Salv
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,247
- Location
- Just outside London
Foreign intervention.
One of the most contentious subjects related to the Spanish Civil War. The eventual outcome of the war was almost certainly decided by the actions - or lack of actions - by the allies that both sides called on for help. As mentioned above, from the very start of the rebellion - when a British pilot flew Franco to Morocco, and German and Italian planes flew the Army Of Africa to the mainland - the rebels had foreign assistance. Aid from Hitler and Mussolini was vital to Franco and it was eagerly given. Hitler saw it as an opportunity to test his army and air force in real battle conditions, while Mussolini had long been an ally of the Spanish right, funding the Falange since its inception; Mussolini was also keen to win more military glory after the Italian campaign in Abyssinia, and wanted a second fascist state in the Mediterranean to put pressure on British naval dominance in the area.
Soon after the Savoia-Marchettis arrived the Italians also provided 33 Fiat fighters, 3 sea planes, 5 Fiat-Ansaldo light tanks and 12 field guns all with ammunition and trained personnel. In addition to the Junkers 52s the Germans sent 6 Heinkel 51s, 20 anti-aircraft guns and other equipment, including Mark 1 Panzer tanks, along with 'volunteer' pilots. Also provided over the course of the war were the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter, Heinkel He 111 medium bomber and the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber, all of which were first flown in anger by the Condor Legion. The Heinkel 51, a biplane, quickly became outdated as a fighter and was switched to a ground attack role and then became a trainer.
The Condor Legion was formed in November 1936, bringing together all the German troops into one organisation. Over the course of the war these soldiers and airmen were rotated out regularly and a total of approximately 20,000 German troops and pilots served in Spain. The Italians provided a total of 60,000 troops, named the Corpo Truppe Volontarie, over the course of the war, with its air force under German command.
On the Republican side, as mentioned above, the French initially agreed to provide fighter planes but, after pressure from Britain, stopped any further aid. The Republican government, according to international law, were perfectly entitled to buy arms from whomever would supply them, but with the British wary of antagonising Hitler, the French dependent on the British for mutual assitance should Hitler start expanding his empire westwards, and the Americans pursuing a policy of isolationism, the Republic had to turn to Soviet Russia and Mexico for help. Despite documented proof of German and Italain assistance the three western democracies decided that an across-the-board policy of non-intervention was the fairest policy. The USA, britain, France, Germany, Italy and Russia were signatories to this policy, and when it became obvious that the Germans and Italians were ignoring the policy the Russians also felt free to continue giving assistance.
None of this was free. The Republic paid for Russian weaponry with its gold supplies - Spain had the fourth largest stockpile of gold in the world at the time - and the rebels relied on rich supporters within Spain, and the promise of mineral rights and loans to be paid once the war was won.
The Non-Intervention Committee was a farce right from its inception and, far from ensuring that neither side benefitted from foreign aid, it only served to keep the Republic dependent on the communists - who were certainly no friends of the Republic as a whole - while the rebels received far better equipment and better trained troops.
The Republic was in dire need of trained soldiers - not enough of the regular army had remained loyal, and the civilian militias were untrained and poorly armed. A solution was suggested by the Comintern - they would "proceed to the recruitment of volunteers with military experience fom the workers of all countries, with the purpose of sending them to Spain." By this time there were already several hundred foreign volunteers fighting with various units in Spain but the communists would recruit and train what would become the International Brigades. Eventually over 32,000 men from 53 different countries would serve with the International Brigades, while a further 5,000 would serve with other units, mostly the CNT and the POUM (George Orwell was part of a POUM unit).
One of the most contentious subjects related to the Spanish Civil War. The eventual outcome of the war was almost certainly decided by the actions - or lack of actions - by the allies that both sides called on for help. As mentioned above, from the very start of the rebellion - when a British pilot flew Franco to Morocco, and German and Italian planes flew the Army Of Africa to the mainland - the rebels had foreign assistance. Aid from Hitler and Mussolini was vital to Franco and it was eagerly given. Hitler saw it as an opportunity to test his army and air force in real battle conditions, while Mussolini had long been an ally of the Spanish right, funding the Falange since its inception; Mussolini was also keen to win more military glory after the Italian campaign in Abyssinia, and wanted a second fascist state in the Mediterranean to put pressure on British naval dominance in the area.
Soon after the Savoia-Marchettis arrived the Italians also provided 33 Fiat fighters, 3 sea planes, 5 Fiat-Ansaldo light tanks and 12 field guns all with ammunition and trained personnel. In addition to the Junkers 52s the Germans sent 6 Heinkel 51s, 20 anti-aircraft guns and other equipment, including Mark 1 Panzer tanks, along with 'volunteer' pilots. Also provided over the course of the war were the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter, Heinkel He 111 medium bomber and the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber, all of which were first flown in anger by the Condor Legion. The Heinkel 51, a biplane, quickly became outdated as a fighter and was switched to a ground attack role and then became a trainer.
The Condor Legion was formed in November 1936, bringing together all the German troops into one organisation. Over the course of the war these soldiers and airmen were rotated out regularly and a total of approximately 20,000 German troops and pilots served in Spain. The Italians provided a total of 60,000 troops, named the Corpo Truppe Volontarie, over the course of the war, with its air force under German command.
On the Republican side, as mentioned above, the French initially agreed to provide fighter planes but, after pressure from Britain, stopped any further aid. The Republican government, according to international law, were perfectly entitled to buy arms from whomever would supply them, but with the British wary of antagonising Hitler, the French dependent on the British for mutual assitance should Hitler start expanding his empire westwards, and the Americans pursuing a policy of isolationism, the Republic had to turn to Soviet Russia and Mexico for help. Despite documented proof of German and Italain assistance the three western democracies decided that an across-the-board policy of non-intervention was the fairest policy. The USA, britain, France, Germany, Italy and Russia were signatories to this policy, and when it became obvious that the Germans and Italians were ignoring the policy the Russians also felt free to continue giving assistance.
None of this was free. The Republic paid for Russian weaponry with its gold supplies - Spain had the fourth largest stockpile of gold in the world at the time - and the rebels relied on rich supporters within Spain, and the promise of mineral rights and loans to be paid once the war was won.
The Non-Intervention Committee was a farce right from its inception and, far from ensuring that neither side benefitted from foreign aid, it only served to keep the Republic dependent on the communists - who were certainly no friends of the Republic as a whole - while the rebels received far better equipment and better trained troops.
The Republic was in dire need of trained soldiers - not enough of the regular army had remained loyal, and the civilian militias were untrained and poorly armed. A solution was suggested by the Comintern - they would "proceed to the recruitment of volunteers with military experience fom the workers of all countries, with the purpose of sending them to Spain." By this time there were already several hundred foreign volunteers fighting with various units in Spain but the communists would recruit and train what would become the International Brigades. Eventually over 32,000 men from 53 different countries would serve with the International Brigades, while a further 5,000 would serve with other units, mostly the CNT and the POUM (George Orwell was part of a POUM unit).
