WI:Portugal joins the allies?

Why does Franco jump in on the Allied side just because Salazar has led Portugal to? From the Allies point of view a neutral Spain is more attractive to them so they certainly wouldn't be putting any pressure on them to join.

Because it's now trapped between a Germany that will want Portugal to be eliminated (or see it become an allied base tha controls the Atlantic and the entrance to the Med) and the new Allied member. So, like I said, Spain either joins Germany (and looses US oil and grain which Germany is in no condition to replace) or the allies...
 
Because it's now trapped between a Germany that will want Portugal to be eliminated (or see it become an Allied base that controls the Atlantic and the entrance to the Mediterranean) and the new Allied member.
Was the tungsten that Portugal was selling Germany, in reduced amounts, that vital their war economy do people know? I guess I'm just not convinced that otherwise Germany would decide an Allied Portugal was enough of a threat to divert resources from the main endeavour–invading Russia to crush Bolshevism and gain lebensraum–to deal with whilst Spain was acting as a neutral buffer.
 
Was the tungsten that Portugal was selling Germany, in reduced amounts, that vital their war economy do people know? I guess I'm just not convinced that otherwise Germany would decide an Allied Portugal was enough of a threat to divert resources from the main endeavour–invading Russia to crush Bolshevism and gain lebensraum–to deal with whilst Spain was acting as a neutral buffer.

Germany depended on the Spanish/Portuguese supplies entirely. I do not know the spanish numbers, but the first trade agreement between Portugal and Germany, in January 1942, established a supply quota of up to 250 tons/month, or 3000 tons/year, for which Portugal would receive 10 thousand tons of amonnium sulfate, 300 15ton rail wagons, 60 thousand tons of iron and steel plus assorted machinery, at pre-war prices. Another agreement would be signed in January 1943 for another 2800 tons, and another in April, (for 2100 tons) covering a period up to February 1944, again for large quantites of iron, steel, chemicals, machinery, trucks, etc, all at prewar prices. However, even with a massive increase in minin activity, supply at the end of the contract fell short by over 500 tons.

Consider what Germany was willing to give up to get the tungsteen. Consider also that the shortage of this metal was the main reason why the top-line german AT rounds, like the Panzergranate 40HK, that used a tungsteen core, were so rare. Consider that this shortage was the reason why tungsteen was of the list of usable materials in the development of german jet engines, despite it's high resistence to heat.
 

Lusitania

Donor
Germany depended on the Spanish/Portuguese supplies entirely. I do not know the spanish numbers, but the first trade agreement between Portugal and Germany, in January 1942, established a supply quota of up to 250 tons/month, or 3000 tons/year, for which Portugal would receive 10 thousand tons of amonnium sulfate, 300 15ton rail wagons, 60 thousand tons of iron and steel plus assorted machinery, at pre-war prices. Another agreement would be signed in January 1943 for another 2800 tons, and another in April, (for 2100 tons) covering a period up to February 1944, again for large quantites of iron, steel, chemicals, machinery, trucks, etc, all at prewar prices. However, even with a massive increase in minin activity, supply at the end of the contract fell short by over 500 tons.

Consider what Germany was willing to give up to get the tungsteen. Consider also that the shortage of this metal was the main reason why the top-line german AT rounds, like the Panzergranate 40HK, that used a tungsteen core, were so rare. Consider that this shortage was the reason why tungsteen was of the list of usable materials in the development of german jet engines, despite it's high resistence to heat.

Portugal received a shit load of gold. During war Portugal’s gold more than doubled. After the war the US launched investigation into the source of the Portuguese gold and when Salazar refused to cooperate the US froze Portuguese assets. Luckily Britain stepped in and arranged for return of small portion of the hold, Portugal got millions of $ in support and American sanctions were lifted.
 

Lusitania

Donor
Side note:
if one can save the soul of a country, then Aristides de Sousa Mendes do Amaral e Abranches did for Portugal.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...why-isnt-he-a-household-name-too-2105882.html

Yes he did a great action he deserves every award and honor for what he did. Many people have criticized the government action to what he did but in reality they publicly rebuked him and while he lost his job he continued receiving his salary till his death.

The Portuguese government was against the actions of the Nazi but was genially afraid of Germany invading the Iberian peninsula. Plus the country was poor and unable to care for the refugees. It allowed anyone who could leave Portugal with safe passage. So while I do criticize its actions I cannot really understand the fear and the action taken due to those fears.

In summary Aristides de Sousa Mendes do Amaral e Abranches was a great humanitarian and I am a huge admirer of him do much so that he had a very important part of lusophone TL
 
Portugal received a shit load of gold. During war Portugal’s gold more than doubled. After the war the US launched investigation into the source of the Portuguese gold and when Salazar refused to cooperate the US froze Portuguese assets. Luckily Britain stepped in and arranged for return of small portion of the hold, Portugal got millions of $ in support and American sanctions were lifted.

That too. I didn't mention cause at the time, for us (and considering both the crap state of our industry and the war time shortages) the other stuff was far more inportant. Also, for Germany, gold was (relatively) cheap to give; the other things, not so much.
 

Lusitania

Donor
That too. I didn't mention cause at the time, for us (and considering both the crap state of our industry and the war time shortages) the other stuff was far more inportant. Also, for Germany, gold was (relatively) cheap to give; the other things, not so much.
Oh yes that was true but Portugal got into more trouble for the hold than the rest. Why we were bared from joining UN till 1955
 

Lusitania

Donor
Here is an article that I think is great interest

By B. Paul Hatcher
During World War II, Portugal led the world in the production of wolframite. The mineral’s ore is an important source of tungsten. In turn, tungsten steel is essential in the making of munitions. Tungsten steel is the hard, heat resistant steel used in armor-piercing shells and high-speed cutting tools. Although wolframite was mined in Spain and Sweden as well, the wolframite mines in Portugal yielded 10 tons to every one dug from the Spanish mines.

Wolframite was coveted by both sides during the war, but because the ore was abundant in the United States and South America, the Portuguese trade was more dear to the Germans than to the Allies. Although Germany had access to Swedish and South American sources, the Swedish sources were meager and the South American sources depended upon a perilous trans-Atlantic shipment to Germany.

After the fall of France, Portuguese shipments of wolframite to Germany followed a direct and uncontested route. British policy focused on the purchase of Portuguese wolframite in order to preempt the German purchases. The result was that the price of wolframite soared from $1,144 a ton in Portugal in mid-1940 to $20,000 a ton by late 1941. British preemption of the market caused Salazar to fear that the Germans might invade Portugal in order to secure its wolframite resources. Germany had certainly invaded and occupied other small nations for pragmatic purposes. Therefore, Salazar took care to make sure that Germany got its share of the precious ore. In fact, Portuguese shipments of wolframite to Germany did not cease until almost the end of 1943, when the tide of war made Salazar sufficiently certain that the German threat to Portugal was no longer viable.

Note: British debt to Portugal at end WW2 was over 300,000 million.
 
Top