More Axis Countries?

[usertron2020]

No. The Resident General in Morroco, General Nogues, actaully threatened to continue the fight if the armistice didn't left the French fleet and the French Empire alone. He was supported by the Governor of Algeria, the Resident General in Tunisia, the commander of the Forces in Djibouti, in the Levant and in Indochina. Trying to give Morocco to Spain would mean losing the French empire and the French fleet, and the axis wouldn't have the capacity to fight on three fronts (Spanish Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt) in North Africa.

TBH though, after the British attack against the French Fleet at Oran, and considering the politics of the French Navy in Metropolitan France, unless Hitler tried to pull this deal with Franco even as the surrender of Third Republic France is being signed in the railway car, those uber-right admirals will still scuttle the French fleet. With the exception of individual French naval ships, their captains and crews, the French Navy didn't exactly cover itself in glory in the Second World War.

They've been allied to England/the UK since the 1370s, I reckon that joining the Axis would be the very last resort for them. I think a BEF Mk II landing in Lisbon would probably be more likely.

Yeah, I find it very unlikely that Portugal would have joined the Axis.

Mike D
Ultimate Paragon

Oh I never meant to suggest it would be of their own free will, including their government's. The people of Portugal had no love for the Nazis. But with the prospect of Hitler's panzers in Spain rushing towards the Portuguese border...? The Portuguese Army was larger and better than Denmark's, but not by much. And they had more open borders than even the Danes.

At the very least, they'd accept a peaceful occupation, and probably some kind of "Bulgarian" type of alliance to insure they kept control of their own territory. Besides, German interests would mostly be against Gibraltar. The only thing Portugal offers is air and naval bases in the U-Boat War, and rocket bases for attacks against the USA if (big IF) they ever got the A-9/A-10 missile system developed.

And De Gaulle joins all the big three meetings with his own demands? That actually makes what I suggested sound better.

The thing is, if Hitler screws the pooch big time and forces the need for Anton before the ink on the Vichy France surrender treaty is dry, De Gaulle will be presenting the Allies with the whole of the French Empire (minus the soon to be occupied Indo-China) and French Fleet. If he manages to get France's gold reserves and much of the surviving French Air Force out too, he'll have every reason to expect/demand to have a seat at the table every day of the week. Don't forget that De Gaulle will be at the table before both Stalin and FDR.

If Dominion PMs like Menzies can sit in on Churchill's war cabinet meetings, De Gaulle can hardly ITTL be expected to be left out. Plus he and Winston and Brooke are English-French bi-lingual.

Demands can be negotiated, especially since the Western Allies won't be spending all that time fighting to retake the French Empire colony-by-colony. ITTL, even in Metropolitan France De Gaulle is going to be perceived politically as the President of France.