Franco
Francisco Franco.
General Francisco Franco was the Fascist Dictator of Spain during WW2. He kept Spain out of the war and held onto power, keeping Spain a backward country with no political freedom well into the 1970's.
In March of 1938, the republican forces surrendered ending the Spanish Civil War, and Francisco Franco became President (dictator) of Spain. He ran Spain until his death in 1975. Franco was supported during the drawn out and bloody civil war in Spain of the 30's by the Nazi's (Germany) and Fascist's (Italy). Their opponents were backed by Stalin's Communist's of the Soviet Union. The German's in particular, honed their military accumen during this involvement. The Soviets, in contrast, generally used the war as an opportunity to pillage the fabulous museums of Spain. Many Russian museums today still have large collections of this stolen art, along with the later thefts of art from Germany in the 1940's. During WWII, Franco, of course, was aligned with the Nazi's. Spain, having just concluded their civil war, was in no shape to take an active part in the fighting. Nonetheless, Spain did aid the Germans in many ways - intelligence, supplies, minerals, and an occassional Uboat repair. This involvement was such that serious consideration was given by the western Allies of invading Spain as a way to get at Germany without the bloody confrontation of more direct invasion via France. Ultimately this notion was rejected as too roundabout. Also of some interest is that despite decades of civil war and fascist Dictatorship, Spain emerged via their intact monarchy with a semblance of democracy which is in full bloom today. Spain now has both a modern democracy and a flourishing economy.
Franco.
francisco franco
During World War II Spain was first a non-belligerant country and some time after a neutral country. However on the first part of the war (1941-1943), General Franco (who was a dictator that ruled Spain from 1939 to 1975) allowed a force of volunteers to go fighting alongside the Germans against the Soviet Union. This force of volunteers (about 18.000 men) called "Blue Division" (250th Division of the German Army) was commanded in first place by General Muñoz Grandes and after him by General Esteban Infantes.
It was Maximo Gomez who first came to Cuba as a Colonel Commanding Spanish cavalry troops.
Spain and the US were not battlefields.
The US wasn't. Spain wasm't.
Spain and the US were the belligerents and the rest of the world was neutral.
Cuba fought for its independence during the Spanish American War.
Praxedes Mateo Sagasta was Spain's Prime Minister is 1898.
It was Maximo Gomez who first came to Cuba as a Colonel Commanding Spanish cavalry troops.
Spain
Spain.
Spain and the US.
Spanish rebel troops.
Spain.
Spain and the US.
No, the Spanish American War was fought in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Spain, and it was very harsh Colonial ruler.
Emilio Aquinaldo.
The War was between Spain and the US.