main allies of Germany in the attack on the Soviet Union and Finland made by Romania.These were later joined by Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Albania, Croatia and Slovakia.There was one country, Germany is not occupied and is not in a state of war with the Soviet Union, however, granted the volunteers to serve on the side of Germany.It was Spain.
History of Spain noted that only once, during the Great Patriotic War, it opposed the Russian soldiers, although even then Franco avoided the open participation in the war, while maintaining neutrality.Other cases where these two countries participated in the battles on opposite sides, was not.Learn more about these events of the Great Patriotic War will be discussed in this article.
Touching on this topic, it should be noted that only one division fought against the Soviet Union.It was the Spanish "Blue Division", or 250-I, which consisted of Spanish volunteers.They fought during the Second World War on the side of Germany.Regarded nominally manned fighters "Spanish phalanx," the division actually is a mixture of regular soldiers, members of the Phalangist militia and veterans of the Civil War."Blue Division" was made up of Spanish canons.It consisted of one artillery regiment and four infantry.Because of blue shirts Division was named "Blue Division".Blue was the form of the phalanx.
position of Spain in the war
Not wanting to draw openly Spain into the war on the German side and trying at the same time to ensure the safety of the country and the regime of the phalanx, Francisco Franco held at the time of armed neutrality, thus leaving on the Eastern Front German division of volunteers who wanted to fightagainst the Soviet Union on the German side.De jure, Spain has decided to remain neutral, not part of the Allies and Germany declared war on the USSR.
Motivating Volunteers
History of Spain was linked to the fate of the Soviet Union before the war.Sooner, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in 1941, on June 24 announced the formation of this division by saying that the Soviet Union is guilty of the Spanish Civil War, which began in 1936, when Franco led by nationalist fighters staged an armed rebellion.They accused the Soviet Union and that this war dragged on and took a non-judicial executions, mass executions.The oath has been changed in agreement with the Germans.The soldiers took the oath against communism, not the Fuhrer.
different were the motivation of volunteers, of which consisted of 250 Division: the desire to avenge relatives who died in the Civil War, to the desire to escape (from the former Republicans who have made the bulk and decided to move to the side of the Soviet army).There were men who truly want to atone for his recent Republican past.Many also acted because of selfish reasons.A decent salary received at the time military personnel, plus it was still a German salary (7.3 peseta from the Government of Spain and Germany from 8.48 per day).
Ingredients Division
numbered 18693 fighter division (15780 lower ranks, in 2272 non-commissioned officers, 641 officers) departed in 1941, July 13, from Madrid and translated was in Germany for military training duration infive weeks in the city Grafenver on the training ground.Augustin Muñoz Grandes, a Civil War veteran, was the first commander of the division.Soldiers moved, starting with Poland, foot march to the front.After that, the "Blue Division" was handed over to the Wehrmacht as the 250th Infantry.Through its membership of all time has been more than 40 thousand. People (more than 50 thousand. - According to other sources).
fighting with Russian during the defense of Leningrad
"Blue Division" to keep the defense of Leningrad and was considered the weak link of the Soviet command.Therefore, during the operation called "North Star", aimed at the liberation of Leningrad region and held on the site length of almost 60 km (under the red boron) highlighted were a small force, which could not in bad weather and difficult terrain to provide a fully breakFront, though penetrated a significant distance.
In this area fighting was fierce on both sides.Forward detachments of the Red Army, which managed to break through, flank counterattacks were cut off from their reserves and the rears and put the result in a difficult position.Remains of assault units, left without ammunition and food, had to leave the environment is through the position of the "Blue Division".
When you exit the environment clashes with the Spanish differed ruthlessness and suddenness.The researchers, in particular, is an episode when a group of Russian, not having virtually grenades and rounds of ammunition, night crept to the dugout, where the soldiers rested nonchalantly "Blue Division".Breaking into the dug-out, soldiers destroyed the cold arms of the enemy.
particular relevance to the discipline of the Spaniards
special attitude of Spanish soldiers showed more discipline in Poland.AWOL took several soldiers in civilian clothes.They were arrested by the Gestapo, because like the Jews because of the dark appearance.After the shooting, they freed their comrades.Morozov, the mayor of Novgorod, was killed by a soldier of the "Blue Division".
power was organized delivery of milk to pregnant women.All lined up each morning.Slowly it began to get a job the soldiers of this division.They stood peacefully mixed with pregnant without requiring excess itself - received only a general rule and removed.However, Morozov was outraged by the lack of milk.He came to the council, down the stairs of one of the Spaniards.He jumped up and shot him with a pistol.
combination of sloppiness and high efficiency for
This combination of sloppiness and high efficiency for General Halder noted after the battle in the Red Bor.He warned her that if they suddenly see an unshaven, drunk soldier with an unbuttoned tunic, no need to rush to arrest him, because this is probably the Spanish hero.
were frequent cases of division among the military transition over to the Russian, largely due to poor nutrition and brutality of their officers.
dismantling of connections, his fate
In 1943, 20 October, Francisco Franco because of foreign pressure has decided to withdraw from the front "Blue Division" and disband the connection.However, many Spaniards were voluntarily in the units of the German army before the war.Not wanting to lose their potential soldiers, the Germans opened propaganda for joining volunteer was under German command, "German Foreign Legion."They were, as a rule, in the Waffen SS (Wehrmacht Infantry Division), who fought to the very end.Before the surrender in Berlin surrounded fought about 7 thousand. Spaniards.
in postwar Spain, many former soldiers of this division subsequently made a successful military career.
ratio of soldiers to the division of church and religion
enormous prestige in Franco's Spain enjoyed a religion and the church.During the shelling, for example, the central dome is in Veliky Novgorod Hagia Sophia got a few shells.As a result, the ground began to topple cross.Spanish engineers rescued during the war, was restored, and he was sent to their home country.
During the life of Franco in the 70s, a cross that stood in the Engineering Academy.Inscription beneath it, is that it is in Spain is in storage in Russia comes back, it disappears when the Bolshevik regime.The Soviet regime after the war, accused in the plunder of the Spaniards, who were the scourge of antiquities Novgorod.They turned the Church of the Entry into Jerusalem to the forge, and the Archbishop's Palace did morgue."Blue Division" on the Eastern Front has taken most of the iconostasis for firewood.Completely burned they Znamensky Cathedral "by negligence".
should be noted that the doors of the ancient temples were prohibitive inscriptions in Spanish and German, but the Spaniards it did not pay any attention and continued to plunder the Russian church.Almost all the churches of Novgorod suffered by the Spaniards.It turned out that in the search for souvenirs engineers were taken to Spain with the cross of St. Sophia Cathedral, ostensibly as a keepsake.He was returned to 2004.
German attitude to the Spanish soldiers
All historians claim that between Spanish and German characters were big differences.Germans Spaniards accused of laxity, indiscipline, familiarity with the local population, particularly with women.Trying to feed the standard diet of volunteers who ate Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht, it turned considerable scandal.From this meal falling morale of the soldiers, of which was the "Blue Division" on the eastern front.End all that, after high-level talks with Turkish echelons of lentils and peas rushed to the eastern front.
time, however, the Germans were convinced that the lack of discipline to perform heroic deeds does not interfere with the Spaniards.Soon after the victory began to repatriate prisoners of the Germans, the Spaniards were able to "sit out" the death of Stalin and the subsequent amnesty.Their fate negotiations were conducted, but to no avail.After Franco had to fight again in a diplomatic game now "cold" war.
"Blue Division" (Borzya)
In Russia, there is also a division of the same name.Since 1972, from March, the 150th Motorized Infantry Division, also known as "Blue", stationed in Borze.It is a city located in the Trans-Baikal region, 378 kilometers from Chita.Its population is 29405 people.Borzya-3 ("Blue Division") has nothing to do with the Spanish troops.
