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During World War II, Spain was governed by an autocratic government, but despite Franco's own pro-Axis leanings and debt of gratitude to Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, the government was divided between Germanophiles and Anglophiles.
- Spain remained neutral during WWII. Spain had declared their neutrality throughout World War II. However, it was rather obvious that General Francisco Franco supported the Axis countries, especially Germany and Italy.
- The Spanish Civil War influenced their decision to keep out of the WWII. The Spanish Civil war devasted the country’s economy and claimed an estimated 500,000 lives.
- Spain did not show support to the Allied powers. Even though Spain had declared their neutrality during the war, it was obvious that Franco had kept tight contact with the Axis countries, especially Germany and Italy.
- The Allies did not trust Spain’s neutrality in the war so they bribed them. Since it was no secret that Spain supported Germany and Italy, the Allied powers had little confidence in Spain’s neutrality during World War Two.
Ferdinand II of Aragon's marriage to Isabella I of Castile unified Spain, concluding the Reconquista with Granada's fall in 1492. They established the Spanish Inquisition and sponsored Columbus's voyage, leading to the discovery of the Americas.
Although he had sent the Blue Division to aid the German military, Franco's decision to steer clear of German political influence benefited Spain by avoiding the devastations of another war.
With war clouds gathering over Europe, it seemed only too clear that Nationalist Spain was little more than an Axis satellite, for as Hitler himself a year later observed, without German and Italian aid during the Civil War, “there would today be no Franco.”
Aug 16, 2021 · Lasting nearly three years from July 1936, the bitter Spanish war has been called the “dress rehearsal for World War II.” It’s a reasoned assessment, considering that Germany and Italy on one hand and the Soviet Union on the other were engaged, committing ground, naval and air forces to support the Nationalist and Republican causes ...
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