Veterans and Friends of the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion

During the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 a beleaguered Spanish Government put out a call for international volunteers to combat the forces of fascism that had launched a military coup, with support from Nazi Germany and fascist Italy. Over 35,000 volunteers from 53 countries answered the call, forming the legendary International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War. Just under 1700 volunteers from Canada went to Spain and served in numerous brigades, including the Canadian military unit known as “The Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion”. 

The “Mac-Paps” fought bravely throughout the war, against terrible odds and suffering heavy losses, before leaving Spain in early 1939. As many as 750 of them died during the war. This website is dedicated to the memory of those volunteers, the sacrifices that they made, and the spirit in which they made them.