Figure 1.--More than 5,000 Spanish volunteers died on the Eastern Front serving in the Blue Division. Here a mother. wife,and daughter grive at the grave of a Blue Division veteran. I can't imagine the bodies were returned. So perhaps this is a symbolic funeral or the man was wounded and died later after being brought back to Spain. Notice the girl wears her white First Communion dress. |
The Battle of Britain in many ways changed the course of the War. An invasion of Britain was impossible without air superiority. Hitler, fearing a cross-Channel invasion, decided that the only way to force the British to seek terms was to destroy he Soviet Union. This was his principal goal from the beginning, in that it was in the East he foresaw obtainig the Lebensraum he was convinced Germany needed. He began shifting the Wehrmacht eastward to face the enemy that he had longed to fight from the onset--Soviet Russia. The nature of the War changed decisevely in the second half of 1941. The Germans invaded Russia in
June 1941, launching the most sweeping military campaign in history. Stalin ignored warnings from the British who as a result of Ultra had details on the German preparations. Stalin was convinced that the the British and Americans were trying to draw him into the War and until the actual attack could not believe that Hitler would attack him. The attack was an enormous tactical success. The Soviets were surprised and devestated. While Franco refused to formally enter the War. He did support the NAZI war effort by supplying raw materials and workers to the Germans. He also allowed volunteers to sign up to fight with the Germans. The Blue Division perfomed well on the Eastern Front, but suffered substantial casulalties.
The Battle of Britain in many ways changed the course of the War. An invasion of Britain was impossible without air superiority. Hitler, fearing a cross-Channel invasion, decided that the only way to force the British to seek terms was to destroy he Soviet Union. This was his principal goal from the beginning, in that it was in the East he foresaw obtainig the Lebensraum he was convinced Germany needed. He began shifting the Wehrmacht eastward to face the enemy that he had longed to fight from the onset--Soviet Russia. The nature of the War changed decisevely in the second half of 1941. The Germans invaded Russia in
June 1941, launching the most sweeping military campaign in history. Stalin ignored warnings from the British who as a result of Ultra had details on the German preparations. Stalin was convinced that the the British and Americans were trying to draw him into the War and until the actual attack could not believe that Hitler would attack him. The attack was an enormous tactical success. The Soviets were surprised and devestated.
Franco refused to enter the War. This enfuriated Hitler who had helped the Nationalists win in the Spanish Civil War. By the time Hitler met Franco he was used to issueing ultimatums and dictates. The meeting at Hendaye (Coctober 1940) proved to be the most frustrating diplomatic encounter experienced by Hitler. According to Hitler later, it was like "having teeth pulled" While Franco refused to formally enter the War first against the British. Neither did he later declare war on the Soviet Union, despite the fact that he was a fervent anti-Communist. He did support the NAZI war effort by supplying raw materials and workers to the Germans. Franco also allowed volunteers to sign up to fight with the Germans. The Division became known as the Blue Division.
When the German announced their invasion of the Soviet Union was underway, enthusiastic Falangists demonstrated in Madrid their solidarity with the NAZIs (June 22, 1941). Strongly anti-Communist Franco authorized the formation of a volunteer division to fight on the Eastern Front, but it was not his idea. The idea was conceived by Foreign Minister Ramón Serrano Suñer. As Foreign Minister he had to deal with the NAZIs who not just pressuring Spain to join the War, but threatening the Spanish. Franco saw the plan was a way of placating Hitler and his Falanist supporters without ebtering the war against Britain. The Division was conceived by the Spanish Falangists. Franco concluded that by restricting the effort to volunteers that the action would have adquate diplmatic cover. Foreign Minister Serrano Suñer arrived at the German Embassy with an offer to assist the Germans. Hitler had been attempting to convince Franco to join the war effort with little success. Many Falangists like others in Europe were dazzled with the German military success. They wanted to be part of the new German assault on Bloshevism. Serrano Suner asked German Ambassador Eberhard von Stohrer if the NAZIs would want a unit of Spanish volunteers to join the war effort. The German experienced extrodinary military success in the opening stages of Barbarossa. One Spanish division would be of little real significance. For Hitler and Ribbentrop it was a diplomatic coup as NAZI propaganda sought tgo portray the War against the Soviets as an European anti-Bolshevick crusade. They also assumed it was the first step of Spain fully joining the War. While the Spanish would have little affect on the Eastern Front, Spanish entry in the War could have had an import impact on the Mediterrenanean abd North African campaigns.
The Blue Division was formed by many volunteers. As a result of the Civil War there were many fiercely anti-Communists
willing to as they saw it continue the fight against the Communists. The Falange set up recruiting stations the party headquarters.
At the Spanish Military Academy in Zaragoza, the young officer cadets volunteered as a group. In only a few days enough recruits had volunteered to form more than a division. Spanish authorities decided to ensure that at least 50 percent of the officers and non-commission officers were drawn from the Spanish military.
I am not sure, however, if the Blue Division was all volunteer in the true sence of the word. In particular I am not sure about the replacements sent in 1942 and 43 when casualties mounted.
The Spanish volunteers became known as the "Blue Division" (Division Azul) because the initial Spanish uniform adopted included the dark blue shirts of the Spanish Falange. The Blue Division was not outfitted with regular Spanish Army uniforms because Spain was not officially at war. An entirely new uniform was designed for the unit. The men wore a red beret (symbol of the Carlist movement), a dark blue shirt (uniform of the Falangists), and haki (uniform of the Spanish Foreign Legion). Blue Division officers wore khaki shirts with blue cuffs and collar. The Division did not, however, fight in this uniform. After leaving Spain they were issued grey Wehrmacht uniforms in German staging camps. Their Wehrmacht uniforms had a Spanish shoulder patch. It was officially formed as the 250th (“Blue”) Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht (July 25, 1941). The Division was formed with 18,000 volunteers, but about 47,000 Spaniards eventually fought on the Eastern Front. The Division was commanded by staunchly anti-communist General Agustin Munoz-Grandes.
The Wehrmacht was not initially impressed with the Spanish. Wehrmacht instructors did not believe that discipline standards were adequate. The Spanish trained for 1-month in Germany. It was decided in the end that because many of the volunteers came from the Spanish military a full basic training program was not needed.
Wehrmact soldiers had to swear a personal oath of alligence to Adolf Hitler. That oath was modified for thge Spanish. The Spanish wre tghen dispached to the Eastern Front (August 20). This proved to be a major test for the Spanish who were to quickly find how the Germans regarded their allies. The Wehrmach decided that the unit
needed further toughening up. As a result, they were transported by rail only to Suwalki in Poland. This was an incredible 1,000 km from the front. The Spanish had to march on foot through Poland and Lithuania to Vitebsk in Russia. They passed through Vilna, Molodeschno, Minsk and Orscha. This march resulted in numerous casualties and loss horses used to pull supply wagons even before the Division went into combat. As a result, it was October before the Division reached the front lines. The Division was to be deployed as pat of the German offensive around Smolensk. The delay because of the march, required plans to be changed. As a result the Division was moved north, this time by rail, to support Army Group North's efforts to take Lenningrad. The Spanish Blue Division perfomed well on the Eastern Front, impressing many German commanders who initially had no confidence in them. Military historians generally agree that it was one of the finest units in the German order of battle. It is the only unit of Germany's allies (Italy, Hungary, and Romania that achieved an impressive combat record. A Soviets seriously threatened the Blue Division (Winter 1942-43). By that time the Soviets had significantly strengthened their forces. The Spanish were almost surrounded at Krasny Bor, but managed to withdraw after taking substantial casualties. Concerned mounted in Spain as wounded soldiers returned and the casualty lists grew. Franco ordered the Blue Division withdrawn (October 1943). Allied diplomats were pressuring Franco about his support of the NAZIs. By this time it was abundantly clear that the NAZIs were not going to win the War and Franco became increasingly concerned about how the Allies would treat Spain. The Spanish soldiers were home by late December.
The Blue Division, an army infantry unit, was the best known Spanish unit involved in the War. There were, however, Spanish air units also committed. The Spanish committed five air force squadrons, although not at the same time. They are often referred gto as the Blue Squadron (Esquadrilla Azul). They were assigned to Army Group Center and thus did not operate in conjuction with the Blue Division. They paticipated in major battles of the War, including drive on Moscow, and the battles of Kharkov and Smolensk and the pivotal battle of Kursk later in the War.
Although Franco ordered the Blue Division to return to Spain (December 1943), quite a number of the soldiers were such fervent anti-Communists that they wanted to continue fighting the Soviets.
Thus the Wehrmacht formed the Blue Legion (Legion Azul). About 2,000 Spanish soldiers were involved under the command of Colonel Antonio García Navarro. The Blue Legion was assigned to the Wehrmact 121st Infantry Division. Franco worried about the Allied attitide toward Spain ordered these men to also return to Spain (March 3, 1944). The unit was modeled on a tercio of the Spanish Foreign Legion, roughly a regiment. (Tercio means third, or one-third of a division.)
After wthdrawing the Blue Division and Blue Legion from the Eastern Front, Franco issue decrees making it a crime for Spaniars to serve with Axis forces. The motivation here was that Franco saw Germany was losing the War and wanted to reduce Spanish support for the AXis to safeguard Span's position after the War. Still some Spanish soldies refused to withdraw from the fight against Communism on the Eastern Front. Other fervent anti-Communists also went to France to sign up to serve with the Germans. They served in various Wehrmacht and Waffen SS units.
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