2007-03-04 05:19:39 · 8 answers · asked by mso 463 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Cowards, like their neighbors the French
2007-03-04 05:22:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
To look at what was happening with Spain, you have to understand the mindset of Generalissimo Franco, the supreme dictator of Spain. He was a man who would doanything tokeep his seat of power...and indeed nobody could fault him for his caution in the second world war. The preceding civil war almost saw his country taken over by communist rebels. Only with the assistance of German and Italian war materiel,and covertly one of Germany's best Luftwaffe squadrons, the Spanish dictator was able to maintain an uneasy hold of his power.
Nobody could indeed deny that Hitler also had other dealings with Spain. One of the first was to kidnap the heir to the throne of England, which failed. The second was to intervene in southern France and support Mussolinis troops pushing through the Alps and into Southeastern France. Yet on the eve of war, Franco pulled out and last-minute attempts by Hitler to persuade Franco without a resort to force failed. Musollinis troops were defeated by a garrison force that was far inferior in numbers and in supply to the Italians and did not even push past twenty miles from their jump-off positions. This catostrophic failure left the german army to bear almost alone the brunt of the war in France. This also scalded the ego of Mussolini who had bragged about his army to Hitler and then suffered a humiliating defeat. This of course led to the invasion of Greece by Italy (which then also needed help to finish the job after the Germans had gone through Poland, Yugoslavia, and many of the other Serbian nations.)
Spain also served as a covert operations base for both sides- Allied and German (though the German did use the area more overtly than their adversaries in the Allied armies. Franco was merely a hostage in his country, not wishing to provoke either side's wrath, he allowed both sides to do so as freely as he was able...lest his country be destabilized again.
2007-03-04 14:20:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generalissimo Franco, the Spanish dictator was buds with Hitler. The Spanish did nothing to anger the British or the Americans and had no reason to fight the Germans. So except for dealing with spies and a few sabotours here and there, Spain was left out of the fighting.
2007-03-04 13:39:31 · answer #3 · answered by John H 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because Franco - after he was victorious in the Spanish Civil war did not feel it necessary, beneficial, or worthwhile for Spain to get involved in it.
He was a true Realist!
And as a result - he far outlasted not only the war but a lot of his opponents who came after it!
2007-03-04 15:22:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
After their terrible civil war, the people of Spain were too exhausted to do much. So they passively sat out WW2, while giving what support they could to the Nazi side which had aided the Franco Fascists in their civil war.
2007-03-04 13:25:03 · answer #5 · answered by fra59e 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Apparently because of their civil war, but anyway FRANCO was very attracted to the NAZI movement, secretly Spain admire Hitler, even this days you can see lots of swasticas on the city walls and is not a secret that Spanish people is not very open to inmigration, they could be call "racist" if you like.... they like the nazi stuff.
2007-03-06 09:12:28 · answer #6 · answered by jljimenezs30 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
just got out of a bloody civil war so they wanted to remain neutral
2007-03-04 13:23:15 · answer #7 · answered by J D 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They knew the U.S. was coming!
USA USA USA!
2007-03-04 13:57:41 · answer #8 · answered by idaho69442 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋