The Condor Legion: German Troops in the Spanish Civil War

Osprey Elite #131

by Carlos Jurado, Ramiro Bujeiro (Illustrator)

Osprey's examination of German forces prior to World War II (1939-1945). The Condor Legion was the expeditionary force of soldiers and airmen sent by Hitler to aid Franco's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The Germans used the war as an opportunity to develop equipment and tactics, and their force included not only instructors, but also combat units of artillery, tanks and aircraft. These units tested guns, tanks and planes and perfected techniques which were used in the 1940 Blitzkrieg. Many of the officers prominent in the early campaigns of World War II won their first successes in Spain. This book details the Legion and its unique uniform and insignia.

Genres: History, Spanish Civil War, Nonfiction

64 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2006

Reviews

[Lance Charnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thin book does exactly what I wanted it to do: focus on the nitty-gritty of the Condor Legion's birth, organization, equipment, and uniforms. A nice bonus it that it also covers the supporting units and the non-Luftwaffe parts of the Legion, such as the tank units and the naval operations. As usual for Osprey books, it's packed with photos and the usual color illustrations of uniforms and insignia.

While the similarly named Condor Legion signally failed to provide this detail, one thing it did do was something I wish the Osprey book had done: discuss the living conditions, billeting, and bases the Legion used during its time in Spain. Perhaps someone will combine the strengths of both books and come up with a one-volume guide to the Condor Legion.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this series. They are pretty lightweight, but I have learned something from everyone I have read and I like to stick my toe in before I look around for a 400 page history of something slightly obscure.

My biggest takeaways:
1. There weren't a lot of Germans on ground in Spain. A lot of short summaries of the Spanish civil war overplay foreign intervention.
2. But, there were a ton of Italians. Again, a lot of summaries emphasize the Germany vs. USSR competition as a prelude to WWII. They were both there, but the Italians seem to have significantly outnumbered the combined German and Russian contingents.
3. The Condor legion was kind of a free-wheeling, make it up as they go sort of thing. Germans are organized, but Hitler had to be talked into helping and the general staff wasn't drafting plans for foreign interventions.

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is so little extant work on the Condor Legion, that this ends up being a major work in the field. Written mainly for the military miniature/wargaming set, this little reference book contain all the basics. There's a little bit of history to set it all up and then it goes into structural detail and outlining the equipment used and a lot about the uniforms worn. Overall a good light reference, although serious students or enthusiasts will be left wanting more.