Even though General Francisco Franco had fascistic ideas and got help from Germany in the Spanish Civil War, Spain didn’t join World War II. The main reason was that Franco asked for too much from Germany. Still, Spain supported the Axis and helped them a lot during the war.
The Conflict in Spain: The Civil War
The Spanish Civil War happened from 1936 to 1939. It started on July 17, 1936, when generals Franciso Franco and Emilio Mole rebelled against the elected government. The two sides were the Republicans and the Nationalists, and they both asked for help from other countries.
The Republicans got little official support, mainly from the Soviet Union (USSR), but they had many volunteers from the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. On the other side, Italy and Germany fought directly with the Nationalists.
The war was like a practice for the tactics the Nazis used in World War II. The Nationalists won in March 1939. Now, with a government that was like the Nazis in power, Spain seemed like it would be friends with the Nazis if there was a big war in Europe.
World War II
During World War II, Franco liked the Axis powers and thought they would win until 1943. But Spain didn’t join the fight because Franco asked for too much from Germany, like food and gas that Germany couldn’t give. Franco also wanted to expand Spain’s land, including places like Gibraltar, western Algeria, and all of Morocco. Hitler was trying to be friends with Vichy France, so Franco’s demands didn’t work.
Even though Spain didn’t officially join the war, they helped the Axis by giving them materials and minerals. They also shared secrets with Germany until the Allies said they would stop trading oil.
German submarines could use Spanish ports too. Spain even sent a group of volunteers to fight for the Axis in Russia. So, while Spain didn’t fight in the war, they supported the Axis, and this caused problems when the war ended because Germany, Italy, and Japan lost.
After the War
In March 1946, Britain, France, and the United States said that the Spanish people couldn’t be full friends with the Allied powers. They even took away their diplomats from Spain that year, making it hard for Spain to have good relationships with other countries.
France also closed its border with Spain from 1946 to 1948. Adding to this, there were rebels against Franco causing trouble in the north, making things difficult for Spain right after the war.
However, things got better in the 1950s for a few reasons. First, Franco started to move away from fascism. He gave more power to the monarchy and said it would come back after he died. He also let the Catholic Church have more influence, and some priests wanted more freedom in politics and the economy.
Second, when the Cold War started, Franco became an important friend against communism. So, the United States started to be friends with Spain again. They stopped boycotting trade in 1950 and made a ten-year agreement in 1953. Spain also joined the United Nations in 1955.
Third, memories of the Civil War stopped people from really opposing Franco. Just like World War I affected Europe, the Spanish Civil War was so bad that people were more scared of having another war than hating Franco’s government.
conclusion
In summary, Spain didn’t join World War II because Franco asked for too much from Germany. But, they still supported the Axis. This caused problems after the war, making Spain change from being more like a fascist country to being part of the world again.