Despite General Francisco Franco’s fascist tendencies and Germany’s assistance in the Spanish Civil War, Spain did not participate in World War II. This mainly happened because Franco asked for too many concessions from Germany. Nevertheless, Spain was sympathetic to the Axis powers and provided them with significant aid throughout the conflict.
spanish civil war
The Spanish Civil War lasted from 1936 to 1939. Born out of decades of polarization, the inciting incident occurred on July 17, 1936, when General Franco Franco and General Emilio Moret launched a coup against the democratically elected government. Did. Both sides of the conflict, the Republican and Nationalist parties, immediately appealed for international aid. The Republicans received little public support outside of the Soviet Union (USSR), but received many volunteers from countries such as Britain, the United States, and France. Meanwhile, Italy and Germany fought directly alongside the Nationalists. In fact, the Spanish Civil War was a testing ground for many of the tactics used by the Nazis in World War II. Ultimately, the Kuomintang won the war in March 1939. With a fascist government now in power, Spain appeared to be a natural ally for the Nazis in any future full-scale European conflict.
Second World War
From the beginning of World War II, Franco supported the Axis powers. Moreover, he believed that he would win the war all the way until 1943. Nevertheless, Spain was never directly involved in the conflict because Franco demanded too many concessions from Germany. This included resources such as food and gasoline, which Germany could not afford to provide. But even more problematic were Franco’s imperial ambitions. He wanted to expand Spain’s territory to include Gibraltar, western Algeria (then a French colony), and all of Morocco (also a French colony). These concessions were simply impractical as Hitler sought to foster a partnership with Vichy France.
However, this did not stop Spain from providing support to the Axis powers in the form of raw materials and minerals. Spain also shared intelligence with Germany until the threat of an Allied oil boycott forced it to stop. Additionally, German submarines were allowed to dock in Spanish ports. Perhaps the most important element of Spanish aid came in the form of volunteer divisions that fought on the Russian front. In other words, although Spain did not officially participate in the war, it definitely still supported the Axis powers. This proved to be a problem when the war ended with Germany, Italy, and Japan losing.
postwar
In March 1946, Britain, France, and the United States declared that “the Spanish people expected (and failed to) full and friendly relations with the Allied Powers.” That same year, he expelled all diplomats from Spain, making meaningful diplomatic relations impossible. France also closed its borders with France from 1946 to 1948. Combined with anti-Franco guerrillas causing social unrest in the north, this meant the immediate post-war period was difficult for Spain.
However, things started to improve in the 1950s. This occurred for three reasons. First, Franco began to emphasize fascism less. In fact, he gave the monarchy more power and promised that power would be restored after his own death. Additionally, he also allowed the Catholic Church to have a greater voice in Spanish society, and a small number of clergymen at the time were demanding economic and political liberalization. Second, when the Cold War broke out, Franco became a valuable anti-communist ally. As a result, the United States began to repair diplomatic relations with Spain, ending its trade boycott in 1950 and signing a 10-year bilateral agreement with Spain in 1953. Spain was also admitted to the United Nations in 1955. The Civil War prevented anti-Franco forces from gaining meaningful support. Indeed, the Spanish Civil War, like World War I for the rest of Europe, was so traumatic that fear of another war often took precedence over disgust with the Franco regime. there was.
In conclusion, Spain did not officially enter World War II because Franco demanded too many concessions from Germany. However, there is no doubt that he still supported the Axis. This became a problem after the war, and Spain was forced to break away from its fascistic tendencies and rejoin the international community.