Later, when in June 1940 Italy entered the war on the side of Germany, at the urging of Mussolini, Franco changed his declaration of neutrality to non-belligerency.
294 Taking advantage of the situation, on June 14, 1940, Spain occupied
Tangier .
295
Later, on the occasion of the fall of France, Franco congratulated Hitler:
Dear Führer: At the moment when the German armies under your direction are leading the greatest battle in history to a victorious end, I would like to express my admiration and enthusiasm and that of my people, who observe with deep emotion the glorious course of the fight that they consider their own. [...] I do not need to assure you how great it is my desire not to stay out of your troubles and how great it is for my satisfaction to present you on every occasion services that you value as valuable.
Letter of Franco sent Hitler on June 3 on the occasion of the fall of France.
296
At first Hitler dismissed Franco's offer, but the difficulties he encountered in his war against England made him think about the convenience of Spain's incorporation into the conflict. On August 8, 1940, Berlin produced a report on the costs and benefits of Spain's entry into the war. Spain, without the help of Germany, would hardly endure the war effort. With this forecast, the advantage centered on the suppression of Spanish exports of minerals to England, the access of Germany to English-owned iron and copper mines in Spain and the control of the
Strait of Gibraltar.. The drawbacks would be: a foreseeable British occupation of the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, the expansion of Gibraltar, the possible connection of the British forces with the French forces in Morocco and the need to supply Spain with essential products and fuel (since Spain these materials were supplied in third countries); also, the need to rearm it, adding the difficulties that the narrow roads and the different gauge would mean for the transport of war material.
298 A second detailed study of the assistance that Spain would need to enter the war discouraged the Germans. That summer there were numerous contacts between Spain and Germany.
On September 13, 1940, Serrano SuñerHe made a trip to Nazi Germany as Franco's special envoy. Serrano informed the Germans that Spain would enter the war on the German side in exchange for aid, arms and territories of North Africa, where Spain could re-establish an empire. 299
In this meeting Serrano would leave a message for Hitler and recorded on video by the Germans, in which he said:
Franco's Falangist Spain brings the Führer of the German people his love and friendship, and his loyalty of yesterday, today and forever.
Ramon Serrano Suner message, Germany, September 1940.
299
According to Reinhard Spitzy, who was secretary and advisor to
Joachim von Ribbentrop (German Minister of Foreign Affairs), Minister Ribbentrop was not surprised by Serrano Suñer's offer to enter the war and suggested to the Spanish envoy that " After all, Spain was no more than a puppet of Germany "and that" Hitler was not very interested in what Spain needed to take part in the war. "
299 The enthusiasm shown by Franco before the entry of Spain into the war, which with the subsequent distribution of
Africa would fulfill his imperialist ambitions, contrasted with the skepticism shown by Germany.
300Franco's ambitions regarding his gains in the war were French Morocco, a part of
Algeria and the expansion of the
Spanish Sahara and the territory of
Equatorial Guinea .
301 There was also talk in Hendaya of handing over to Spain the
French Catalonia .
302There were also voices in the hard wing of the Falange asking for the annexation of
Portugal .
303 However, these ambitions clashed with the Germans, who, in exchange for their military aid, demanded the surrender of one of the
Canary Islands ,
Fernando Poo and
Annobón , in exchange for French Morocco.
304 Despite these disagreements, in a letter from Franco to Serrano Súñer in September 1940 he expressed that "he believed blindly in the victory of the Axis and was fully determined to enter the war." 305 On October 16, 1940, Franco appointed his third government, in which Serrano Súñer replaced Beigbeder in Foreign Affairs, considered an allyophile.
306
On October 23, 1940, Franco left, together with Serrano Suñer, from San Sebastián to France, where the
Hendaye Interview took place between Hitler and Franco. Although Franco left with a lot of time in advance, he arrived five minutes late to the appointment, which caused him great displeasure.
299 According to Preston, «Franco went to the historic meeting with Hitler in Hendaye in the hope of obtaining an adequate reward for his repeated offers to join the Axis. Later his propagandists would affirm that Franco brilliantly contained the Nazi hordes in Hendaya holding off a threatening Hitler. In fact, the examination of the meeting does not indicate an excessive pressure on the part of Hitler in favor of the Spanish belligerence ». 308According to Reinhard Spitzy, Hitler went to the meeting thinking that Franco had a duty to enter the war on the German side and for all the favors that Germany did to Franco during the Spanish Civil War.
299 This also affirmed that Hitler, during the conversation, succeeded in persuading Franco to enter the war as an ally of Germany.
299 Serrano Suñer would affirm that Franco accepted Hitler's proposal to enter the war and, in return, wanted some African territories and protectorates.
299 Serrano would also affirm that, for an hour and a half, Franco was explaining to Hitler his ambitions and that the German only yawned again and again during all that time.
299Serrano also commented that, given the expectations of being able to annex
Morocco , Franco was like "an excited child, fond of what had been his desire to always: the world that had formed as a great military leader."
309The meeting lasted for several hours. Franco's colonial demands, which clashed with Hitler's other interests, were not addressed by him; and Hitler did not get flexibility on the part of Franco in his pretensions. Both would comment on the meeting in a dismissive tone. Hitler would say "these guys there is nothing to do" and would prefer that you bring forth three or four wheels before returning to talk with Franco, whom he dubbed "Latin charlatan." Later he would comment to Mussolini that Franco "had arrived at Generalissimo and head of the Spanish State only by accident. He was not a man who was up to the problems of political and material development of his country.
310 Goebbelshe noted in his diary that "the Führer does not have a good opinion of Spain and Franco. [...] They are not at all ready for war, they are hidalgos of an empire that no longer exists ».
311 For his part, Franco would comment to Serrano Suñer that: "These people are intolerable; They want us to go to war in exchange for nothing. "
312Nevertheless, a protocol was established that "constituted a formal commitment on the part of Spain to enter the war on the side of the Axis."
313 According to Preston, in November 1940 Franco "took several dangerous and unnecessary initiatives, which can only be interpreted as indicating his willingness to enter the war on the side of the Axis." 311
