Iberian Unification Franco

If Franco's Spain decided to unite Iberia by conquering Portugal, how long would it take? Lets say they started in spring of 1940. I believe that Franco's spain would eventually defeat the Portugeuss, but I don't know how long.
 
Portugal would join the Allies.

Agreed, which would mean Franco would have to join the Axis afterall. If he wasn't prepared to do it in OTL, then he must realise an invasion of Portugal by Spain would lead to him joining the Axis to stop the Allies attacking Spain.
 
I'm not sure how likely this is, given the historical friendship between Portugal and England and the fact that the Uk is in the best position to help out, but might Salazar appeal to Germany to help out? They might be hesitant about fighting Franco (who they helped put in power), but it is imaginable. This brings the UK in on Spain's side, and now the Iberian penninsula gets pretty interesting.
 
As it was said Portugal would join the war.
Portugal entry in the war was conditioned by whoever attacked first, but the most plausible chances would be:
-Germany attacks Gibraltar. This would make the British troops to invade the Canarias, Açores and Cabo Verde. I think I read somewhere that Churchill had already to planned an answer to a German invasion of Gibraltar, and the British would have arrived to Açores before the Germans entered Gibraltar.
In this scenario Portugal could only protest against the occupation of Açores as it would do later with Timor. The Germans would invade Portugal, claiming they were just preventing a British invasion of the Peninsula.

-Spain invades Portugal. This was the scenario proposed. So, the Germans enter in Spain during operation Felix, and the Spanish troops move against Portugal feeling they had their back protected by the Germans. In this case Portugal would join the war, on the Allies side, and the government would be evacuated to Açores.
Now, the Spanish capacity to design an offensive against Portugal wouldn't be that important, but their numeric superiority would be the element to pay attention. They had 24 divisions (not sure if this is the right English word). Although all of those divisions couldn't leave their place, even if one third of them, could move on, that would mean 8 division attacking, that would eventually receive German support.
The option would be a "symbolic" resistance until the administration had been moved to Açores.
 
This brings the UK in on Spain's side, and now the Iberian penninsula gets pretty interesting.

I doubt it. Just because Portugal joins the Axis (very odd) to save itself does not mean that the United Kingdom will then allow Spain to join the Allies.
 
I doubt it. Just because Portugal joins the Axis (very odd) to save itself does not mean that the United Kingdom will then allow Spain to join the Allies.

You're probably right about the scenario being far-fetched. OTOH, if Portugal decided that Germany was its best chance of finding a protector, Churchill might decide that the enemy of his enemy is his friend. If you can find a way to get Spain attacked by Germany for invading Portugal, I dont think it would be to suprising to see Britain take spain's side.
 
The UK had to invoke the treaty of Windsor just to keep the Portugese from joining the Axis.

If Spain invades Portugal the Axis have a very messy situation.
But if neither Spain nor Portugal request help from either Allies or Axis then there would be no response - I imagine.

The likelihood is, Portugal will request help, after all they probably can't beat Spain alone.
 
Salazar's policy was one of "cautious neutrality".
While he was an autro-fascist and shared some ideological traits with Mussolini, his natural inclinations were pro-allied.
There was once a mention in the Portuguese television of a secret plan in which in case of invasion, the military governor of Azores had orders to declare the independence (whether for real or just to create a government in-exile, temporarily posing as non-binded to the portuguese government). IIRC, this was a claim by some relative of the person involved, so it can be taken with a grain of salt.

I found this blog, that while not the perfect source, it can help to understand the period, but unfortunately it's in Portuguese.
http://manuelcarvalho.8m.com/mayone3.html
 
I already wrote something about the way Portugal would enter the war if Franco attacked. But I found some info about the plans for defense of Portugal.
The plans started to be made very soon, three months after the beginning of the civil war in Spain, and the conclusions that were made by then weren’t good. Once again, even knowing that the Spanish army was consider inefficient and didn't had the best commanders, their numeric superiority was overwhelming. One of the Portuguese commanders, Morais Sarmento, said that the only way the country could defend itself was by getting in "pé de guerra", in other words, to begin a silent process of mobilization.
In 1940 after the fall of France, two new things were added to the plans, they now had the way how forces should be placed in Alentejo and they stated the importance of preparing every bridge, between Spain and Portugal, to be destroyed as soon as the invasion started.
By then the plans of re-armament aren’t finished or even started. The major Portuguese ports aren’t defended against submarine attacks (anti-torpedo nets).
In 1940, when the operation Felix seemed for real, Portugal has enough armament for 10 divisions (The ones that weren’t for the force of 5 divisions, were destined to rearguard units), but it only had ammo for 4 days of fights.
In the Ministry of Defense’s data there are three divisions, but their armament and organization are obsolete, almost at the WW1 level. Portugal doesn’t have tanks or armored vehicles, it also doesn’t have anti-tanks weapons (this last one because the Spanish civil war a bad adviser).
Lisbon has some capability of aerial defense, but the whole country has only 12 British AA of 94mm, and 12 more of 75mm.
The unities of cavalry have enough weapons for 2 regiments, but don’t have enough horses.
Even after so many efforts, if Franco attacked Portugal, the Portuguese army couldn’t guarantee the territorial integrity.
If the 16th Panzer Division, which would attack by the north of Portalegre and the south of Elvas, with 120 tanks, probably supported by the 16th motorized division, their only enemy would be the damaged roads.
 
This is a map showing how the forces should be displayed. It is the interpretation of the plans made 3 months after the beginning of the Spanish civil war.

Sem título.png
 
Why would Franco invade Portugal on his own? Specially given they helped him during the civil war.

Because all the plans don't include Franco acting on his own, it's with the help of Germany during operation Felix. Because of the pression of memebers of the Falange and persons like Serrano Sunher, who were inclined to the ideology of the nazi Germany.
Serrano Sunher even said that it was their obligation to te stand with Germany as a way to thank for the help they gave to them during the Civil War.
 
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