Spain grants Citizenship to descendants of international brigade

Posted: Wed Nov 5, 2025 10:06am

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DarioMartin

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A long winded title; I’m hoping it will appeal to those that are concerned there is insufficient news of Spain’s political happenings

Full article below, but briefly Spain’s government has just granted Spanish Citizenship to 132 descendants of members of the International Brigade, who came from all over the world - Including UK and Ireland - to fight against the Falangists of Franco. Spain is recognising their bravery in fighting for democracy against facism.

Also worthy of note in the article, is the steps the government are taking to outlaw the Francisco Franco Foundation on the basis it stands against democracy.

Full story here:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/04/spain-grants-citizenship-descendants-international-brigades-civil-war

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Posted: Wed Nov 5, 2025 11:47am

Matthew

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Posted: Wed Nov 5, 2025 11:47am

Coincidentally, I'm reading Antony Beevor's history of The Spanish Civil War. It is very much in detail and perhaps a bit too much for me currently. Possibly, I'll take on an easier history of 1930's Spain. I know George Orwell was involved in one of the sides. Some Irish people fought in Spain too and were fairly equally divided between the combatants. Strangely, they shared the same ship to Lisbon from where they moved into Spain. We have learned since that Francisco Franco was not the pious person everyone thought he was.

Previously, I had read For Whom the Bell Tolls (Hemingway) just to get a feel for the fighting. Often you can pick up much more feelings in fiction rather than non-fiction. It was a bloody conflict and a pre-cursor to the Second World War. I note like Ireland Spain remained neutral in WW2.

I found myself re-reading much of Beevor's work and to be honest there is so much that happened, I'll have to get some Spanish history from an easier source.. I can remember Carboneras 30 years ago when I was beginning my first venture into Spanish. Civil War feelings were not forgotten there even then. But, I'm looking forward to this thread as it develops.

Posted: Thu Nov 6, 2025 6:51am

Tim

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Posted: Thu Nov 6, 2025 6:51am

How do I do this my grandad and his brother where with the international brigade in the civil war

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Posted: Thu Nov 6, 2025 7:53am

DarioMartin

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Posted: Thu Nov 6, 2025 7:53am

Tim wrote on Thu Nov 6, 2025 6:51am:
How do I do this my grandad and his brother where with the international brigade in the civil war

This may assist, although apparently the deadline was October 2025; that being said the deadline was originally October 2024 and got extended …

https://international-brigades.org.uk/news-and-blog/families-of-brigaders-can-apply-for-spanish-nationality/

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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2025 11:48am

Galtyboy

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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2025 11:48am

Tim wrote on Thu Nov 6, 2025 6:51am:
How do I do this my grandad and his brother where with the international brigade in the civil war

My Wife’s Uncle was in it too. We have one picture of him in uniform.

Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2025 6:19pm

Dropsy

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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2025 6:19pm

Matthew wrote on Wed Nov 5, 2025 11:47am:
Coincidentally, I'm reading Antony Beevor's history of The Spanish Civil War. It is very much in detail and perhaps a bit too much for me currently. Possibly, I'll take on an easier history of 1930's Spain. I know George Orwell was involved in one of the sides. Some Irish people fought in Spain t...

Read more...

...oo and were fairly equally divided between the combatants. Strangely, they shared the same ship to Lisbon from where they moved into Spain. We have learned since that Francisco Franco was not the pious person everyone thought he was.
Previously, I had read For Whom the Bell Tolls (Hemingway) just to get a feel for the fighting. Often you can pick up much more feelings in fiction rather than non-fiction. It was a bloody conflict and a pre-cursor to the Second World War. I note like Ireland Spain remained neutral in WW2.
I found myself re-reading much of Beevor's work and to be honest there is so much that happened, I'll have to get some Spanish history from an easier source.. I can remember Carboneras 30 years ago when I was beginning my first venture into Spanish. Civil War feelings were not forgotten there even then. But, I'm looking forward to this thread as it develops.

As an irish person dont know why u would be surprised at there still being civil war feelings in Spain. We still have lots of that type of sh!te in Ireland .Sure aren't Fianna Fail and the blue shirts still known as the civil war party's

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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2025 6:36pm

Dropsy

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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2025 6:36pm

Matthew wrote on Wed Nov 5, 2025 11:47am:
Coincidentally, I'm reading Antony Beevor's history of The Spanish Civil War. It is very much in detail and perhaps a bit too much for me currently. Possibly, I'll take on an easier history of 1930's Spain. I know George Orwell was involved in one of the sides. Some Irish people fought in Spain t...

Read more...

...oo and were fairly equally divided between the combatants. Strangely, they shared the same ship to Lisbon from where they moved into Spain. We have learned since that Francisco Franco was not the pious person everyone thought he was.
Previously, I had read For Whom the Bell Tolls (Hemingway) just to get a feel for the fighting. Often you can pick up much more feelings in fiction rather than non-fiction. It was a bloody conflict and a pre-cursor to the Second World War. I note like Ireland Spain remained neutral in WW2.
I found myself re-reading much of Beevor's work and to be honest there is so much that happened, I'll have to get some Spanish history from an easier source.. I can remember Carboneras 30 years ago when I was beginning my first venture into Spanish. Civil War feelings were not forgotten there even then. But, I'm looking forward to this thread as it develops.

I have read a couple of books on the Spanish civil war ( despite what some on this forum might think I am actually capable of reading books). I found this to be excellent

Brigadista: An Irishman's Fight Against FascismBook by Bob Doyle from Dublin who fought in the International Brigade and also was in the British merchant navy in WW2