Hitler And Spain: The Nazi Role in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939
ISBN: 9780813148632
Platform/Publisher: Project MUSE / The University Press of Kentucky
Digital rights: Users: Unlimited; Printing: Chapters; Download: Chapters
Subjects: World War II; German Studies; Western European History;

In this chilling study, the first comprehensive work in English on Germany's role in the Spanish Civil War, Whealey demonstrates how Hitler exploited that conflict to promote the slogan ``anti-communism'' and, by so doing, solidify his relations with international corporate and church leaders. By exploding a local struggle into a European diplomatic contest, Hitler weakened ties among the Allies and diverted attention from his plans for territorial expansion. The arms and supplies he provided Franco served as a bargaining tool with the Japanese, who believed he was taking an active military stand against communism, contends the author. Meanwhile, Hitler left to Franco the main burden of crushing the Popular Front, and he slyly encouraged Mussolini to become the prime interventionist. In exchange for desperately needed arms, Franco gave the Nazi war machine iron ore, wool and hides. Whealey, who teaches at Ohio University, draws on German, Spanish and Italian sources to buttress his shrewd assessment that ``Franco and Hitler both won the Spanish Civil War.'' (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Robert H. Whealey is associate professor of history at Ohio University.


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