James Bay in Victoria in Capital, British Columbia — Canada’s West Coast (North America)
The Mackenzie Papineau Battalion of the International Brigades
Spanish Civil War 1936-1939
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 14, 2011
1. The Mackenzie Papineau Battalion of the International Brigades Marker
Inscription.
The Mackenzie Papineau Battalion of the International Brigades. Spanish Civil War 1936-1939. This monument commemorates the gallant men and women of British Columbia and Canada who offered their lives to defend the principles of democracy and served as the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion of the International Brigades in defence of the Republic of Spain. In July 1936, the opening shots of the Second World War were fired in Spain. Insurgent forces led by General Franco staged a rebellion to crush the democratically elected Government of the Spanish Republic. This treason was met with armed resistance by the people of Spain who rose to defend the New Republic. Thus the Spanish Civil War had begun which pitted the democracy embodied in the Spanish Republic against the fascism of the insurgent forces lead by Franco, whose allies were the fascist regimes of Hitler and Mussolini. Against the backdrop of appeasement of Hitler, the policy of Non-intervention, and arms embargoes against the Republic rendering it virtually defenseless, volunteers from 53 countries – who formed the International Brigades – went to Spain to defend democracy and resist the spread of fascism. They fought at the side of the infant Spanish Republic to defend the right of the Spanish people to chose, by election, their government. Nearly 1600 Canadian volunteers – confronted by the Foreign Enlistment Act of 1937 enacted by the Canadian Government and facing criminal charges under the Act – joined in that struggle to defend the Spanish Republic and the democracy it embodied. One-quarter of those volunteers came from British Columbia. Members of the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion served with distinction, honour, courage and valour on the battlefields of Spain during the Civil War which raged from 1936 to 1939. Over 600 volunteers in the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion were killed in Spain. These brave individuals are forever part of the earth of Spain. Many of the survivors of the Battalion who returned to Canada in 1939 endeavoured to join and did join the Canadian forces to fight with the Allies in World War II, which began six months later. Once again, they were fighting fascism. The fascist alliance of the Axis Powers was finally defeated in 1945. NO PASARÁN
This monument commemorates the gallant men and women of British Columbia and Canada who offered their lives to defend the principles of democracy and served as the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion of the International Brigades in defence of the Republic of Spain.
In July 1936, the opening shots of the Second World War were fired in Spain. Insurgent forces led by General Franco staged a rebellion to crush the democratically elected Government of the Spanish Republic. This treason was met with armed resistance by the people of Spain who rose to defend the New Republic. Thus the Spanish Civil War had begun which pitted the democracy embodied in the Spanish Republic against the fascism of the insurgent forces lead by Franco, whose allies were the fascist regimes of Hitler and Mussolini.
Against the backdrop of appeasement of Hitler, the policy of Non-intervention, and arms embargoes against the Republic rendering it virtually defenseless, volunteers from 53 countries – who formed the International Brigades – went to Spain to defend democracy and resist the spread of fascism. They fought at the side of the infant Spanish Republic to defend the right of the Spanish people to chose, by election, their government.
Nearly 1600 Canadian volunteers – confronted by the Foreign Enlistment Act of 1937 enacted by the Canadian Government
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and facing criminal charges under the Act – joined in that struggle to defend the Spanish Republic and the democracy it embodied. One-quarter of those volunteers came from British Columbia. Members of the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion served with distinction, honour, courage and valour on the battlefields of Spain during the Civil War which raged from 1936 to 1939.
Over 600 volunteers in the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion were killed in Spain. These brave individuals are forever part of the earth of Spain. Many of the survivors of the Battalion who returned to Canada in 1939 endeavoured to join and did join the Canadian forces to fight with the Allies in World War II, which began six months later. Once again, they were fighting fascism. The fascist alliance of the Axis Powers was finally defeated in 1945.
NO PASARÁN
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Military. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1936.
Location. 48° 25.23′ N, 123° 22.288′ W. Marker is in Victoria, British Columbia, in Capital. It is in James Bay. Marker is on Menzies Street. This marker is located the Centennial Garden Courtyard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 600 Menzies Street, Victoria BC V8V 1X3, Canada. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 14, 2011
3. The Mackenzie Papineau Battalion Monument
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 14, 2011
4. The Mackenzie Papineau Battalion Monument
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 14, 2011
5. Glacial Striations near the Mackenzie Papineau Battalion Monument
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 14, 2011
6. Glacial Grooves and Striations
The surface of this rock was grooved, scratched, and polished by the cutting action of pebbles and boulders dragged along like a piece of giant sandpaper frozen to the bottom of glaciers which flowed over Victoria about 15,000 years ago.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 926 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 1, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.