- Iron Column
The Iron Column was a Spanish anarchist
militia column formed during theSpanish Civil War to fight the military forces ofFrancisco Franco that had rebelled against theSecond Spanish Republic .The Iron Column was formed in Valencia at the start of the
Spanish Revolution by local anarchists includingRafael Martí (nicknamed 'Pancho Villa ' after theMexican revolution ary), José and Pedro Pellicer,Elias Manzanera andJosé Segarra .The Iron Column stood for defence (and extension) of the popular revolution rather than defence of the Republic. Among its earliest acts were the liberation of convicts from the San Miguel de los Reyes prison and the burning of judicial archives. Many of these liberated convicts joined the Iron Column upon being released from jail. Alongside other militia columns, the Iron Column fought on the
Teruel front.The Iron Column resisted the government plan of turning the popular militias into regular army units longer than any other group. Reasons for this resistance can be read in an essay titled " [http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/spain/iron.html A Day Mournful and Overcast] ", written by a member of the Iron Column. The Iron Column became the
83rd Mixed Brigade (with many members who had previously been delegates becoming officers) in 1937, but was dissolved later that year.ee also
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Militant anti-fascism
*Anarchism in Spain References
*Bolloten, Burnett. The Spanish revolution: the left and the struggle for power during the civil war. ISBN 0-8078-4077-7
*Manzanera, Elías. Iron Column, The: Testimony of an Anarchist. ISBN 1-873605-19-6
*Paz, Abel. The Iron Column (forthcoming). ISBN 1-873605-04-8
*An 'Uncontrollable from the Iron Column'. A day mournful and overcast. ISBN 1-873605-33-1
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