Spain in WWI

What if Germany manages to convince Spain to enter the CP around the time of the Spring Offensive? A joint Spring Offensive from Germany and Spain must force the allies to shift away soldiers from the Western Front or some other theater. Can Spain's late entry win the war for the CP or will it just prolong it?

Apelsinen said:

What if Germany manages to convince Spain to enter the CP around the time of the Spring Offensive? A joint Spring Offensive from Germany and Spain must force the allies to shift away soldiers from the Western Front or some other theater. Can Spain's late entry win the war for the CP or will it just prolong it?

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Not happening with the US in the war. It would be suicidal for anyone to join Germany at that point.

What on earth could they promise Spain (and have a realistic chance of delivering) that would make them do such a stupid move?

Spain had a ton of unresolved internal conflicts and lack of so many things- adequate industry, commercial strength, military technology/technique they'd have gotten curb-stomped on the CP side.
As part of the Allies, AFAIK there weren't commercial/colonial considerations that would make Spanish participation worth it.
Give the Spanish credit for the gracious good sense NOT to participate in WWI.

Would the urge for modernization have empowered the liberal/socialist proto-Republicans to be more of an issue in the 1920's? Would the Spanish Civil War have occurred earlier in a round-robin of coups? YMMV.

LSS for tl/dr crowd, IMO Spain's participation in WWI pretty much 100% guaranteed bankruptcy and disastrous casualties to no good effect.

Having spain in WWI, as said, is very unlikely. Having Spain in WWI on the side of the CP is almost impossible. Spanish diplomatic (mainly the Mediterranean Agreements) and economic ties linked it necessarilly to the Entente. Germans were content enough with a neutral Spain, since they expected it to join the Entente in the early war. Not to mention that neutrality was giving great profits for spanish industries and financial sector (in fact it meant an historical wave of industrial and banking development for the country). Furthermore, to the time of the Spring Offensive, german submarine warfare had already caused several diplomatic tensions between Germany and Spain, due to the spanish shiping sunk by U-boats which were solved only with german compensations. If this is not enough, by chance just one day after the begining of the german offensive, the staunchly pro-neautrality Antonio Maura was appointed PM of Spain in a climate of great political instability.

http://alternatehistoryfictory.yuku.com/topic/654/Operation-Unicorn-Synopsis-Repost#.UNHkzeTWhNo,
Just as a starting point,in my opinion one of the best WW1 Atl timelines.

Spain would have only joined if the war was going very badly for the Entente. Also, I think Italy would have had to have joined the Central powers. They really had nothing to gain from the Central Powers in terms of territory, so I'd assume they'd go after the Entente.

I think you'd require a neutral Portugal (to prevent the British landing there), along with Italy joining Central Powers to have Spain join in. Also, I'd assume that the United States says neutral.

It could me more interesting if Sweden and Romania also throw in their lot with the Central Powers. Sweden wanting control of Finland, Romania of Bessarabia. Italy would go for Tunis, Constantine in Algeria, Corsia, Nice and Savoy.

The Spaniards could want control of all of Morocco, Gibraltar, the department of Oran and possibly Roussillon (as part of Catalonia).

For Spain to join the Central Powers I think you would need, before USA entry, to see the defeat of and complete military occupation of France by Germany.

Then a situation could occur where Germany could offer Spain big chunks of Africa to help defeat a French exile government and the British who would continue to resist and try to support the Russians.

All this would just be diplomatic haggling though. I can't see Britain resisting like in 1940, The German navy is bigger, has less of an evil reputation than the Hitler regime, and more avenues (Turkey) to prosecute a war.