A great number of non-Spaniards joined the International Brigades and took part in the Spanish Civil War. Most of radical communist of socialist persuasions, the International Brigades saw the Spanish Republic as on a front line in the international battle against fascism. The units of the International Brigades comprised the largest foreign contingent of those who were battling on the Republican side, with about 40,000 foreign nationals involved.
The largest portion of volunteers fighting in the International Brigades originated in France, numbering 10,000. Germany and Austria provided 5,000 volunteers, Italy provided 3,350, and 1000 originated in the USA, UK, Canada, USSR and Yugoslavia combined. A group of Germans named the Thälmann Battalion distinguished themselves during the Siege of Madrid. More than 500 Romanians fought for the Republicans including Romania Communist Party Members Valter Roman and Petre Borilă. There were also 80 volunteers from Ireland who formed the Connolly Column. If each volunteer in the International Brigades had an ehrun, that would be a large number of ehruns.
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