Comments on: Hugh Thomas’ “The Spanish Civil War”

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:54:41 +0000

Franco WANTED to be a part of WW2!!! There’s documented evidence that proves he met Hitler in Hendaye, France after he allowed the German military to bomb the crap out of Guernica. He ASKED Hitler if he could join forces and help him because he believed Hilter would win the war. However, much to Franco’s dismay, Hitler told him NO because he knew that Spain was in a bad financial situation because Spain was already in the middle of a civil war and that if he allowed Spain to join him that Germany would pay for everything. Then, Hitler was quoted as saying that he would rather have teeth pulled than work with Franco. THAT is why Spain was not directly involved in the war… but he DID provide weapons and other assistance that he could to Germany and Italy. However, when the allies won and took over Germany, Franco flipped the switch and spoke about how he kept Spain out of the war… and of course that’s what is in the Spanish history books. NOT because it’s true… but because Franco wrote the Spanish history that most Spanish children learn in school. Bottom line, the only reason people “learned” that Franco saved Spain from joining WW2 is because he was DENIED by Hitler… he WANTED to be part of the war and if you think otherwise you’re an idiot… try getting your “history” from somewhere other than the books Franco and his regime wrote. Franco was a war criminal who killed/assassinated anyone that stood in his way. The man was a lunatic and managed to brainwash millions of fanatics… kind of the same way that Hitler did. Hitler used Franco and then denied him… Franco’s not a “hero” he was the guy that Hitler didn’t want to play with. Fortunately for Franco, it worked in his favor and he was able to use it to his advantage after Hitler lost the war.

By: Carlos N Mendes

Carlos N Mendes — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:38:33 +0000

Franco keeped Spain from enter in WWII? Franco made Spain a test ballon for the WWII! Stukas, blitzkriegs, mass murders, every devilish Hitler’s dream in one package! Well, maybe the fear of communism was so frightening that spanish reationaries accepted destroy the country to avoid be destroyed… The leflists got the power by elections; Franco actually was the leader of the bloodiest coup d’etat in Europe in the last 80 years. The truth is, Spain returned to womb and remain there for 4 decades. What a waste.

By: gordon weare

gordon weare — Fri, 13 May 2011 22:20:42 +0000

Reminds me of just how alike is the wholesale homicides we see now in th islamic world..again.
Religious slaughter prevails in roman catholic Europe as it does in any islamic, communist, facsist nation(s). Personally, I see Rome & Mecca as twins. Both have a long history of atrocities and horrors, dictators and mindless wars as each other. Seems the reality is (Or once was ? )- when the British & Americans put an end to them, especially in 1945. After all Franco, Mussolini and Hiter were not salvation army were they ! With political-correctness now constipating USA & UK – we can all sit back now and watch it all repeat itself, at home and abroad. History tells us we learn nothing from history.

By: Dennis Gilman

Dennis Gilman — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:47:00 +0000

Franco saved Spain from communism. He also kept Spain out of ww2. If the so called republic had won the war Spain would have been controlled by the stalinist’s.
The idea that the international brigades were fighting to save the republic is simply not true. The majority of them were dedicated communist’s who had been recruited by the comintern.
Franco’s regime was not democratic & innocent people were killed & victimized, however he was the lesser evil.

By: Trusca

Trusca — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:17:30 +0000

Hey Jake,
We all have family stories. One of my grandfathers was executed by the fascist because he refused to fight and kill his brothers in the field, and my other grandfather was jailed and tortured for the same reason. My uncle (just 17 at the time) just simply desapeared. The priests sold out the people that trusted them, they were the ones who would write the list of the next ones to be jailed or executed in small towns…they betrayed their own faith and the faith the people had in church. There was wrong in both sides, I agree, but in history will be very hard to top Generalisimo Francico Franco’s war crimes….in the 5 years following the end of the war over 200 000.00 people was assassinated by the fascist with the blessing of the Catholic church, and people kept being jailed and executed for their political believes even a few months before the Generalisimo died in 1975. On top of all that, his other great crime was to set the economy and education (among other things) of Spain back for 40 years. It is unacceptable that more than half of adult Spaniards had not finished elementary school by the time your friend died.
Please get a reality check.

By: dave

dave — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 12:27:12 +0000

your forgetting that there would be no war if franco and the army hadn’t attempted a coup and that the communists attempted to save bourgeois liberal society during the war. the ideology of franco was unacceptable you may aswell say hitler was trying to save many lives that would have been lost to the communists. have a word with yourself

By: Jake

Jake — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 13:08:02 +0000

As the son of survivor, I can tell you that the “Fascist” Franco saved the lives of many people who were destined to die in the hands of the Republican/Communist army. My grandfather was executed for helping the local priest escape from the Communists. If the Communists had won, the death squads of Stalin would have swarmed across Spain as in Russia. The Spanish Civil War was a tragedy for all sides and the only “winners” were those left with the least amount of scars. Funny, how we glorify the Lincoln Brigade, who sided with the Communists, while the U.S. was trying to crush Socialism within its own borders. And as to examples for future dictators, there isn’t a shortage of historical examples. Everyday, Americans allow our government to do business with countries that torture and terrorize their citizens, which leads to problems in the future when those citizens rise up against their government. Or have you forgotten about the Shah of Iran?