Dimitrov battalion

The Dimitrov Battalion was a military unit integrated in the international Brigades during the Guerre of Spain. It was about the battalion n° 18 and its name was dedicated to Georgi Dimitrov, a Bulgarian Communist defender of the Frente Popular and Second Republic Spanish.

It was made up, in December 1936, with the exiled originating ones in the Balkans. It counted, at its beginning, approximately 800 volunteers including nearly 160 Greek.

The battalion was incorporated in the 15th brigade starting from January 31st 1937. It found two other famous units there: the British Battalion () and the Battalion Abraham Lincoln (). They fought for the first time at the Bataille of Jarama () where the battalion have many casualties.

The September 20th 1937, the battalion was transferred to the 45e international Division from reserve, where it was reconstituted. The February 13rd 1938, it belonged to the 129e international Brigade recently created which had been formed starting from the survivors of the other battalions made up of Europeans. The Dimitrov Battalion continued to serve until the demobilization the October 5th 1938.

Its last chief, Josef Pavlov, were then named minister in the government formed by Alexander Dubček during the Printemps of Prague in 1968.

References

Sources

Hugh Thomas, The Spanish Civil War, 4th rev. ED. 2001.
Antony Beevor, The Battle for Spain, 2006.
{{be}} Page '' Orden de Batalla ''
{{are}} Page of the '' Associació Catalana ''

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