Re: No Hitler: Polish-German Danzig war

On Aug 28, 11:23=A0am, Jerry Kraus <jkraus_1...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Aug 28, 2:25=A0am, "Michele" <nospammiar...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>
>
> > "Rich Rostrom" <rrostrom.21stcent...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> ha scritto nel
messaggion=
ews:rrostrom.21stcentury-E08CDC.01164028082008@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> > > Jack Linthi*** <jacklinthi...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> > >> The primary reason why Franco
> > >>would not participate in an attack on Gibraltar was the sole road
was
> > >>exposed to the sea and very inadequate.
>
> > > No, the primary reason why Franco
> > > would not participate in an attack on Gibraltar
> > > is that he did not want to go to war with
> > > Britain. =A0The details of the attack on Gib
> > > were far less significant than the probable
> > > cutoff of all Spanish trade
>
> > ...where trade doesn't just mean coffee and spices; it means basic
> > foodstuffs.
>
> > with the Americas,
>
> > > the probable loss of Spain's colonies in Africa,
>
> > ...maybe not immediately, though surely if the war was lost. OTOH,
ther=
e
> > would be immediate consequences for the Canarias, which weren't just a
> > colony.
>
> > > and British air attacks on Spanish cities - to
> > > mention only a few of the probable results
> > > of Spain going to war.
>
> > ...that said, the attack on Gibraltar wouldn't be easy, logistically.
>
> Well, we seem to agree, in any case, that Franco didn't join Hitler,
> and remained neutral during the second world war, because it was quite
> obvious that he would immediately be in very deep trouble militarily.
> Unlike Mussolini and Hitler. =A0It wasn't that Franco knew that Hitler
> would lose. =A0It was simply that it was obvious that Spain could not
> possibly win.
>
> Franco was actually fantastically lucky throughout his political
> career. =A0He was lucky to get sufficient assistance and insufficient
> opposition to win the Civil War -- Stalin could probably have crushed
> him, if he had wanted to, most Spaniards were left-leaning. =A0He was
> lucky that Spain was in such a weak position during the second world
> war that he had no incentive to join in, and that Hitler would
> therefore tolerate his neutrality. =A0He was extremely lucky that the
> Cold War with Stalin started up after the second world war, for
> otherwise, he would certainly have been isolated and probably removed
> from power, as a fascist. =A0He was lucky that the Spanish were willing
> to let him live out his life as a dictator, contenting themselves with
> assassinating the Admiral who was positioning himself to continue the
> dictator****p toward the end of his life.

****tugal? Salazar?