Spanish Blue Division: Wild marches and icy death: the road to the Russian hell of the Blue Division Before reaching the front, the Spanish soldiers underwent a hard training and had to travel more than 900 kilometers on foot to the front

Rivers of ink have been written about the Blue Division, the Spanish unit of volunteers that set out for Russia during World War II to fight communism. Villains for some and heroes for others, what is true is that, in the light of history, these soldiers starred in some unusual events such as walking 1,000 kilometers in a few weeks to get into battle. However, we have to go back a few years back in history to know the causes of formation of the Blue Division. It all started with the invasion of the USSR by Nazi Germany by Adolf Hitler. The mobilization, which was called "Operation Barbarossa", began on June 22, 1941. That same day, the Germans decided that it was time to collect the favor they had lent Francisco Franco in the Civil War. This is explained by the doctor in Contemporary History Xavier Moreno Juliá (author of several books like «Hitler and Franco. Diplomacy in times of war -1936-1945-»), in his work «The Blue Division. Spanish blood in Russia. 1941-1945 »:« Franco offered to Germany the sending of some units of volunteers in recognition of the help received during the Civil War. An offer that had to be interpreted as a gesture of solidarity ». 20,000 volunteers

Only two days after Hitler decided to march on the Russian steppe, Spain was preparing to give the news to its citizens of the existence of the Blue Division and the need for volunteers. The one in charge of giving the exclusive was the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ramón Serrano Súñer.
«An exultant Serrano, with white uniform and sunglasses, before the expectation of the people and without microphones, exclaimed from the center of Madrid: conviction: Russia is guilty! Guilty of our Civil War! (…) The extermination of Russia is a requirement of the History and future of Europe! ”», Juliá determines. With these words, Súñer kicked off the entrance to volunteers in the Blue Division, news that would be announced by the newspapers three days later. Instantly, thousands of young people launched into the streets to get ready. Among them, was the young Juan José Sanz, then 17, who, in statements to ABC in 2015, explained how he lived the situation.
"After the outbreak of World War II, I heard the speech made by Minister Serrano Suñer in which he said the famous phrase" Russia is guilty. " After that, we hit the Blue Division at once. After the message, I went to Zaragoza and volunteered to fight, but not against the Russian people, but against communism. Like me, in a few days almost 20,000 young people took to the streets, ”determined the former member of the Blue Division. However, the largest influx was undoubtedly university students.
Thus, after approximately one week of registration, on July 2 the date for joining the Blue Division, known by the Germans as "Blaue Division" or "250, ended. Einheit spanischer Freiwilliger »(250 Unit of Spanish volunteers). Anxious, its 18,000 members, under the command of Agustín Muñoz Grandes, were waiting for the order to leave. Goodbye to Spain
About 10 days later, the order became a reality, as Franco made the Blue Division march to Bavaria (Germany), where they would have their first contact with the Nazis and carry out their instruction. "On Sunday, July 13, the Blue Division began the phased transport of its men to Germany, in 19 expeditions, and over ten days," Juliá determines in her book.
Sanz, already a divisor, left later. «I was assigned to the 3rd Battalion of the 263 Regiment, which was formed entirely in Zaragoza. In fact, one of the most prominent priests, Father Indalecio, came to Zaragoza from Madrid to be included in this unit. We were almost all university students, besides doctors, lawyers…. It is also curious that we did not leave Spain on June 13, like the rest, but we did it two days later, ”he determines before clarifying how emotional the game was for him. "A military camp installed next to the Bavarian village of Grafenwöhr, a few kilometers from Nuremberg, was the center assigned by the German high command for the instruction of the Blue Division," explains the expert. In this field it would be where the Spanish divisors would meet the German army. «We did the training in only two months when it was normal in three months. The Germans were surprised at our preparation because we all had a clear vocation and we were all excited to go and learn, ”says Sanz, one of the last to reach the field.
With the coexistence, the great differences that Latin blood brings. “There were many mentality contrasts between us and the Germans. We sang, we had parties and they were inflexible. For example, it was very funny when, on the first day of training, we received material. They gave us a complete set with razor blades, toothbrush, hairbrush ... We were very funny because we thought it was a luxury, ”explained the former member of the Blue Division, who then touched 90 years. «Another anecdote happened with the clothes. When they gave us the shirts, as we were smaller than the Germans, we were very big. More than one looked like he was wearing a nightgown. The same happened with the pants, which we had to do a couple of laps. However, and despite everything, we had no problem with them because we always accomplished our missions, ”recalls Sanz.
«In principle, during the first marches, they said we were" uprooted. " The truth is that, for example, we never had much interest in wearing the uniform neatly while they wore it clean. However, when we came to the front it was something else, because the Blue Division remained in place during important singular combats, ”concludes the division. Road to hell
After finishing the training, the divisionals received their first orders: to leave for Russia to reinforce the German forces. However, a problem arose for the Blue Division because, although they could be transferred to Poland by train, they were informed that they should make a distance of almost 900 kilometers on foot (a space similar to that separating the south of Andalusia from the north of the Basque Country) to reach Smolensko, near Moscow.
«All the expeditions arrived, the hardest part of the trip to the front began, due to the lack of motorized transport, the Spaniards should cover almost 900 kilometers on foot (...). The calculations estimated that in about 40 days needed to get there, where the divisors would embark again by rail to Dno, ”says historian Xavier Moreno Juliá. The hardness of the footwear, accompanied by clouds of dust that were caused by gait and lack of food, made the road unbearable. In addition, the row that the Spanish soldiers formed was so long that there were approximately two to three days of road between the head group and the end group. «In that march we broke our shoes and we ended up almost half naked. In addition, the problem was also the cold that we suffered that, although it was not as intense as the one we suffered later, it affected us much more because it took us half naked after the walk, with hardly any shoes, that had broken. It was very hard, ”remembered the divisional Juan José Sanz.
«That wild march claimed 11 human lives (only the explosion of a mine killed 4 soldiers and wounded 34 others), and left 3,013 more men out of the game, mostly in the condition of aspers. He also killed 44 horses and disabled another 957, as well as 77 vehicles, some lost forever, ”explains Juliá. In spite of everything, after several weeks they were finally close to their objective. «That wild march claimed 11 human lives (only the explosion of a mine killed 4 soldiers and wounded 34 others), leaving 3,013 other men out of play» However, fate still had a bitter surprise for the soldiers. Just before arriving in Moscow, they were informed that they should retrace their steps. “The Blue Division was ordered to turn and retrace about a hundred kilometers to Orsha, and head north to Vitebsk, where it would take the train to Novgorod.
In a nutshell: Hitler's needs in the northern sector of the Russian front and the bad reports that the German Liaison Plan in the Blue Division sent to the German command (poorly uniformed Spaniards with Mediterranean behaviors, far from Germanic parameters), decided to him to send the Spaniards to the northern sector of the front », the historian finished. After finally reaching its position, the Blue Division would finally enter into battle. Although that, as they say, is another story.