How did Germany help Italy Franco? Franco’s forces did receive military help from Germany and Italy, which both sent army and air-force units. For Hitler, in particular, the war offered a chance both to attack a government allied with communism and to try out new ways of fighting that would prove nearly overwhelming in future conflicts.
Full Answer
Why did the Italians support Franco in the Spanish Civil War?
Why did the Italians and Germans support Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War? They wanted to develop new equipment and strategies to use in future wars. Italians and Germans supported Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War because they wanted to develop new equipment and strategies to use in future wars.
How did Germany get involved in the Spanish Civil War?
German involvement in the Spanish Civil War commenced with the outbreak of war in July 1936, with Adolf Hitler immediately sending in powerful air and armored units to assist General Francisco Franco and his Nationalist forces.
Why did Hitler support General Franco?
Hitler’s support for General Franco was motivated by several factors, including as a distraction from Hitler's central European strategy, and the creation of a Spanish state friendly to Germany to threaten France. It further provided an opportunity to train men and test equipment and tactics.
How did Francisco Franco rise to power in Spain?
Francisco Franco. Contents. The general and dictator Francisco Franco (1892-1975) ruled over Spain from 1939 until his death. He rose to power during the bloody Spanish Civil War when, with the help of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, his Nationalist forces overthrew the democratically elected Second Republic.
Where did the German and Italian air and naval forces receive services?
What war materials did the Franco Regime use?
How many men did Hitler send to the Spanish Civil War?
Why did Serrano have Heinrich Himmler?
How many bombers did Franco use in the Guernica raid?
Why did the United States stop shipping petroleum to Spain?
What was the story of the Second World War?
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Franco and World War Two | History Today
Franco's traditional image has been as a canny neutral in the struggle between the Allied and Axis powers. But in 1940 his aspirations for an African empire drew him to within an ace of war with Britain.
Where did the German and Italian air and naval forces receive services?
German and Italian air and naval forces could receive several services at locations scattered around the Spanish coast, colonial lands, and islands. The Franco regime maintained, refueled and repaired Axis aircraft and submarines that were operating near Spain.
What war materials did the Franco Regime use?
The Franco Regime worked with German intelligence and gladly supplied the Axis with war materials, most notably wolfram/tungsten (used in hardening steel).
How many men did Hitler send to the Spanish Civil War?
Hitler sent Franco his Condor Legion, consisting of approximately 7,000 fighting men and 90 airplanes, while Mussolini sent in an infantry regiment of around 45,000 men, as well as his own air force. The German and Italian troops participated in many of the battles during the Spanish Civil War.
Why did Serrano have Heinrich Himmler?
Serrano even had Heinrich Himmler tour Spain to advise the Franco regime on Gestapo tactics. Even though Spain officially took a neutral stance during WWII, both sides could clearly see that Franco and his regime favored the Axis powers.
How many bombers did Franco use in the Guernica raid?
The most notorious air raid was the bombing of the Basque city of Guernica. Masterminded by Lt. Col. Wolfram von Richthofen of the Condor Legion, a total of 25 bombers and 15 fighters carried out the raid, flown by German and Italian pilots. Franco’s foreign soldiers, however, were not always successful.
Why did the United States stop shipping petroleum to Spain?
When the United States halted its shipments of petroleum to Spain in protest of Franco’s trade of war materials to the Axis, Franco was also ordered to end his monitoring and spying; Franco agreed to close down the German embassy in Tangier and to remove German agents from Spain.
What was the story of the Second World War?
Most histories of the Second World War tell the same story of the clash between the Allied and the Axis powers. German and Italian forces blitzkrieged their way past the Allied defenses in France and northern Africa, their momentum was only checked by the formidable airpower of the British over the English Channel.
Why did the Germans set up a joint Italian-German general?
A joint Italian–German general had been set up in January 1937 to advise Franco on war planning. The defeat of a significant Italian force and the growing Soviet superiority in tanks and aircraft led the Germans to support a plan to abandon the offensive on Madrid and instead concentrate a series of attacks on weaker Republican-controlled areas. While many countries believed motorised troops to have been proven less effective than first thought, it was the inadequacy of the Italians as a fighting force that dominated German thought.
What was the German involvement in the Spanish Civil War?
German involvement in the Spanish Civil War commenced with the outbreak of war in July 1936, with Adolf Hitler immediately sending in powerful air and armored units to assist General Francisco Franco and his Nationalist forces. The Soviet Union sent in smaller forces to assist the Republican government, while Britain and France ...
How much did the Ribbentrop and Grandi scheme cost?
The cost of the scheme was put at £898,000, of which Germany would pay 16 percent. The German delegation appears to have hoped the control plan was effective.
What was the German North Sea Group?
The German North Sea Group around Spain, part of the Kriegsmarine, consisted of the pocket battleships Deutschland and Admiral Scheer, the light cruiser Köln, and four torpedo boats. In addition, Operation Ursula saw a group of German U-boats active around Spain, but was ultimately a failure.
What was Hitler's military operation?
Military operations. Hitler decided to support the Nationalists in July 1936. The German air force was used to carry the Army of Africa to Spain. A Spanish-German Spanish–Moroccan Transport Company (HISMA) and an entirely German company, the "Raw Materials and Good Purchasing Company" (ROWAK) were established.
How many Germans were in Spain in 1936?
By the end of 1936, 7,000 Germans were in Spain. The Nationalists were supported by German units and equipment during the Battle of Madrid and during the Battle of Jarama of February 1937. The fighting demonstrated the inadequacy of the Legion's aircraft compared to superior Soviet-made fighters.
Why did France and the United Kingdom sign the Non-Intervention Agreement?
Non-intervention, and with it the Non-Intervention Agreement, had been proposed in a joint diplomatic initiative by the governments of France and the United Kingdom, in order to prevent the war from escalating into a major pan-European conflict. On 4 August 1936, non-intervention was put to Nazi Germany by the French.
How did Franco unified the Catholic Church?
He unified a base of support by securing the backing of the Catholic Church, combining the fascist and monarchist political parties, and dissolving all other political parties. Meanwhile, on the way north, his men—who included fascist militia groups—machine-gunned hundreds or perhaps thousands of Republicans in the town of Badajoz. An additional tens of thousands of political prisoners would be executed by Nationalists later on in the fighting. The internally divided Republicans, who murdered their own share of political opponents, could not stop the slow Nationalist advance despite support from the Soviet Union and International Brigades. German and Italian bombardments helped the Nationalists conquer Basque lands and Asturias in 1937. Barcelona, the heart of Republican resistance, fell in January 1939, and Madrid surrendered that March, effectively ending the conflict.
When did Franco return to power?
Nevertheless, Franco was brought back into the good graces of the government in 1933 when a center-right coalition won elections. The following year he deployed troops from Morocco to Asturias in northern Spain to suppress a leftist revolt, an action that left some 4,000 dead and tens of thousands imprisoned.
What was Franco's title during the Spanish Civil War?
Adopting the title of “El Caudillo” (The Leader), Franco persecuted political opponents, repressed the culture and language of Spain’s Basque and Catalan regions, ...
How many political prisoners did Franco have?
These tribunals sent thousands more Spaniards to their death, and Franco himself admitted in the mid-1940s that he had 26,000 political prisoners under lock and key.
How did Franco die?
Franco died on November 20, 1975, after suffering a series of heart attacks.
What did Franco do after he was shot?
After a brief posting back in El Ferrol, Franco volunteered to fight an insurgency in Spanish-controlled Morocco. He arrived in early 1912 and stayed there largely without break until 1926. Along the way, he survived a gunshot wound to the abdomen, received a number of merit promotions and awards, and took time out to marry Carmen Polo y Martínez Valdés, with whom he would have one daughter. At age 33 Franco became the youngest general in all of Europe. He was then chosen to direct the newly formed General Military Academy in Zaragoza.
What happened to Franco in 1907?
In 1907, however, the cash-strapped Spanish government temporarily suspended the admission of cadets into the Naval Academy. As a result, Franco enrolled at the Infantry Academy in Toledo, graduating three years later with below-average grades.
Expert-verified answer
Italians and Germans supported Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War because they wanted to develop new equipment and strategies to use in future wars.
Answer
They wanted to develop new equipment and strategies to use in future wars.
Why did Germany send the Air Force to Spain?
Their goals would be to test the applicability of carpet Bombing. In other words there army would get much-needed experience, experience that was sorely lacking since the Great War.
Why did the Axis want Spain in the back pocket?
They simply wanted Spain in the Axis’s back pocket when launching WWII, and for testing war weapons…A very obvious and effective strategic move. ‘Fascism’ isn’t/wasn’t a governmental discipline that has any interest in other ‘fascists’ other than support for their own regime.
Why was Spain a hostile battleground?
By looking at the Peninsular War and the Spanish Civil War, the world already knew that Spain was a hostile battleground especially for foreign invaders due to its hilly terrain and natural barriers. The Spanish Civil War and Franco’s victory in it also. Continue Reading. Because Nationalist Spain didn’t fight in WW2.
What was the newpaper about the struggle in Spain called?
They produced a newpaper about the struggle in Spain called “Spanish Revolution”. An interesting expose about the Communist Party’s role is “Crossing the Line” by Bill Herrick. Herrick had been a member of the Communist Party in New York City. He was a member of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion.
What was the main social force behind the worker revolution in Spain?
The main social force behind the worker revolution in Spain was the syndicalist CNT — the majority union in Spain. They had pushed the expropriation of 100 percent of the economy of Catalonia and 70 percent in Valencia and Murcia. In the USA the Industrial Workers of the World was a radical union that supported the CNT.
Did Spain join the Axis?
Hitler wanted Spain to join the Axis and Franco refused, instead remaining relatively neutral. This resulted in a considerable cooling of relations between the two. Actually, Spain did aid Germany to an extent during WWII, to a greater degree than the other way around.
Did Hitler want Spain to control Africa?
Hitler didn’t want anyone controlling too much on Africa, and feel safer with a Vichy controlled morocco, than a Spain controlled one. Problem is, Hitler should have given a lot more to Spain if they wanted Spain to jump into the conflict. Otherwise, the risk didn't worth the winnings, not by a long shot.
Subject
In July 1936, a civil war began in Spain when a group who called themselves the Nationalists, led by General Francisco Franco, used force to overturn the left-wing government of the Spanish republic.
Intervention in Spain
Outraged by reports and photos of the German air force's bombing of civilians during the Spanish Civil War, Pablo Picasso painted Guernica, in response to the destruction of the town of that name.
How to Cite This Reading
Facing History and Ourselves, " Intervention in Spain ," last updated April 29, 2022.
Where did the German and Italian air and naval forces receive services?
German and Italian air and naval forces could receive several services at locations scattered around the Spanish coast, colonial lands, and islands. The Franco regime maintained, refueled and repaired Axis aircraft and submarines that were operating near Spain.
What war materials did the Franco Regime use?
The Franco Regime worked with German intelligence and gladly supplied the Axis with war materials, most notably wolfram/tungsten (used in hardening steel).
How many men did Hitler send to the Spanish Civil War?
Hitler sent Franco his Condor Legion, consisting of approximately 7,000 fighting men and 90 airplanes, while Mussolini sent in an infantry regiment of around 45,000 men, as well as his own air force. The German and Italian troops participated in many of the battles during the Spanish Civil War.
Why did Serrano have Heinrich Himmler?
Serrano even had Heinrich Himmler tour Spain to advise the Franco regime on Gestapo tactics. Even though Spain officially took a neutral stance during WWII, both sides could clearly see that Franco and his regime favored the Axis powers.
How many bombers did Franco use in the Guernica raid?
The most notorious air raid was the bombing of the Basque city of Guernica. Masterminded by Lt. Col. Wolfram von Richthofen of the Condor Legion, a total of 25 bombers and 15 fighters carried out the raid, flown by German and Italian pilots. Franco’s foreign soldiers, however, were not always successful.
Why did the United States stop shipping petroleum to Spain?
When the United States halted its shipments of petroleum to Spain in protest of Franco’s trade of war materials to the Axis, Franco was also ordered to end his monitoring and spying; Franco agreed to close down the German embassy in Tangier and to remove German agents from Spain.
What was the story of the Second World War?
Most histories of the Second World War tell the same story of the clash between the Allied and the Axis powers. German and Italian forces blitzkrieged their way past the Allied defenses in France and northern Africa, their momentum was only checked by the formidable airpower of the British over the English Channel.
10 – Promoting Fascism
9 – Practicing Warfare with The Axis in The Spanish Civil War
- Generalissimo Franco and the Nationalists had been militarily aligned with Germany and Italy before WWII began. The Spanish Civil War was an early proxy war between many of the nations that would later fight in the Second World War—Germany and Italy were Franco’s greatest friends during the civil war, while France and the Soviet Union were Franco’s greatest enemies. The Spa…
8 – Speeches Praising The Axis Powers
- When WWII began, and the Allied and Axis sides began to clash, Generalissimo Franco struggled to keep his bias hidden from the world. To the Axis powers, Franco spoke of allegiance to the fascist cause. To the Allied powers, he spoke of being a non-belligerent observer, willing to mediate surrender or peace. The result was frustration on both sides, with the Axis wondering w…
7 – Trade with The Axis Powers
- During WWII, the Axis powers struggled to keep a stockpile of the necessary strategic materials required for warfare. While the gaze of the United States was focused on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese frantically conquered the oil fields of Southeast Asia. Similarly, Germany marched relentlessly against the oil-rich region of Stalingrad. Franco’s regime in Spain found itself in a ver…
6 – Resupply of Axis Air and Naval Craft
- Axis powers did not necessarily need to wait for supplies to be shipped from Spain before they could benefit from Spanish goods and manpower. The Franco Regime allowed its fascist friends to bypass any middlemen and obtain resources directly from Spain’s sovereign soil. German and Italian air and naval forces could receive several services at locations scattered around the Span…
5 – Franco’s Collaboration with Nazism
- Franco did not willingly give Jews over to the Nazis to be slaughtered, and he did not install concentration camps in his country, but Spain’s dictator did collaborate with Nazi Leaders in Germany. Truth be told, Spaniards saved many Jewish lives during WWII, but these heroic moments were rarely done under the instruction of Generalissimo Franco. A brief display of hum…
4 – Axis Monitoring Stations
- Resupply and maintenance were not all that the Spanish mainland provided to the Axis powers. Franco’s regime worked with Axis intelligence networks, allowing them to spy on Allied ships moving through the straights of Gibraltar. Many of the Axis aircraft that Spain serviced were reconnaissance airplanes, reporting to German observation posts located by the Spanish coast. …
3 – German Saboteurs in Spain
- As the monitoring stations gathered information in Spain, Germany needed to use the intelligence to benefit their war effort. Naturally, the Abwehr turned to sabotage to disrupt Allied ambitions in the region. Franco’s aid to the German saboteurs resulted in the sinking of multiple Allied ships, and many of the Abwehr agents who carried out the missions were recruited from Spain. Fortun…
2 – Secret Alliance with Axis
- Franco aligned with the Axis ideologically, and he aided them with a supply of war materials, intelligence and saboteurs, but he was not actually allied with the Axis—or was he? In fact, Franco signed Spain into a secret alliance with Germany and Italy in 1940. The secret alliance is known as the Hendaye Meeting or the Hendaye Agreement. In a 6-point agreement, Germany, Italy and Spa…
1 – The Blue Division
- Just because the secret alliance between Franco and the Axis never officially pulled Spain into the war, that does not mean that the Franco Regime never supplied military might to the war. In fact, one of the most decorated divisions of the Axis was from Spain—the Blue Division. Germany’s 250th Infantry Division, otherwise known as the Blue Division, was an army of Spanish volunteer…
Overview
German involvement in the Spanish Civil War commenced with the outbreak of war in July 1936, with Adolf Hitler immediately sending in powerful air and armored units to assist General Francisco Franco and his Nationalist forces. The Soviet Union sent in smaller forces but a lot of modern weapons to assist the Republican government, while Britain and France and two dozen other countrie…
Military operations
Hitler decided to support the Nationalists in July 1936. The German air force was used to carry the Army of Africa to Spain. A Spanish-German Spanish–Moroccan Transport Company (HISMA) and an entirely German company, the "Raw Materials and Goods Purchasing Company" (ROWAK) were established. German transports moved nearly 2,500 troops from Spanish Morocco to Spain.
Early intervention helped to ensure the Nationalists successes in the war's initial stages. The trai…
Motivation and volunteers
In the years following the Spanish Civil War, Hitler gave several possible motives for German involvement. Among these were the distraction it provided from German re-militarisation; the prevention of the spread of communism to Western Europe; the creation of a state friendly to Germany to disrupt Britain and France; and the possibilities for economic expansion. Although the offensive on Madrid was abandoned in March 1937, a series of attacks on weaker Republican-c…
Non-Intervention Agreement
Non-intervention, and with it the Non-Intervention Agreement, had been proposed in a joint diplomatic initiative by the governments of France and the United Kingdom, in order to prevent the war from escalating into a major pan-European conflict. On 4 August 1936, non-intervention was put to Nazi Germany by the French. The German position was that such a declaration was not needed, but discussions could be held on preventing the spread of the war to the rest of Europe, …
Early intervention
Following the military coup in Spain at the start of the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Second Republic turned to the Soviet Union and France for support, and the Nationalists requested the support of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. The first attempt to secure German aviation was made on 22 July 1936, with a request for 10 transport aircraft. Franco contacted Hitler directly. German mini…
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion, upon establishment, 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 a signals group, the Nachrichtenabteilung 88. Overall co…
Maritime operations
The Maritime Reconnaissance Staffel 88 (German: Aufklärungsstaffel See 88) was the Condor Legion's maritime unit under the command of Karl Heinz Wolff. Operating independently of the land-based division, it acted against Republican shipping, ports, coastal communications and occasionally inland targets such as bridges. It used floatplanes, starting with the Heinkel He 60, which began operating in October 1936. Beginning in June, operations were expanded to allow a…
Outcome
Early intervention helped to ensure that the Nationalist faction survived the initial stages of the war; German involvement then steadily expanded. The training they provided to Nationalist force proved as valuable, if not more so, than direct actions. Approximately 56,000 Nationalist soldiers were trained by various German detachments in Spain, who were technically proficient; these covered infantry, tanks and anti-tank units, air and anti-aircraft forces, and those trained in naval …