Joan of Arc Battalion

Joan of Arc Battalion
Bataillon Jeanne d'Arc
Active	1937–April 1939
Country	France, Belgium and   Switzerland
Allegiance	Nationalist faction
Type	Foreign volunteer
Role	Infantry
Size	500 men
Patron	Saint Joan of Arc
Engagements	Spanish Civil War
Commanders
Notable commanders	Paul Lavigne-Delville Henri Bonneville de Marsangy  †

The Joan of Arc Battalion was a military unit which fought on the side of the Spanish Nationalists. It was composed of volunteers from France, Belgium and Switzerland.

History

The Joan of Arc Battalion was formed in 1937 by Paul Lavigne-Delville, a French General and veteran of World War I. ^[1] The battalion was initially commanded by Captain Henri Bonneville de Marsangy until his death in 1937. Many members of the battalion were members of the Croix-de-Feu, French Social Party, Action Française, and the French Popular Party. ^[2]

The Joan of Arc Battalion was a small unit because of the lack of propaganda and recruitment in France and the dispersion of French volunteers into other units. ^[3]

References

1. François Gerber, Mitterrand, entre Cagoule et Francisque (1935-1945), L'Archipel, 2016. (ISBN 9782809820430)
2. "La extrema derecha francesa en España: mitos y realidades de la bandera. Jeanne d'Arc (1936-1939). | CEPC". www.cepc.gob.es.
3. Alain Sanders, ¡ Arriba España !, FeniXX réédition numérique, 1er janvier 1997 (ISBN 978-2-402-16073-5)