A Soul Without Frontiers

During the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 almost 40.000 volunteers decided to leave everything behind and travel to Spain in order to assist the Republic in their struggle for survival against the Fascists. This force known as Las Brigadas Internacionales (The International Brigades) consisted of men and women from over fifty countries. The United States among them, some 2.800 Americans travelled to Spain and served in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. The members of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion possessed a fair amount of cosmopolitan consciousness. The mere fact that its members included African Americans atones this. A mixed race combat Battalion is an interesting exception in a time where segregation and outright discrimination was still a normality. ‘I think learning about the Spanish Civil War, the Anarchist Revolution and the universally felt sympathy observable in the impressive amount of foreign volunteers is an excellent way to help spread cosmopolitan consciousness. Though Spanish history from 1936 to 1939 is yet another horrific display of mankind’s destructive nature, it is also an inspiring tale of men and women from all corners of the globe that truly shows a seldom before seen communal effort, solidarity for strangers and a lust for freedom.