By [[offtopic:Dr. Strangelove]], one of our Spanish members. In contrast with the somewhat cliche-ish "WI the Republic had won the Civil War" POD, and amused with Spain's amusing tendencies to explode in fratricide hate in the 1930's in just about every timeline he decided to make a timeline with no civil war at all in which neither fascists nor communists were able to seize power. 

POD In June 23, 1936 Francisco Franco sends a letter to the spanish Prime Minister Casares Quiroga, warning him that the army is very discontent with the political situation. Franco has been invited by his colleagues to join the conspiracy, but is still hesitant. In our timeline, Casares never answered Franco's letter. In TTL, Franco receives an answer, and his further hesitation to betray the government sets in motion a series of events that will end with the military conspiracy being beheaded and the army suffering a torough purgue in the summer of 1936.

Development

Characters (in no special order) FRANCISCO FRANCO died as a hero defending Zaragoza from the nazis in 1941.

FEDERICO GARCIA LORCA kept writing poetry and novel after 1936.

BENITO MUSSOLINI was exiled in Switzerland in April 1940, after the coup that put Galeazzo Ciano in charge of Italy and asked for an armistice with the allies.

LEON TROTSKY moved to Barcelona in 1937 and to Havana in 1941, and will publish one of the most influential political books of the century, legitimating *anarchism as a valid politic choice.

IOSIF STALIN is even more paranoid than usual, having killed Zhukov in the 1937 purgue, and having started another purgue in 1941.

BUENAVENTURA DURRUTI is President of the Spanish Republic as of 1941.

Effects