This is a partial list of International Brigades personnel in the Spanish Civil War The brigades were military units set up by the Communist International consisting of foreign volunteers to the Republican cause. It is estimated that during the entire war, between 40,000 and 59,000 members served in the International Brigades, including 15,000 who died in combat.Not all foreign volunteers served in the Brigades, those who were anti-Stalinist such as George Orwell joined other Republican units.