More than half a century ago, civil war broke out in Spain. It lasted three years, and put Europe to the test. Between July 1936 and March 1939, 40,000 men and women went to the aid of the Republic and the Spanish people in their fight against Franco and his allies, the European fascist states. They came from the four corners of the earth, sparked by a free, personal commitment. They fought for a cause which their governments refused to back, until in their turn felt the menace of the fascist plague. In this film, we hear some forty volunteers of the International Brigades, from twelve different countries, speaking of their motivations, their struggles and their destinies.