Successful 1936 Spanish coup

Could the 1936 Spanish coup be successful in taking over all of Spain without a civil war

How much more powerful would Spain be without a Civil war

Could it lead a Fascist sub-bloc during the Cold War
 
Could the 1936 Spanish coup be successful in taking over all of Spain without a civil war

How much more powerful would Spain be without a Civil war

Could it lead a Fascist sub-bloc during the Cold War

think a plurality of opinion (if not majority) from Spanish Civil War threads find it possible that coup succeeds. they would certainly be wealthier without looting of Spanish treasury (hundreds of millions) and destruction from SCW.

the issue would be whether junta joins in WWII and/or other misadventures (even prior to WWII) as seems likely? they would certainly be closer to Germany since initial airlift to mainland was German operation and Italy was not (IOTL) on the scene until later?

(the Greek "coup" was a month later August 1936, THAT might be an interesting bloc? as Italians held onto Dodecanese https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Islands_of_the_Aegean and wanted the Baelerics? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_occupation_of_Majorca what if those two countries became close?)
 
Could the 1936 Spanish coup be successful in taking over all of Spain without a civil war

How much more powerful would Spain be without a Civil war

Could it lead a Fascist sub-bloc during the Cold War
We've had some Shorter Spanish Civil War and Spain in World War II threads lately.

However, from what I remember the perpetrators were lucky that the coup was as successful as it was. Another thing was that it was unlikely that Franco would have been in power.

Having written that Spain would have been in a considerably stronger position that it was IOTL for a short war. However, I don't know if Spanish agriculture could have produced enough food to prevent the Spanish people from starving if the war lasted for longer than a few months.
 

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I do not see how there isn’t war, but with better logistics it could be over in less than 3 months. I say this as a student of history and wargamer
 
In 1966, I believe it was, Spain's economic growth was assumed to be giving Fascism a new lease on life by serving as a sort of contemporary "mini-China" in that it was an Authoritarian regime with strong economic growth to prove its policies. Ultimately, this was found to not be the case and a lot of that could be laid at the damage from the Civil War and the lack of Marshall Fund aides that the other war-torn European nations got. Had Spain avoided the Civil War and its damage, then Spain probably very quickly could've developed into a Fascist Italy-like entity.
 
In 1966, I believe it was, Spain's economic growth was assumed to be giving Fascism a new lease on life by serving as a sort of contemporary "mini-China" in that it was an Authoritarian regime with strong economic growth to prove its policies. Ultimately, this was found to not be the case and a lot of that could be laid at the damage from the Civil War and the lack of Marshall Fund aides that the other war-torn European nations got. Had Spain avoided the Civil War and its damage, then Spain probably very quickly could've developed into a Fascist Italy-like entity.
Isn't the problem that full-on Falangism lacked real support in the military? You would probably see infighting among the members of the Junta in any case, especially since the Civil War hasn't alliwed Franco to consolidate.
 
the issue would be whether junta joins in WWII and/or other misadventures (even prior to WWII) as seems likely? they would certainly be closer to Germany since initial airlift to mainland was German operation and Italy was not (IOTL) on the scene until later?
Could they gain some colonies from the allies for neutrality ?
 
Could they gain some colonies from the allies for neutrality ?

not sure where they would come from? Italian colonies are a little far afield for them, and they would have to resist siren song of Axis when it looked like they were the winners?

(my scenario is always to unify Iberia and "assume" Portuguese empire but would Allies allow that just for neutrality?)
 
As Hugh Thomas writes, a lengthy civil war was by no means inevitable because either side might have swiftly triumphed: "Had the rebels risen in all the provinces in Spain on 18 July, they might have been everywhere triumphant by 22 July. But had the government distributed arms, and ordered the civil governors to do so too, thus using the working class to defend the republic at the earliest opportunity, the rising might have been crushed..." https://books.google.com/books?id=4c4F7KM9UE8C&pg=PT234
 
not sure where they would come from? Italian colonies are a little far afield for them, and they would have to resist siren song of Axis when it looked like they were the winners?

Could they get Gabon and the rest of Morocco?

well, historically Spain played hard to get perfectly ... remaining neutral. under this scenario they lack many of the problems (excuses) used? when are you speculating they acquire French territories? in the immediate aftermath of WWII?

the Free French under DeGaulle are certainly going to oppose that, and it is during a period of decolonization anyways. if they move during wartime they look more than a little opportunistic, while the Germans might agree to such a move it would frame Spain as even more of collaborator?

(the reason for my suggestion they MIGHT have moved on Portugal, bought off Allies with neutrality and Axis with tungsten?)
 
About the possibilities of Spanish limited intervention in WWII…..IMHO there are no powerful motivations for TTL Spain to join the Axis. Firstly because in spite of some vague ideological affiliation with Axis powers, TTL Spain , as OTL, would remain dependent on oil from Allied side, and the Spanish air would be still too vulnerable to the RAF in case of eventual entry on Axis side (a factor which IMHO cannot be completely butterflied away despite a stronger military build-up ITTL ). Itis true that irá population would be less exposed to famines if SCW hasn’t took place, hence the country would be less dependent on food shipments….


But, could the Axis offer anything interesting for TTL Spain to put at risk her neutrality? IOTL Franco demanded the cession of French N Africa for joining the Axis, but his demands were too ridiculous considering his poor military capacity, therefore Hitler got fed up of Franco very early. Axis preferred a neutral-friendly Spain, especially after seeing how a minor partner like the Italians had screwed it in Greece….

Strategic importance of Spain was determined by her position in W Mediterranean. With the capital exception of Gibraltar, Spanish presence on both sides of the Straits made her desirable to both warring sides, but in the end both of them were content with Spanish neutrality. The most critical phase for the maintenance of the status quo was the implementation of Operation Torch, where a pro-Axis Spanish Moroccan Army could have ruined Allied plans.

Besides this, and ruling out the TLs regarding Allied landing in Spain (very impractical), the option of the Spaniards joining the Allied effort isn't out of the question…..but from a very comfortable position, that is when the Axis defeat seems inevitable.

One option could be just declaring war on the Axis just like Turkey did, without firing a shot, when the war is almost over and far away from Spain….

Another one could be Operation Dragoon, the seaborne invasion of S France. Maybe Spain, after witnessing the result of the Normandy landings decides to give naval support to the operation.
 
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