AH Challenge: Spain in WWI.

With all these World War threads, I wanted to make one.

How can we make Spain, on either side, enter WWI? Make it as plausible and interesting as you can. Spain may be on either the Entente or The central Powers.
 
Operation Unicorn May 14, 1915

With all these World War threads, I wanted to make one.

How can we make Spain, on either side, enter WWI? Make it as plausible and interesting as you can. Spain may be on either the Entente or The central Powers.

------Madrid 1935 hrs

Maj. Gen. Miguel Primo de Rivera had been mildly surprised when his octogenarian uncle, Capt. Gen. Don Fernando Primo de Rivera, the Marqués de Estalla, had invited him to accompany him to dinner with the Spanish Prime Minister Eduardo Dato and the War Minister, Capt. Gen. Rámon Echagüe. The four of them dined in a private room of one of Madrid’s finest restaurants. Miguel did not require an introduction to either minister as he had met both in the past, though only briefly. Nevertheless he felt deeply honored to be included and saw it as promising sign that his uncle to finally willing to pass the torch to him and retire.

Miguel decided that it was wiser to listen more than speak---at least initially---as he was the political lightweight in this group. It was also prudent to avoid drunkenness, a lesson some Spanish officers never learned. He therefore slowly sipped a dry oloroso sherry made not far from his hometown of Jerez. The prime minister seemed particularly gleeful, like an adolescent eager to tell his closest friends of a clever prank he had recently perpetrated.

“I saw the king this afternoon,” said Dato, “He freely admitted that he had de Valera arrested. Says that he should have done so sooner.”

“What does His Majesty intend to do with senor de Valera?” asked Fernando.

“The British government is strongly pressuring us to turn de Valera over to them.”

“I take it that you counseled the king very strongly against taking such an unwise course,” remarked Echagüe.

Dato grinned impishly, “On the contrary I encouraged him to do so as quickly as possible.”

The War Minister choked on his sherry when he heard that. “You did not!” he hissed between anguished gulps.

“Oh yes I did, Rámon”

“But why?” asked Echagüe seconds before Fernando would’ve asked the same thing.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Echagüe and the elder de Rivera exchanged bewildered glances. Breaking his rule Miguel spoke up, “Perhaps you feel that His Majesty has miscalculated the impact of taking such a step, prime minister, and you feel that you will be able to exploit that somehow.”

Dato turned to Miguel and nodded, “Yes, that is the essence of the matter, general. His Majesty did not want to hear anything more about de Valera. He will however be hearing a great deal more about de Valera.”

“He certainly will, but I do not see how that helps us,” asked Miguel’s uncle.

“The Radical Republicans have begun to take an interest in Ireland. So have some of the Socialists, thanks in part to the late James Connolly and this loudmouthed Russian Jew the French dropped in our laps. Aliadofilisimo is fracturing and weakening, my friends.”

“Yes it is, but is it enough to persuade the king to enter the war on the side of Germany?” asked the war minister.

“Persuade is not the right word, general. Drag is more like it. He insists that he is not going to break his promise to President Poincaré under any circumstances. Before the invasion of Ireland he conceded to me that he thought the Germans would probably win the war but it would take them another year to do so. He said that if and when a German victory seemed imminent he would tilt Spanish policy in their direction as well as offer to become their ally after the war.”

“Interesting but what exactly does His Majesty mean by tilt in their favor?” asked Fernando.

“He is not sure himself but he did mention possibly assisting German agents in stirring up rebellion amongst the Berbers in French Morocco, even though that could mean more trouble for us in our own piece of Morocco,” replied Dato, “However since the Germans invaded Ireland he is much less sure they are going to win after all. He regards the Irish invasion as their first big mistake.”

“Yes, we all thought that at first---even though most of us we admired its boldness,” said Fernando, “It is after all a strategy our nation tried when the Hidalgo spirit was still very much alive.”

“Yes, but it was a strategy that ultimately failed not only for us but also for the French who used it later,” commented Echagüe.

“And up until a week ago I too thought it was going to fail for the Germans as well,” said the prime minister, “But now I am not so certain. Prime Minister Bonar Law’s famous fortnight came and went Monday and the Germans are still holding on in Ireland. Meanwhile the rebellion of the Irish which the British first said was insignificant steadily grows to what looks to be dangerous levels. Dublin erupted Monday and the British still have not crushed it.”

“I agree that the situation in Ireland bears watching,” replied Echagüe, “So too does this so called Second Battle of Crecy Forest, which is not well named as that battle has long since moved well south of Crecy Forest. There is also word coming to us that the ‘temporary’ setback the British admitted suffering in Mesopotamia is much more severe than the British are admitting.”

“A week ago I was deeply worried that the war would not reach its decisive end phase until after the turno system replaces me with the hopelessly aliadofilisimo Conde de Romanones. Now there appears to be a very pronounced quickening. Where it all leads is not clear but we must be ready to seize the moment when it comes,” said Dato.

“Hmm. What do you suggest that we do?” asked Echagüe.

“I have several ideas that we should discuss. However let me start that by saying we need a very visible spokesman. One who can appeal to the peasants more than I ever could,” said Dato who then turned to Miguel, “Gen. Primo de Rivera. There is a reason I asked your uncle to bring you along tonight.”
 
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