Viriatos (Portuguese intervention)

 Viriatos, named after the Lusitanian leader Viriathus, was the generic name given to Portuguese volunteers who fought with the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War.

 Emblem of Portuguese volunteers Viriatos.

 

 In the first weeks of the war the Portuguese Army tried to form this expeditionary army to aid the right-wing insurgents in Spain. The Legion was disbanded before any recruitment drive could take place after pro-Republican incidents in Portugal convinced the government that direct intervention on the side of the Nationalists could cause many unrest in the country. Due to the widespread publicity given to the Viriatos Legion all the Lusitanian volunteers enlisted in the Nationalist armies were known as Viriatos. 

 Portuguese volunteers marching.

 According to historian experts, among 8,000 and 12,000 Portuguese participated. The objectives were to protect the interests of Portugal and to collate information on the lessons learned in the Spanish Civil War.