World War II started in 1935 by Spain

What if instead of Germany official starting the war in 1939...what if in 1935 Spain kept it's monarchy, built a Navy and an airforce all it's own and was a belligerent in WWII after having basically sat out of WWI and they decide to invade Malta and the Italian boot simultaneously effectively starting a war with Italy and Great Britian.
 
What if instead of Germany official starting the war in 1939...what if in 1935 Spain kept it's monarchy, built a Navy and an airforce all it's own and was a belligerent in WWII after having basically sat out of WWI and they decide to invade Malta and the Italian boot simultaneously effectively starting a war with Italy and Great Britian.

Spain didn't have a whole lot of industry neccesary to be a belligerent in a war with the UK, not even with help from Italy, who would fight Spain over Malta.

Also, if they start doing it in 1935 you can bet they won't have anything usefull in terms of a navy or airforce ready untill after 1939, and if Germany keep going like OTL, the Germans still start it. Even at full capacity the Spanish can't build a navy to counter the British fleet even if they build and build for 10 years.

Invading malta seems pointless as well, especially since Gibraltar borders Spain and is the logical invasion choice, but Malta is heavily fortified and far away from Spanish territory.
 

Ramontxo

Donor
You may have an earlier WWII start by a POD in the Spanish CW (say the Ebro ofenssive succeeds in cutting the Franco's Army communications far down the river as it was their original intention, Franco's answer is to move his reserves North of the river, and therefore near the French border and the French Army gets really nervous. Not that probable (but a wonderful POD for Mr Kurt Steiner..), but a monarquist Spain surviving and invading Malta and italy???
I mean say Primo de Rivera becomes the Spanish Duce survives and attack Gibraltar, that would be quite quite quite (one more) quite improbable but Malta? And Italy?
 
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Why on earth would any Spanish government want to invade Malta or even Italy? And starting a re-armament policy in 1935 is a waaaaaaaaay to late for Spain to achieve a meanginful army capable of even blockading Malta.
 
The only country I can see them attacking and winning is Portugal. And that's on the condition that the British Empire won't mind.
 
The only country I can see them attacking and winning is Portugal. And that's on the condition that the British Empire won't mind.

Given the Anglo-Portugese Alliance, we might just object. Spain has a lovely... long... ocean coastline. It would be a shame if something happened to it...

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