Ireland's Quixotic Cruzada: the Irish and the Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War has attracted historical interest because of its role as a precursor to World War II. The Irish role in that conflict is a revealing commentary on political developments in Ireland in the 1930s. General Eoin O'Duffy, a hero of the Irish War of Independence, attempted to use Irish involvement in the Spanish conflict as a way of enhancing his reputation. He took 700 Blueshirts to Spain to fight on the side of the General Francisco Franco's Nationalist forces where their performance was a disastrous failure. O'Duffy's career and the memories of the Blue Shirts involvement in Spain left his reputation in tatters.
Author(s): John Rodden [sup.1] , John Rossi [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) Universities of Texas, , Virgina, PA, USA (2) grid.258857.5, 0000 0001 2227 5871, LaSalle University, , Philadelphia, PA, USA [...]