| Dimitrov Battalion | |
|---|---|
 Two sided flag of the Dimitrov Battalion | |
| Active | December 1936 – 5 October 1938 |
| Country | Bulgaria,Greece andYugoslavia |
| Allegiance | .svg) Spain |
| Branch |  International Brigades |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 800 |
| Part of | XV International Brigade (1937) 45th International Division (1937-1938) CXXIX International Brigade (1938) |
| Patron | Georgi Dimitrov |
| Engagements | Spanish Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Ivan Paunov † Franc Rozman Josef Pavel |
TheDimitrov Battalion was part of theInternational Brigades during theSpanish Civil War. It was the 18th battalion formed, and was named afterGeorgi Dimitrov, aBulgariancommunist and General Secretary of theComintern in that period.
It was founded in December 1936, composed largely ofBalkan exiles.[1] It soon had 800 volunteers, including about 400 Bulgarians, 160Greeks[2] and 25Yugoslavs.[3] The first commander of the battalion was the Bulgarian Ivan Paunov (pseudonym Grebenarov) who perished under frontal attack on 12 February 1937. The Battalion then became part of theXV International Brigade on 31 January 1937. There it joined two battalions that were to become famous: theBritish Battalion and theLincoln Battalion. They fought together for the first time at theBattle of Jarama in February 1937, with the Dimitrovs holding the right.[4] The brigade suffered extremely heavy casualties.
On 20 September 1937 the Dimitrovs were moved to 45th International Division Reserve, where the battalion was rebuilt. On 13 February 1938 it became part of the newly formed129th International Brigade, which was formed from central European battalions. It remained with the 129th Brigade until it was demobilised on 5 October 1938. Its last commander,Josef Pavel,[5] became a cabinet minister duringAlexander Dubček'sPrague Spring in 1968.
 | This article about theSpanish Civil War is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |
