Brigade Commissariat of War

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Political Commissars, or “Commissar Delegates of War” ~— as they are officially termed in the Spanish Republican Army — arose out of the same historical necessity that gave birth to the first Political Com- missars on reclord —— the Commissars of the French Revolution.

Faced with the task of defending their newly—vv~on freedom against the armed combination of the reactionary powers of Europe, beset with treachery on all sides, forced to rely on military leadership whose lo- yalty was often doubtful, the members of the Paris Convention hit upon the expedient of sending to the Army units their own delegates — tried and trusted adherents of the Revolution. The experiment justified itself; these Commissars guided the Army, establislied discipline, built up mo- rale, spread education among the men and carried the revolution into the enemy’s camp.

The creation of Political Commissars in Spain closely parallels the French historical example. At the outbreak of the military revolt the Spanish People’s Government had only untrained men to oppose the military units of the Fascist officers. Victory for the Government de- manded the mastering of military technique, an efficient military or- ganisation and discipline resti11g on political education, and comradeship between the Command and the militia. These unmistakeably political problems demanded a political solution; for that purpose, the Commis- sariat of \Var' was established four months after the outbreak of the revolt.

The Commissars are an integral part of the Army. Primarily their role is to inspire their unit with the highest spirit of discipline and loyalty to the Republican cause and establish a feeling of mutual con- fidence and good «comradeship between Commanders and men. In the People’s Army discipline is not based on militarism but on the cons- cious realisation that the interests of the people and of its Government are the same. The Commissar teaches the recruit that victory depends on carrying out unquestioningly and unwaveringly whatever order the military Command may issue. In an Imperialist Army soldiers are kept forward in the attack by another file of soldiers who will shoot them if they retreat; the Commissar aims at keeping the soldiers forward in the attack by their ow11 passionate devotion to the cause for which they fight.

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