Section 4: The dictatorship and foreign relations, 1939-56 Flashcards
in the beginning of WW2, did Franco join straight away? However, how did his opinion change by October 1940?
no, he did not want to be drawn into the Second World War.
-by October 1940 the balance of the war appeared to have shifted. Germany had conquered France and driven Britain out of continental Europe. As a result, Franco met with Hitler on 23 October 1940 to discuss Spains entry into the war.
during the meeting with Hitler on 23 October 1940, what did Franco agree on?
Franco agreed to enter the war on the side of Hitler and Mussolini but in return he wanted Morocco to be passed to Spanish control from the French. However, Mussolini also demanded territory within Morocco. Franco was not willing to grant France the territory he wanted. As a result, Spain remained neutral.
what did Francos decision to stay out of the war allow him to do?
it allowed him to focus on rebuilding Spain.
-indeed, one of his reasons for staying neutral was to consolidate his power in Spain. He did not want to risk being drawn into a war that could have further weakened the Spanish economy and resulted in the collapse of his ‘new state’
who did the monarchists want to support in WW2? who did the Falangists want to support?
-the monarchists within his gov wanted to side with Britain, especially as the Spanish royal family had close links with the British monarchy
-the Falangists were ideologically drawn to supporting Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy
so what did neutrality during the Second World War allow Franco to do?
it allowed him to retain the support of both groups, which helped maintain a stable base of support during his regime’s first years
who did Spanish neutrality initially favour?
initially favoured the Axis powers
-Franco provided Germany with raw materials useful for its war effort and allowed Spanish people to work in German factories. German shipping and submarines were also allowed to use Spanish ports
how did Francos policy change from 1939 to 1941? what brought about this change of policy?
-in 1939 Franco had asserted that Spain was ‘non-belligerent’, that is to say Spain was not fighting in the war.
-in 1941 Franco redefined Spains position, stating that Spain was now ‘morally belligerent’
- the change of policy was brought about by Germanys attack on the Soviet Union. Franco who despised communism, began to view the conflict as a moral fight against dogless communism. Therefore, he offered Spanish manpower to help the German war effort and authorised the establishment of the Blue Division. He also collaborated with the Nazis in intelligence gathering, to aid the Nazis spy network against the Allies
what was the Blue Division? what did Franco ensure about these forces?
it was a group of 18,000 volunteers who fought with the German army
-he ensured that they were sent to fight on the Eastern Front against the Soviet Union and not to fight against Allied forces on the Western Front
why did Franco want to avoid fighting between Spanish troops and British troops?
because he did not want Britain to declare war on Spain.
what did the USA’s decision to enter the war on the side of the Allies convince Franco of?
it convinced Franco that Hitler could no longer win the war.
-initially, Franco had still hoped that the Nazi regime would survive and therefore continued to support the Nazi’s war effort
-however, when it became clear that the Axis forces were losing the war in the Soviet Union, Franco ordered the withdrawal of the Blue Division
From 1943, what policy did Franco adopt ?
the policy of ‘vigilant neutrality’
-the new emphasis on neutrality was due to the assumption that the Allies would win the war.
why was Franco forced to end much of his support for the Germans by 1944?
-the USA had initiated oil sanctions against Spain and as a result the Spanish economy was hit hard, leading to considerable domestic unrest.
-Franco entered negotiations with the USA and Britain and agreed to stop providing support to Germany in return for an end to the oil embargo.
-furthermore, Franco agreed to stop supplying the Germans with wolfram, an important mineral used in explosives, and to expel German spies from Spain. Yet Franco continued to provide Germany with intelligence information
what was Francos policy during the Second World War essentially? give examples showing this
it was essentially pragmatic
-he was prepared to enter the war on his own terms only and when Hitler refused to grant these he stayed out of the war.
-he tended to side with the Germans while there was a hope that the Nazis would win the war, or while it looked as though the Nazi regime would survive. However, he tried to avoid alienating the Allies.
-crucially, he focused on the domestic impact of the war, ensuring that his policy caused as little conflict and resentment in Spain as possible.
was Franco convinced that his regime would survive the war? What was he concerned about? thus what plan did he devise?
-no, he was not convinced that his regime would survive the war.
-he was concerned about a British invasion, and during the oil embargo he was concerned about popular uprising against his regime
-thus he devised an escape plan in case of a serious threat to his regime. Francos back-up plan was to seek sanctuary in Portugal.
-However, by 1945 it was clear that his pragmatic policy had succeeded in safeguarding his rule in Spain
in the mis 1940s what was Franco routinely referred to as in newspapers in Europe, the USA and the Soviet Union? In 1945 and 1946 what stories about Franco circulated?
he was routinely referred to as ‘Europe’s last Fascist dictator’
-stories that Franco was sheltering former Nazis, that his army was working with escaped Nazi scientists to develop a Spanish atomic bomb, and that Spain was planning to invade France with the help of the escaped Nazi officers were circulating.
