steviedeluxe

"Britain paid millions of pounds to military and political leaders in Spain to ensure they remained neutral during the Second World War, secret files reveal. "

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/1...World-War.html

A story already uncovered though
http://www.spanishpropertyinsight.co...pic.php?t=3704

Dick Dasterdly

Interesting, though some Spanish forces actually helped the Russians.

I have my doubts if Franco wanted to be involved anyway, having the aftermath of his own war, home security and some sort of recovery as his most urgent priorities.

Being a wily old sod, IMHO, he was much more likely to wait and see which way the wind blew before sticking his neck out.

In any event it's obvious that the UK govt was well aware that a little bribery and corruption could always pull quite a few strings in Spain.

Domino

Wasn't that at a time when the $ was 4 to the £ ??
Suppose it helped to pay for the Spanish Air Force "Blue Patrol" Franco offered Germany in repayment for their "Condor Squadron" in the Civil War.
Really makes Franco's "non-beligerant" treaty a load of mush.

and which other countries did Britain bribe ?? Or is it just that Spain were the only one that records were kept.?

steviedeluxe

Bribe-ing in wartime is very common. In fact the US bribed a lot of Afghan tribes to rebel against the Taliban government when they went in to overthrow the regime.

Domino

They also bribed alot of the same people to fight the Russians - where did that get anyone ??

They also bribed the Afghans to stop the opium poppy growing but they just took the bribes and still carried on growing

Dick Dasterdly

I doubt if Franco was keen in getting involved anyway for the reasons I previously stated.

If he had, his first very obvious move would have been to take Gib.

Should he have done so, I've read on more than one occasion, though I don't know if true, that the UK had let it be known that they would immediately retaliate by taking the Canaries.
They had the naval power to comfortably do so,...... just a crying shame that it was previously the scene of Nelsons only failure.

notacontrathinker

This confirmed by Churchill in his work "The Second World War" where he states -

"So great was the danger that for nearly two years we kept constantly at a few days' notice an expedition of over five thousand men and their ships, ready to seize the Canary Islands, by which we could maintain air and sea control over the U-boats, and contact with Australasia round the Cape, if ever the harbour of Gibraltar was denied us by the Spaniards".

In relation to the bribery charges, Churchill, in the same chapter, quotes the Duke of Wellington who wrote -

"There is no country in Europe in the affairs of which foreigners can interfere with so little advantage as of those of Spain. There is no country in which foreigners are so much disliked, and even despised, and whose manners and habits are so little congenial with those of other countries in Europe".

I wouldn't mind that on a T-shirt.

He also quoted Adolf Hitler's description of the Fuhrers meeting with Franco -

"Rather than go through that again, I would rather have three or four of my teeth pulled out".

Something that flits across the mind of anyone dealing with Spanish bureaucracy.

Mysteriously, Churchill ends the chapter by saying -

"It is fashionable at the present time to dwell on the vices of General Franco, and I am therefore glad to place on record this testimony to the duplicity and ingratitude of his dealings with Hitler and Mussolini. I shall presently record even greater services which these evil qualities in General Franco rendered to the Allied cause".

Domino

oh that we could have a Churchill now
he had a better grasp of people, countries, nations than anyother man for several centuries

the BH met him once as he was her MP, regret he is on my list of influencers that I have not met and had a discussion with.
OK there are several in that category (and some were dead before I was born), but.....this is one where there is an honest regret


This reminds me that I really must go back to reading his writings.

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notacontrathinker

It's all coming out today (if you'll pardon the expression).

Churchill, Madrid and the Spy in Drag.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...n-8628513.html

Le Carre couldn't make it up.

Domino

I wonder how much he actually made up and how much is based on fact
Now if I was to write a book.............

notacontrathinker

About your time in the Bugis Street Warriors ?

Domino

along with my time as a reserve in the Strait Street Strollers
oh the memories

Relampago

However, Franco helped to Hitler, although of underhanded way. For example, he sold tungsten to Germany, it allowed to the Nazi leaders to settle in Spain after the war (their sons and grandsons were born and they live in Spain) and also sent troops (as the Blue Division) so that they helped the Germans in the war against Russia. In Krasny Bor's battle (1943), 5000 Spanish soldiers were able to brake to 44000 Russian soldiers and two armored divisions. This remains in the forgetfulness. If they had been British or American, today they would have some 200 or 250 movies

In fact, Hitler at the end stopped to have appreciation for Franco, but however he had it for the general Muñoz Grandes, to the one that named as one of his military advisers

Domino

Muñoz Grandes was the head of the División Azul from 1941-42, when he was replaced by General Emilio Esteban who was at their head at Krasny Bor's battle in 1943.
Grandes was replaced as becoming too pro-Germany by the moderate Esteban, at a time when Franco was already hedging his bets as to where the war was going.

Grandes served as Deputy Prime Minister 1962-67.

But you must remember that the history books are written by the victors, not by the defeated. And Spain losing 70% of its troops at Krasney Bor's doesn't exactly make for good film material. Unless Spain wanted to make a limited release version.

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