battle of the Ebro

At the beginning of April the 35th Division entered

where it would be cut off from the remaining Republican territory to the southwest when the rebels reached the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

shore at

Vinaròs Vinaròs () () is a city located in eastern Spain and the capital of the Baix Maestrat in the province of Castellón. It is in the border between the Valencian Community and Catalonia. Vinaròs is a fishing harbour and tourist destination. His ...

(north of

Castellón Province Castellón () may refer to: Places * Castellón de la Plana, the capital city of the province of Castellón, in Valencian Community, Spain * Province of Castellón, a province in Valencian Community, Spain * Castelló, formerly ''Castelló de la ...

). By mid May the division had been largely reorganized and a Spanish commander,

Pedro Mateo Merino Pedro Mateo Merino (1912–2000) was a Spanish Republican Army colonel in the Spanish Civil War. He fought at the Battle of the Ebro where as a Militia Major he led the 35th Division, replacing General Karol Świerczewski (General Walter).Ca ...

, was chosen to lead it.Besolí, Andreu; Sesalí, David; Hernández, Xavier; Íñiguez, David; Luque, Joan Carles (2005). Ebro 1938 2nd edn. Inedita Editores. Barcelona. pp. 57-294. Also a new

Commissar Commissar (or sometimes ''Kommissar'') is an English transliteration of the Russian (''komissar''), which means ' commissary'. In English, the transliteration ''commissar'' often refers specifically to the political commissars of Soviet and ...

and a new Chief of Staff were named. The division became part of the 15th Army Corps led by Colonel

Manuel Tagüeña Manuel Tagüeña Lacorte (1913–1971) was a Spanish military officer of the Spanish Republican Army. Biography Before the Spanish Civil War, he was a member of the socialist youth and studied mathematics and physics at Madrid University. In Ju ...

and its brigades were reorganized, including a number of new Spanish recruits and officers in the XII, XIV and XV International Brigades. On the night of the 24 to 25 July the division crossed the

Ebro River The Ebro (Spanish and Basque ; , , ) is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows , almost entirely in an east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a del ...

, signalling the beginning of the

, one of the major Republican offensives of the war. The first unit of the division that reached the left bank of the river was the Hans Beimler Battalion of the XI International Brigade. The division crossed at

Ascó Ascó () is a large village in the comarca of Ribera d'Ebre, Catalonia, Spain, on the right bank of the Ebre river at the feet of the Serra de la Fatarella range. The village of Ascó is known for its nuclear power station, and for excellent f ...

, north of

Móra d'Ebre Móra d'Ebre () is the capital of the ''comarca'' of the Ribera d'Ebre in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the right bank of the Ebre river in the Móra Hollow, and is served by the N-420 road to Reus and Gandesa, the N-230 road to Lleida ...

, evicting two Francoist battalions from their fortified positions, occupying

La Fatarella La Fatarella () is a municipality in northern Terra Alta, within the region of Ribera d'Ebre in Spain. History One of the oldest buildings in La Fatarella was a Muslim watchtower in the site where the chapel of ''Mare de Déu of the Misericòrdi ...

and forcing the 50th Division of the rebel army to withdraw. It reached the Venta de Camposines, taking

Corbera d'Ebre Corbera d'Ebre () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of la Terra Alta in Catalonia, Spain. It is one of the 12 municipalities comprising the wine-growing region of the Spanish '' Denominación de Origen'' classification of the Spanish wine ...

and the outskirts of

Gandesa Gandesa () is the capital of the ''comarca'' of Terra Alta, in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. History In the place known as ''Coll del Moro'' there is an ancient Iberian archaeological site belonging to the Ilercavones tribe that ...

, becoming the Republican division that made the most spectacular advance in territory previously controlled by the rebels in the whole battle. On 6 August the 27th Division relieved the 35th Division and took over its positions at

Vilalba dels Arcs Vilalba dels Arcs () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Terra Alta in Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalon ...

, so that it could go to the rearguard for a well-deserved rest after nearly two weeks of uninterrupted combats. Barely a week later it went back to the frontline relieving the much-battered 11th Division on 15 August. In order to satisfy the demands of the

Non-Intervention Committee During the Spanish Civil War, most European countries followed a policy of non-intervention to avoid potential escalation or expansion of the war to other states. This policy led to the signing of the Non-Intervention Agreement in August 1936 an ...

, the directive to withdraw the foreign members of the division arrived on 22 September. On that day the XV International Brigade took part in its last battle. In a similar manner as in August, the British battalion again suffered heavy losses. The division held its positions around Corbera until the fourth Francoist counteroffensive, when it was forced to move north by the rebel advance and had to cross back the Ebro east of

Fayón Fayón () or Faió () is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 395 inhabitants. This town is located between the Ebro and the Matarranya rive ...

by mid November, being the last Republican unit to withdraw. By then the international troops of the division had been withdrawn from the front and had been replaced by Spanish conscripts.

Twilight and end of the division

On 23 December the rebels began their

Catalonia Offensive The Catalonia Offensive (, ) was part of the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist Army started the offensive on 23 December 1938 and rapidly conquered Republican-held Catalonia with Barcelona (the Republic's capital city from October 1937). Ba ...

with a series of attacks along the

Segre River The Segre ( ; ) is a river tributary to the Ebro (''Ebre'' in Catalan) with a basin comprising territories across three states: France, Andorra, and Spain. The river Segre, known to Romans and Greeks as Sicoris, and to the Arabs of Al-Andalus ...

. The V Army Corps led by

Enrique Líster Enrique Líster Forján (21 April 1907 – 8 December 1994) was a Spanish communist politician and military officer. He participated in the Spanish Civil War as an officer in the People's Army of the Republic and rose to the rank of major gen ...

was swiftly sent to the area in order to try to plug the gap at the height of

Borges Blanques Les Borges Blanques () is the capital of the comarca of Les Garrigues, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. According to the 2014 census, the municipality has a population of . Geography It lies in the southern sector of the central Cata ...

. For an anguishing period of twelve days the last remnants of Republican elite troops in Catalonia were able to contain the fierce attacks of the Fascist Italians of the

Corpo Truppe Volontarie The Corps of Volunteer Troops () was a Fascist Italian expeditionary force of military volunteers, which was sent to Spain to support the Nationalist forces under General Francisco Franco against the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil ...

(CTV), but on 5 January the loyalist resistance crumbled and there was a general debacle. Those left of the 35th Division withdrew alongside the Catalan coast northwards together with the remainder of the XV Army Corps. They passed through

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

and moved on with the relentless rebel advance at their heels until they reached the French border in the first days of February. Once in France the division was extinguished as the Republican soldiers were disarmed and interned in

concentration camps A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploit ...

by the French authorities.

Order of Battle

Leaders

;Commanders * General

(General Walter); * Militia Major

(since 1 May 1938) ;Chiefs of Staff *Lt. Colonel

*Militia Major

Julián Henríquez Caubín Julián is the Spanish equivalent of the name Julian. Notable people with the name include: * Julián, Julián Cuesta, Spanish footballer * Julián Orbón (1925–1991) Cuban composer * Julián Carrón (1950) Spanish Catholic theologian * Julián ...

(since 1 May 1938) ;Commissars *

Julián Muñoz Lizcano Julián is the Spanish equivalent of the name Julian. Notable people with the name include: * Julián, Julián Cuesta, Spanish footballer * Julián Orbón (1925–1991) Cuban composer * Julián Carrón (1950) Spanish Catholic theologian * Julián ...

, member of the

Spanish Socialist Workers Party The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( , PSOE ) is a social democratic Updated as required.The PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources: * * * * political party in Spain. The PSOE has been in government longer tha ...

(PSOE) (since 7 March 1938); *

José María Sastre José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , ...

, member of the

Spanish Communist Party The Spanish Communist Party (in ), was the first communist party in Spain, formed out of the Federación de Juventudes Socialistas (Federation of Socialist Youth, youth wing of Spanish Socialist Workers' Party). The founders of the party, that ...

(PCE) (since 1 May 1938)

References

Bibliography

* * * * *

External links

SBHAC - El Ejército Popular

Organización militar republicana - 1936 - La Guerra Civil
{{Divisions of the Spanish Republic Military units and formations established in 1937 Military units and formations disestablished in 1939 Divisions of Spain Military units and formations of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction) Military history of Spain Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic International Brigades