From Spain to Algeria: medical care and the Yugoslav partisan generation

The medical knowledge acquired on the Spanish battlefields, particularly about the efficient and flexible medical treatment for the wounded, was crucial for the development of the medical service of the Yugoslav partisans during World War II. Drawing upon archival material, studies, diaries and memoirs of Yugoslav and foreign medical staff, the article examines the acquisition, transfer, and transformation of this medical knowledge and traces the generational trajectories that characterized one of the largest antifascist resistance movements. The article argues that it is essential to consider the socialization and war experiences of this generation to comprehend their “affective solidarities” with post-war liberation movements and the medical rehabilitation programs for wounded Algerian FLN fighters.