The Père-Lachaise Cemetery [wiki] is one of the most famous in the world. It is the final resting place for many historical figures - for example, take a look at the tomb above: the much-kissed grave of Oscar Wilde.
There are also a lot of monuments depicting the history of France and commemorating their heroes, for example this one for those who came to Spain to fight the fascists in 1936 as part of the International Brigades [wiki].
Go to the page to find the tombs of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Maria Callas and others. There are a lot of panoramas, photos and a map in this virtual visit.
Link
There are also a lot of monuments depicting the history of France and commemorating their heroes, for example this one for those who came to Spain to fight the fascists in 1936 as part of the International Brigades [wiki].
Go to the page to find the tombs of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Maria Callas and others. There are a lot of panoramas, photos and a map in this virtual visit.
Link
hear, hear!
over and out. Peace.
Now. Those romantic (maybe alcoholic, maybe not) from foreign countries came to fight for freedom. Those from Italy came as "forced" volunteers, just like th so called Blue Division went from Spain to fight in Russia for Germany. I mean "forced" because they were regular soldiers or soldiers of fortune... And fighted with Franco.
War is war, and its really bad. As the war advanced the republic lack of help because of the passive politics of foreign countries went in desperation and most of the gold and resources from the public arks went to Russia as pay for unusable weapons and defective tools :(. Even politic control went to radical positions because there was a need of support. Democracy was left alone to die.
Most of people in Spain fighted for the side they were caught without any passion but to save their lives... But those who came "volunteers" to support the republic, even when they were manned here by hateable politics and communist commands, were here to fight for freedom in the so known as the Last Romantic War if there was ever one...
Remember that wars are created by kings and fighted by plain soldiers...
It was a clash of ideas, one extreme against another. The republic distributed land from rich to poor, was anticlerical, anti-army, and then in 1936 the leftist Popular Front won. The socialist Largo Caballero in power was called the Spanish Lenin. The Comintern was trying to boost its ideas there.
On the other side the nationalists-traditionalists were fuming. From THEIR point of view, Spain was not heading the right way. It lead to violence everywhere, up to the rebellion. The fights were assisted by outsiders, but started inside (hence the name "civil" war).
One side supported by the Axis, one by the Soviet Union.
(Evil vs evil, in my eyes yayo.)
If you were Communist at the time, your duty to the Internationale was to go and fight for your ideals.
Such as some people went as volunteers to fight with the Waffen SS.
If you were a nationalist-traditionalist you had to go to war with the Germans/Italians.
O tempora, O mores.
"Puhlease! You really think the Cominterns went there to “defend democracy†and “fight for the republic� It was all about advancing worldwide authoritarian communism. Those in Spain were the real die hard “koolaid-drinking†communists who were there for that reason alone."
Better?