Questions about Spain during World War II
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why did Spain stay neutral during World War II?
Spain under Franco remained neutral primarily because it depended on food and oil imports from the United States, was still recovering from the Spanish Civil War, and Franco judged his armed forces incapable of defending the Canary Islands and Spanish Morocco against a British attack. Economic pressure from both the U.S. and Britain, combined with Franco's failure to reach terms with Hitler at the Hendaye meeting of the 23rd of October 1940, kept Spain out of the war.
What was the Blue Division in World War II?
The Blue Division, or División Azul, was a force of Spanish volunteers who fought as part of the German Army on the Eastern Front from 1941 to 1944. It comprised 18,104 men in total, including 2,612 officers and 15,492 soldiers. Approximately 45,000 Spaniards in all served on the Eastern Front, and around 4,500 died. The last 286 prisoners held by the Soviet Union did not return to Spain until the 2nd of April 1954, aboard the ship Semiramis.
Did Spain help Germany during World War II?
Yes, Spain provided Germany with several forms of material support while officially claiming neutrality. These included tungsten ore from mines in Galicia, refueling services for between 25 and 26 German U-boats in Spanish ports from January 1940 to February 1944, and the transit of goods from South America including industrial diamonds and platinum. Spain also permitted Gestapo agents to operate within its borders and compiled a list of six thousand Jewish residents that was delivered to Heinrich Himmler.
What was Operation Felix in World War II?
Operation Felix was a German plan, developed in detail before the failed Hendaye negotiations in October 1940, for a joint Spanish-German attack on the British territory of Gibraltar. The plan also involved occupying northwest Africa to forestall Allied intervention. After Franco refused to enter the war, the plan was shelved; by March 1941 the military resources earmarked for it were being redirected toward Operation Barbarossa and the Soviet Union.
What role did Angel Sanz Briz play in saving Jews during World War II?
Ángel Sanz Briz was Spain's head of mission in Budapest who saved thousands of Ashkenazic Jews in Hungary by granting them Spanish citizenship, placing them in safe houses, and teaching them minimal Spanish so they could pass as Sephardic Jews. When he was forced to flee Budapest, the Italian diplomat Giorgio Perlasca used forged documents to pose as the new Spanish Ambassador and continued the protection until the Red Army arrived.
When was Spain admitted to the United Nations?
Spain was not admitted to the United Nations until 1955, a decade after the end of the war. The exclusion was a direct consequence of Franco's wartime support for the Axis powers. Several nations had also withdrawn their ambassadors from Madrid in the postwar years, leaving Spain diplomatically isolated until the mid-1950s.