HISTORICAL DICTIONARY A–Z - Spain and Portugal: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present - page 110

wore the standard field gray German uni-
form with the distinguishing shoulder patch
of the red and yellow Spanish colors and the
word ESPAÑA. As they were officially not
part of the Spanish regular army their uni-
form on home leave included the red beret
and blue shirt of the Falangist militia, thus
inspiring the designation “Blue Division.” In
the later months of the Russian campaign
many of the annual draft of conscripts were
required to join the originally all-volunteer
force. At least one-third of the 45,000 men
who were rotated into the division may have
been serving under compulsion.
By early 1943 Franco was under consid-
erable pressure from those governments
who questioned his neutrality to remove
the “volunteers.” Moreover Hitler was
clearly sustaining a reversal of fortune on
the eastern front. The Blue Division was,
therefore, withdrawn—even though Franco
quietly allowed those who wished to remain
in action against the Soviets to do so. These
determined anti-Bolsheviks were distrib-
uted among a number of the Nazi SS (intel-
ligence and security) units, some specifically
designated as Spanish volunteers and oth-
ers composed of multinational personnel. A
detachment of Spaniards served to the bit-
ter end in the battle for Berlin as part of the
Nordland SS Division, which was entirely
destroyed in May 1945.

law. He subsequently traveled in Europe.
His experience in France in the climactic
days of the French Revolution as well as his
readings of the French philosophes inspired
a strong sympathy with the new spirit of
the age. Further travels in the United States
confirmed his revolutionary instincts and
converted him to the cause of colonial inde-
pendence. Back in his native province of
V ENEZUELA , he joined the revolt against the
Spanish authority that broke out in 1811.
Although Bolívar had little political expe-
rience and no military training, his enthusi-
asm and intelligence soon led him to
positions of leadership. During the next 10
years he became, in effect, the George Wash-

Böhl von Faber, Cecilia See

C ABALLERO , F ERNÁN .

Bolívar, Simón (1783-1830)
Spanish colonial rebel
Born in Caracas, to a wealthy Spanish fam-
ily, Bolívar was sent to M ADRID to study

Simón Bolívar (Library of Congress)