Dąbrowszczacy

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Flag of the unit with the famous motto For our freedom and yours and declaring allegiance to Soviet Republic of Poland, showing communist allegiance of the volunteers

Soldiers of the Brigade.

Dąbrowszczacy, also known as Dąbrowski's Brigade or Dombrowsky Battalion was a predominantly Polish International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). About 5,000 Poles fought in that unit. The Brigade was named after the 19th century Polish general Jarosław Dąbrowski. The unit was formed as Dąbrowski's battalion in October 1936; in June 1937 it was reorganised into the 150th Brigade, which in addition to two Polish battalions (Dąbrowski's and Palefox's) included also a Hungarian (Rakosy's) and a Belgian-French (Marty's) one. In August it was renamed again to the 13th Dąbrowski's International Brigade. The brigade was demobilized in 1938 but volunteered back to service in 1939. On 9 January it crossed the French border and was finally dissolved; most of its soldiers were interned.

Most of Dąbrowszczacy were pro-Stalinist Polish communists. For their pro-Stalinist orientation they were condemned by the Second Polish Republic, which cancelled the citizenship of many of them. On the other hand, they were portrayed as heroes in the People's Republic of Poland; many of them served in the Berling Army, Armia Ludowa and Gwardia Ludowa during the Second World War.[1]