Download Extended Essay 3 INFORMATION

University Preparation Course
Extended Essay 3
How important was the participation* of Spanish soldiers to the
outcome** of World War Two? *participation=involvement **outcome=result.

This is information to form an opinion about the research question and
write your thesis statement.
Military Deaths (Approximate)
12,000,000
10,000,000
8,000,000
6,000,000
Military Deaths
(Approximate)
4,000,000
2,000,000
0
(Source: Second World War History. “World War 2 Casualty Statistics”. Second World War History. Second
World War History, 2013.web. 2 Mar 2013 <http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/world-war-2statistics.asp>)
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University Preparation Course
Extended Essay 3
Military Deaths (Approximate)
Soviet Union 9,750,000
Germany 5,533,000
United States 416,800
Great Britain 382,700
Italy 301,400
France 217,600
South Africa 11,900
Spain 4,500
WW2 Total Deaths (approximate)
Soviet Union 23,954,000
Germany 7,728,000
France 567,600
Italy 456,000
Great Britain 449,800
United States 418,500
South Africa 11,900
Spain 4,500
(Source: Second World War History. “World War 2 Casualty Statistics”. Second World War History. Second
World War History, 2013.web. 2 Mar 2013 <http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/world-war-2statistics.asp>)
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University Preparation Course
30,000,000
Extended Essay 3
WW2 Total Deaths (approximate)
25,000,000
20,000,000
15,000,000
10,000,000
WW2 Total Deaths
(approximate)
5,000,000
0
(Source: Second World War History. “World War 2 Casualty Statistics”. Second World War History. Second
World War History, 2013.web. 2 Mar 2013 <http://www.secondworldwarhistory.com/world-war-2statistics.asp>)
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University Preparation Course
Extended Essay 3
Spanish Soldiers Fighting for Germany in World War II
While Spain did not enter the war, there were many Spaniards who wanted to volunteer to fight
for Germany. Many thousands wanted to join the unit called the Blue Division. The first wave of
volunteers numbered more than 45,000, and eventually, approximately 18,000 men were
chosen. The division left Spain in July 1941 on trains to southern Germany. This was the most
active assistance from Spanish volunteers for Germany.
After training in Bavaria, southern Germany, the Spanish volunteers went to the Soviet
Union, marching more than one thousand kilometers on foot to its final positions. The unit
crossed into Soviet territory on September 7, reaching its final position in mid-October 1941.
Upon reaching the German lines, the unit went to the northern Russian city of Novgorod. It was
mostly a quiet area, but the Spanish did endure several major Soviet attacks - including the battle
of Krasni Bor in 1943 - and became famous as a tough, reliable force.
However, the difficult winters, strong Russian army, and unexpected inability of the
German forces to defeat Russia’s Red Army transformed what the volunteers expected to be an
easy victory into a very difficult struggle. Moreover, continual news about deaths made it much
harder to find volunteers to replace those lost. Finally, it was the German defeat at Stalingrad
that caused Spain to become neutral and stop its support for Germany. During its time in the
war, the unit of Spanish volunteers suffered major losses. Out of 45,000 volunteers, 8,000 were
wounded, nearly 8,000 became sick, 16,000 suffered frostbite from the cold and 4,500 were
killed, buried in Russian soil. The Russians also imprisoned more than 3,000 Spaniards. Of this
number, only 1,000 returned to Spain, after as many as twelve years of captivity. Overall,
considering the size of the conflict and the massive number of Russian and German soldiers
involved, the contribution of the Spanish volunteers was small.
Wayne, Bowen H.“Spain During World War II”, Columbia and London, Univ of Missouri Press, 2006
<http://gendocs.ru/docs/10/9514/conv_1/file1.pdf>
Spanish volunteers fighting for the allies (France, Britain and the US)
Many Spanish men living in France joined the French Foreign Legion at the start of the war.
This section of the French army was specifically for foreigners and at this time the Spanish
were a large proportion of the force. In addition, approximately 60,000 joined the French
Resistance, a secret army fighting German occupation. Also 2,000 were in General Leclerc's
Second French Division; with many from the former Durruti Column. The 9th Armoured
Company, was formed almost entirely by Spanish veterans and was the first Allied military
unit to enter Paris upon its liberation in August, 1944. Therefore although the Spanish
soldiers did not have a major impact on the outcome of the war, they were able to contribute.
On the Eastern Front – in the Soviet Union (now Russia) – some Spanish citizens joined the
Soviet ‘Red Army’ to fight against the German forces. According to the historian Anthony
Beevor (The Second World War), 1,400 Spanish soldiers served in the Red Army. This was,
however, a very small number compared to the millions of Russians who fought.
Wilmot, Chester. The Struggle for Europe. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions.1997.
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University Preparation Course
Extended Essay 3
Soldiers
WW2
in Millions
Soldiersinin
World
War 2
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12
10
8
6
Soldiers in WW2 in Millions
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2
0
Soldiers in World War Two
Total number of soldiers that fought in WW2 from each country
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Allies: US, Britain and France
Axis: Germany, Italy and Japan
USSR - 12.5 million
USA - 12.364 million
Germany - 10 million
Japan - 6.095 million
France - 5 million
China - 5 million
UK - 4.683 million
Italy - 4.5 million
India - 2.15 million
Poland - 1 million
Canada - 780,000
Australia - 680,000
Spain- 105,000 (60,000 Axis, 45,000 Allied)
World War Two database, 2013 <ww2db.com>
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