March 31, 2024

This is quite an interesting documentary that tells the story of the 1,200 Canadians who travelled to Spain between 1936-1939 to fight for the Republican cause during the Civil War. Using some well retrieved and effective archive footage from both Spain and Canada at the time, we quickly realise that those leaving to fight had little of worth to leave behind. The depression had hit Canada hard, and with over 1.5 million unemployed and many living… read the rest.

This is quite an interesting documentary that tells the story of the 1,200 Canadians who travelled to Spain between 1936-1939 to fight for the Republican cause during the Civil War. Using some well retrieved and effective archive footage from both Spain and Canada at the time, we quickly realise that those leaving to fight had little of worth to leave behind. The depression had hit Canada hard, and with over 1.5 million unemployed and many living in glorified army camps being paid 20c per day to help build roads the attraction of taking part in the fight in Spain was obvious. Meantime, the government in Spain - despite an election victory, was on it's knees. Those on the political left were spending as much time fighting each other as they were the well armed and organised Fascists under the Hitler-backed Francisco Franco. Escalation soon ensued as the border with France was closed and the Soviets tried to back the ailing government. This was all being seen around the world by newsreel and inspired the creation of the "International Brigades" - some 40,000 foreign troops who came to fight for the socialists. The Canadian division was known as the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion and the interviews quite informatively illustrate just what the demographics and motivation of those fighting was. What we have hear is more an evaluation of whom these Canadian men were. We don't really dwell on their politics but more on their senses of doing what was right and their determination to help. It's a story of courage that's well worth watching.

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