Soviet subversion and sabotage in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939): Russian involvement in the guerrilla movement

Abstract

This article re-examines the role of Soviet advisors in guerrilla warfare during the Spanish Civil War within the framework of Operation X. Drawing on Russian and Spanish archival sources, it challenges the prevailing historiographical view that Soviet involvement in irregular warfare was marginal. Instead, it argues that guerrilla warfare functioned as an alternative intelligence system that compensated for the structural weaknesses of Republican military intelligence. By analysing the organisation, deployment, and operational use of guerrilla units, the article demonstrates that Soviet advisors played an important role in transforming spontaneous resistance into a coordinated system of intelligence gathering and subversive warfare.