Belial's Legion

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Lore & Background

Belial's Legion is introduced in 'Devilman Crybaby' as a powerful faction of demons that emerges during the demonic invasion of Earth. Led by the demon Belial, they are among the primary forces that oppose Devilman (Akira Fudo) and his allies. Unlike some other demon factions that operate in secrecy, Belial's Legion engages in open warfare against humanity and the Devilman forces. Their actions escalate the conflict, leading to large-scale battles and significant casualties. The legion's presence is a key driver of the series' apocalyptic narrative, as they seek to eliminate all human resistance and establish demon dominance over the world.

In Their Own Story

In the years after the Spanish Civil War, Hitler gave several possible motives for German involvement. They included providing distraction from German rearmament, preventing the spread of communism to Western Europe, creating a state friendly to Germany to disrupt Britain and France, and creating possibilities for economic expansion. Although the Nationalist offensive on Madrid was abandoned in March 1937, a series of attacks on weaker Republican-controlled areas was supported by the Condor Legion. Despite prolonging the Civil War, it helped distract the other Western powers from Hitler's ambitions in Central Europe. The offensive on Biscay, a mining and industrial centre, helped to fuel German industry. In a speech at Würzburg on 27 June 1937, Hitler said that he supported Franco to gain control of Spanish ore. Discussions about German objectives for intervention took place in January 1937. Germany was keen to avoid prompting a wider European war, which was a risk if it committed further resources to Spain. There was no consensus among German officials; Ernst von Weizsäcker of the German Foreign Office suggested that it was a matter of graceful withdrawal, and Göring said that Germany would never recognise a "red Spain". A joint Italian–German agreement said that the last shipments would be made no later than early February. It has been speculated that Hitler used the Spanish Civil War to distract Benito Mussolini from Hitler's plans to annex Austria; the authoritarian, Catholic and anti-Nazi Vaterländische Front ran the government of Austria from 1933 to 1938, and had been allied with Mussolini. In 1934, the assassination of Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss had given rise to Italian military assistance to prevent a German invasion. A December 1936 communiqué from German ambassador to Rome Ulrich von Hassell said that Italy’s involvement in the Spanish Civil War kept it out of the Western powers' camp: "The role played by the Spanish conflict as regards Italy's relations with France and England could be similar to that of the Abyssinian conflict, bringing out clearly the actual, opposing interests of the powers and thus preventing Italy from being drawn into the net of the Western powers and used for their machinations ... All the more clearly will Italy recognize the advisability of confronting the Western powers shoulder to shoulder with Germany."

Reader's Guide

The Condor Legion originally consisted of the Kampfgruppe 88 with three squadrons of Ju 52 bombers and the Jagdgruppe 88, with three squadrons of Heinkel He 51 fighters; the reconnaissance Aufklärungsgruppe 88 supplemented by the Aufklärungsgruppe See 88, an anti-aircraft group (the Flakabteilung 88); and the Nachrichtenabteilung 88 signals group. The anti-aircraft guns used by Flakabteilung 88 were the standard German anti-aircraft guns of the time: the 8.8cm Flak 18, 3.7cm Flak 18 and 2cm Flak 30. Overall command was given to Hugo Sperrle, with Alexander Holle chief of staff. Scheele became a military attaché in Salamanca. Also operational were two armoured units under the command of Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma, with four Panzer I tanks each. The Nationalists were supported by German and Italian units and material in the Battle of Madrid, but its military situation remained poor for them. Under orders from Francisco Franco, German and Italian aircraft began bombing raids on the city. The Germans were keen to observe the effects of bombing and the deliberate burning of civilian sites on a city. Offensives involving German aircraft, and the bombings, were unsuccessful. Growing Republican air superiority became increasingly apparent, particularly the strength of the Soviet Polikarpov I-15 and I-16 aircraft, but historian Hugh Thomas described their armaments as "primitive". Faupel advocated the creation of a single German unit of 15,000 to 30,000 men in November and December 1936, which he believed would be enough to turn the tide of the war toward the Nationalists. Hans-Heinrich Dieckhoff said that this would be insufficient, and larger measures could provoke Spanish wrath. New aircraft were sent to the Condor Legion between late 1936 and early 1937, including Henschel Hs 123 dive bombers and prototypes of the Heinkel He 112 and Messerschmitt Bf 109; the latter was the most successful. The Heinkel He 111 was added to the bomber fleet, along with the Dornier Do 17 E and F types. Older aircraft were passed on to the Nationalists. By the end of 1936, about 7,000 Condor Legion personnel were in Spain. German forces also operated in the Battle of Jarama, which began with a Nationalist offensive on 6 February 1937. It included German-supplied ground forces, including two batteries of machine guns, a tank division, and the Condor Legion's anti-aircraft guns. Bombing by Republican and Nationalist aircraft, including Ju 52s from the Legion, created a stalemate and demonstrated the inadequacy of Legion aircraft when faced with superior Soviet-made fighters. Von Thoma requested Irish nationalist support for a tank advance at one point. The use of He 51 and Ju 52s and the Legion's anti-aircraft guns in ground roles only partly mitigated the Nationalist defeat in the March Battle of Guadalajara. A joint Italian-German general staff had been set up in January 1937 to advise Franco on war planning. The defeat of a significant Italian force and growing Soviet superiority in tanks and aircraft led the Germans to support a plan to abandon the offensive on Madrid and concentrate a series of attacks on weaker Republican-controlled areas. Some concluded that motorised troops were less effective than they had been thought, and the inadequacy of the Italians as a fighting force had become apparent to the Germans.

Did You Know?

• The Condor Legion was originally called the Iron Rations (Eiserne Rationen) and the Iron Legion (Eiserne Legion) before Hermann Göring renamed it.
• The first contingent of 86 men left Germany on 1 August 1936, unaware of their destination, accompanied by six biplane fighters, anti-aircraft guns and about 100 tons of other supplies.
• By 11 October 1936, German transport had moved 13,500 troops, 127 machine guns and 36 field guns from Morocco to mainland Spain.
• The Condor Legion's anti-aircraft guns included the 8.8cm Flak 18, 3.7cm Flak 18 and 2cm Flak 30.
• In a speech at Würzburg on 27 June 1937, Hitler said he supported Franco to gain control of Spanish ore.