La repercusión de la Guerra de la Independencia española en Polonia

Abstract

Participation of Poles in the Spanish War of Independence left a deep mark on the national memory of the Polish people. Almost 20,000 men —officers and soldiers— arrived in Spain between 1808 and 1809, convinced that they were fighting for a just cause, the cause of their freedom and independence lost after the partitions taking place from 1772 to 1795. Very soon they realized that they were fighting against people defending these very same values. The memoirs written or told by the combatants, adapted afterwards by literature, painting and even music, contributed to forging in many generations of Poles an ideal of the struggle throughout the 19th century, with the remembrance of the events experienced during the Peninsular War.