*** war and social upheaval: World War II early aggressions -- Spanish Civil War displaced children








The Spanish Civil War: Hitler and Mussolini

Spanish Civil War bombing
Figure 1.--Hitler on his own decided to support Franco. (This personal decission making was characteristic of Hitler.) Hitler's decesion was very important to Franco because it brought modern air power that Franco would not have othereise had G�ring and Hitler had annonced the creation of the Luftwaffe 2 years earlier. The Spanish Civil War would be the Luftwaffe's first appeaance on the internation scene. Europeans during the inter-War years had been terrified of an air war and in Spain as a result of the German and Italian intervention, they saw all their fears materialize. This wire service photograph is the result of an April 1937 rebel bombing raid on Madrid. The American newspaper caption read, "This is not an uncommon sight in Spain. The youth buried by debris lodt his life when a bomb from a rebel plane hit a building in Madrid."

Hitler saw a left-wing government in Madrid as harmful to the Reich, aiding the French policy of encirclement. [Davidson, pp. 57-58.] German officials showed little interest in reciving Franco's emisaries requesting assistance. Hess felt differently and personally brought them to Hitler (July 25). There without any consultation with the appropriate ministeries, Hitler on his own decided to support Franco. (This personal decission making was characteristic of Hitler.) Hitler's decesion was very important to Franco because it brought modern air power that Franco would not have otherwise had, G�ring and Hitler had annonced the creation of the Luftwaffe 2 years earlier. The Spanish Civil War would be the Luftwaffe's first appeaance on the internation scene. Europeans during the inter-War years had been terrified of an air war and in Spain as a result of the German and Italian intervention, they saw all their fears materialize. The immediate result was Goring was ordered to dispatch Junkers transports that brought Franco's troops from Morocco to Spain. [Fest, p. 500.] Both Italy and Germany were soon sending arms and men to the loyalists and provided important air elements. It was during the Civil War that Admiral Canaris established a close relaionship with General Franco. In Spain, Mussolini provided much more support for Franco than did Hitler, although the modern German aircraft were of considerable importance. A major outcome of the Spanish Civil War was that it provided an opportunity for coordinate efforts that were to lay the ground for the Rome-Berlin Axis. Before the Spanish Civil War, Mussolini had been suspicious of Hitler--despite their ideological similarities. Mussolini's attituded changed, first with the British opposition to his invassion of Ethiopia (1935) and then with their cooperative effort to support Franco and the Loyalists. [Fest, p. 501.] Hitler because of the aid given Franco, assumed that Franco would reciprocate after he haunched Word War II. He was shocked when he met Franco at Hendaye (October 1940).

The Allies

French Prime Minister Leon Blum at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War agreed to send aircraft and artillery to help the Republican Army. He led the Popular Front Government, a broad colition left-right unity government to oppose the rise of Fascism, especially the NAZIs in Germny. The British (Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and Foreign Minister Anthony Eden) and right-wing members of his own cabinet covinced him to step back from aiding the Republic. Baldwin and Blum jointly called for all countries in Europe not to intervene. A Non-Intervention Agreement was drawn-up and signed by 27 countries including Germany, Britain, France, the Soviet Union and Italy (September 1936). The United States did not sign the Agreement, but abided by it because of the Neutrality Laws passed by Congess.

Hitler

Hitler saw a left-wing government in Madrid as harmful to the Reich, aiding the French policy of encirclement. [Davidson, pp. 57-58.] Hitler wanted to prevent communism from establishing a foothold in western Europe. He also saw an advantage in resource poor Germany developing allinces which countries which cold provide raw materials for the war he was planning. The German Foreign Ministry showed little interest in reciving Franco's emisaries requesting assistance. Hess felt differently and personally brought them to Hitler (July 25). There without any consultation with the appropriate ministeries, Hitler on his own decided to support Franco. (This personal decission making was characteristic of Hitler.) The immediate result was Goring was ordered to dispatch Junkers transports that brought Franco's troops from Morocco to Spain. [Fest, p. 500.] Germany was soon sending arms and men to the loyalists and provided important air elements. It was during the Civil War that Admiral Canaris established a close relaionship with General Franco. The German Government signed on to the British Non-Intervention Agreement, but continued to openly supply Franco's Loyalists. This should have alerted the British as to the value of Hitler's assurances. Hitler's decesion was very important to Franco because it brought modern air power and other modern weaponry that Franco would not have otherwise obtained. Most of the German military personnel who aided the Nationlaists were were volunteers. They would ecentually become known as the Condor Legion. German aircraft and personnel after transporting toops from Morocco to Spain continued to assist the Nationalists: transporting men and supplies, providing air cover for Nationalist shipping, and carrying out bombing and ground support operations to support Loyalist forces. Germany also provided training for Nationalist officers, thousands of rifles and small arms, even a radio transmitter for broadcasting propaganda. Hitler authorised the deployment of German submarines to assist the Loyalists (October 1936). By the end of the year, some 7,000 German troops and airmen were actively engaged in rge Civil War. G�ring and Hitler had annonced the creation of the Luftwaffe 2 years earlier. The Spanish Civil War would be the Luftwaffe's first appeaance on the internation scene. Europeans during the inter-War years had been terrified of an air war and in Spain as a result of the German and Italian intervention, they saw all their fears materialize. It seems not to be the case a G�ring would later claim, that the German involvement in the Civil War was the ability to test out the new Luftwaffe. But the Wehrmnacht was able to test out its weapons and nee Blitzkrieg doctrine that it wold unleash on unprepared European armies (September 1939).

Mussolini

Benito Mussolini after seizing power in Italy (1923), he began as part of his foreign policy developing contacts with right-wing forces in neigboring countries. Both Yugoslavia and Spain were special targets. Spain became especially important as the Second Republic was established in Spain (1931). and veered further and further left. Mussolini met with a group of Spanish politicians and generals in Rome (1934). They were adamently opposed to the Second Republic. Mussolini promised the group substantial support (10,000 rifles, 10,000 hand grenades, 200 machine-guns and a million pesetas in cash) to support a military rising. When Franco launched a military rising, Mussolini failed to fulfill his promise of substantial and immediate aid. Following a week of negotiations, Mussolini agreed to sell the Nationalists twelve Savoia S81 bombers. This would be followed by substantial assistance, depite signing the Nonn-Introvention Agreement Britain promoted. Italy sent sent 90 Italian aircraft and refitted the cruiser Canaris, the largest ship Nationalist ship. The Italian government signed a secret treaty with the Spanish Nationalists (November 28, 1936). The Nationalist agreed to allow Italy to establish bases in Spain if there was a war with France. Following the signing, Mussolini sent 130 aircraft, 2,500 tons of bombs, 500 cannons, 700 mortars, 12,000 machine-guns, 50 whippet tanks and 3,800 motor vehiclesto Spain (DEcember 1936-February 1937). Mussolini would provide much more support for Franco than did Hitler, although the modern German aircraft were of considerable importance.

The Axis

A major outcome of the Spanish Civil War was that it provided an opportunity for coordinate efforts that were to lay the ground for the Rome-Berlin Axis. Before the Spanish Civil War, Mussolini had been suspicious of Hitler--despite their ideological similarities. He was especially concerned about Hitler's interest in German ethnic populations in other European countries. And as aesult of Wotld War I, Italy had acquited the Tyrol from Austria with its etnic German population. Mussolini's attitude changed, first with the British opposition to his invassion of Ethiopia (1935) and then with their cooperative effort to support Franco and the Loyalists. [Fest, p. 501.] Hitler because of the aid given Franco, assumed that Franco would reciprocate after he haunched Word War II. He was shocked when he met Franco at Hendaye (October 1940). Franco refused to join the Axis and enter the War without enducements that Hitler could not meet.

Sources

Davidson, Eugene. The Unmaking of Adolf Hitler (Univesity of Missouri: Columbia, 1996), 519p.

Fest, Joachim C. Hitler (Vintage: New York, 1975), 844p.





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Created: 12:33 AM 12/27/2009
Last updated: 2:24 PM 11/13/2017