Spain enters World War II on Germany's side
- Thread starter AMBOMB
- Start date
Britain could cut off a lot of Spain's imports from South America unless Germany found a way to weaken Britain's home fleet sufficiently. This means defeating the RAF so the Luftwaffe could bomb British ships. A successful Operation Eagle if not a certain marine mammal.
If Spain does join in and the Gibraltar strait is closed off, Germany and Italy also need to close the Suez canal and sieze Malta to complete their conquest of the Med. If this is done while the Nazis and the Soviets are still nominally allies, expect the Soviets to go to into Iraq and Iran, and possibly Turkey. At this point Nazi-Soviet conflict could break out at a time not necessarily of Hitler's choosing.
If Spain does join in and the Gibraltar strait is closed off, Germany and Italy also need to close the Suez canal and sieze Malta to complete their conquest of the Med. If this is done while the Nazis and the Soviets are still nominally allies, expect the Soviets to go to into Iraq and Iran, and possibly Turkey. At this point Nazi-Soviet conflict could break out at a time not necessarily of Hitler's choosing.
Constantinople
Banned
I very much doubt that the Rock would fall. Franco's Spain wasn't what I would call in very good shape at ANY point in the 1940s. All this does is guarantee a front in Spain come 1943 or 1944.
Assume that Franco falls into an open sewer and dies, and that a more gung-ho (and more stupid) replacement is a Hitler fanboy (because Franco is smarter and wilier than Hitler is, and isn't about to go committing a national blunder of Hitlerian magnitude when he's got power and has been busily shooting all the people who want to dispute that fact). Gibraltar falls once France does and Hitler pushes a division through to help.
The Azores fall after Gib does because there is nothing Axis that can stop the RN taking them, and function in the same way as Gib.
Spain is blockaded and starves.
Spain attacking Portugal might be successful, will certainly be bloody, and just ensures that Portugal starves too. Spain not attacking Portugal leaves the possibility for food shipments to come in, but at a punitive cost.
It's not like there was food to spare in Axis Europe that Franco could obtain anyway.
The Azores fall after Gib does because there is nothing Axis that can stop the RN taking them, and function in the same way as Gib.
Spain is blockaded and starves.
Spain attacking Portugal might be successful, will certainly be bloody, and just ensures that Portugal starves too. Spain not attacking Portugal leaves the possibility for food shipments to come in, but at a punitive cost.
It's not like there was food to spare in Axis Europe that Franco could obtain anyway.
The Rock may hold out long enough for the Spanish to start seeing any German troops in-country as occupiers, rather than allies. Throw in the Nazi's habit of treating it's allies as vassals and a previous war in which a supposed ally (Napoleonic France) turned on them will very quickly come to mind. Spain could very easily become another bleeding sore, sapping the resources of Germany.
The Azores don't fall unless Salazar brings Portugal in as well. The canaries probably wouldn't last long though.
If the Germans attack it the rock will fall. Any fixed fortification fortress can be taken. It will not be a cake walk but the German army knows how to assault fortresses.
Maur
Banned
It doesnt even need to be assaulted. It is useless the moment Axis park an artillery battery nearby.
IIRC Portuagul is Britains oldest Allie, if Franco Spain declare war on Britain and attack Gibralter whilst inviting Nazi troopps to enter Spain, Portugal will see that they are next. Therefore IMHO Porugal will invoke their treaties with Britain and seek armed help to defend it's borders. Spain would need every need serviced by the Riech or wither on the vine. In the end whatever happens to Gibralter, Spain will come off badly in the long run.
not really.
Supplying a force large enough to successfully assault Gibraltar would cause the Spanish railway network to Collapse.
BlondieBC
Banned
Gibraltar is neutralized as an effective base within 24 hours of the Germans beginning the attack. It falls within a few months on the outside. We have had lots of thread on this, including ones with the full German attack plan. Now to other points.
1) Horrible for Spanish economy.
2) Malta likely falls, more abandoned really. Not major factor later in war.
3) If you assume this POD is a part of the Nazi doing a knock out UK first strategy involving the Med Sea, then then major African operations, you get a much different war.
4) If not, you are lowering German losses in the Med at the cost of the extra supplies need to keep the Spanish economy from collapsing. Net gain for Germany, but they still lose.
1) Horrible for Spanish economy.
2) Malta likely falls, more abandoned really. Not major factor later in war.
3) If you assume this POD is a part of the Nazi doing a knock out UK first strategy involving the Med Sea, then then major African operations, you get a much different war.
4) If not, you are lowering German losses in the Med at the cost of the extra supplies need to keep the Spanish economy from collapsing. Net gain for Germany, but they still lose.