Oliver Law

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Oliver Law (1899-July 9, 1937) was an African American communist, labor organizer, and social activist, who fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War.

Born in Texas, he served in the army in World War I, then moved to Chicago, where he worked at various jobs. He joined the Communist Party in 1929, during the Great Depression, and became a prominent activist.

Strongly opposed to Fascism, he led demonstrations against Italy's occupation of Ethiopia (Second Italo-Abyssinian War), and in 1936 he travelled to Spain to join the forces fighting against Francisco Franco and the Nationalists. He served in a machine gun company and soon became the commander of the battalion. It is often claimed that this was the first time an African American commanded white American troops, but this is inaccurate; white personnel had occasionally served under the handful of black officers in the Regular Army and Coast Guard.

In 1936 Law joined the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, a unit that volunteered to fight for the Popular Front government during the Spanish Civil War. Law arrived in Spain in January 1937 and joined the other International Brigades at Albacete.

After failing to take Madrid by frontal assault, General Francisco Franco gave orders for the road that linked the city to the rest of Republican Spain to be cut. A Nationalist force of 40,000 men, including men from the Army of Africa, crossed the Jarama River on February 11 1937.

General José Miaja sent three International Brigades to the Jarama Valley to block the advance. Law first saw action on February 27. A few weeks later he became battalion commander.

On July 6, the Popular Front government launched a major offensive in an attempt to relieve the threat to Madrid. General Vicente Rojo Lluch sent the Republican Army to Brunete, challenging Nationalist control of the western approaches to the capital. The 80,000 Republican soldiers made good early progress but they were brought to a halt when General Francisco Franco brought up his reserves.

Fighting in hot summer weather, the Internationals suffered heavy losses. Oliver Law was killed on 9th July when he was leading his men in an attack against Mosquito Ridge.