Supplying Franco in the Civil War

[Bitter Ashes]

Obviously we know that Hitler sent Franco lots of military hardware like armoured vehicles and planes and the like, but what about the bourgeois of the United States and Europe?

It's my understanding that some major companies were supplying Franco during the war such as Texeco, General Motors and Ford. What were they supplying exactly? Was it just like civilian cars and petrol, or were these companies actualy producing arms as well? I can only assume that these were not gifts and that the bourgeois demanded cash for it all, so who was funding the Fascists? Could the Church have been a major funder to the fascists? Was there any socialist backlash back in the USA, or Europe against the supplying of equipment to the fascists?

Lots of questions I know. Maybe I should like try reading more books lol

[Искра]

There was this pact between USA and European imperialist forces to not act and to let Spanish people solve their problems. Germany, Italy and Soviet Union also singed this but they didn't give a dam about the pact.
Imperialist/capitalist states wanted Republican Spain because they were afraid of another Soviet or Nazi satellite in Europe, but they didn't have guts to act because they were afraid of Germany's intervention.

[JohannGE]

Obviously we know that Hitler sent Franco lots of military hardware like armoured vehicles and planes and the like,

Not so obviously, they also provided the Republic with many weapons too. Low grade and vastly overpriced of course.

[Holden Caulfield]

but what about the bourgeois of the United States and Europe?


Most of the main powers signed up to non-intervention. The UK and Americans felt it necessary to block imports from the USSR (and Mexico as one of the few countries to aid the republican side more) and yet turn a blind eye to the actions of Italy and Germany.

That is to say the USA and the UK practically aided Franco, to paraphrase Des Tutu, if an elephant is standing on a mouse to remain 'neutral' is no good at all.

I know what your all thinking: "WHAT! the bourgeois aiding fascists over democratic socialists and collectives of decent working people?!" but its all true

[mykittyhasaboner]

^Indeed, the US and UK were anything but neutral. The Non-Intervention Pact really wasn't about not non-intervention at all; for the most part it was a diplomatic strategy to group the imperialist bloc together against Republican Spain. The Soviet Union were part of this, until they eventually left the pact and began throwing arms and supplies to the Republic.

About the OP's specific inquiry, there is a very good outline of the topic (http://www.oneparty.co.uk/compass/compass/com12301.html) that gives a clear answer.



THE ATTITUDE OF THE WESTERN IMPERIALIST POWERS
The attitude of the British imperialist government was made clear at the very beginning of the civil war. It was to deny, on 31 July 1936, the legitimate Spanish government its traditional right under international law to purchase arms to defend itself. This action was disguised as

"... an arms embargo against both sides".

(Robert H. Whealey: Foreign Intervention in the Spanish Civil War', in: Raymond Carr (Ed.): 'The Republic and the Civil War in Spain': London; 1971; p.213).

But since Spain's neighbour, France, also had a Popular Front government

"... the only other Popular Front regime in Europe" --

('New Encyclopaedia Britannica', Volume 19; Chicago; 1994; p.520).

On 20 July 1936 the Spanish government

"... asked France . . . for 20 planes. Minister of Air Pierre Cot and Premier Léon Blum ... agreed".

(Robert H. Whealey: op.cit.; p.213).

"In 1935, the Spanish government had signed a trade agreement with France. One of the clauses stipulated that in case of need the Spanish Government could not purchase arms from any country other than France. With this agreement in its hand, the Republican government appealed to the French for the arms and equipment needed to protect the nation from aggression".

(Dolores Ibarruri: 'They shall not pass: The Autobiography of La Pasionaria'; London; 1960; pp.201-202).

However, the sympathies of the British imperialist government, headed by Stanley Baldwin, lay with the Spanish rebels, and

"... at the beginning of August (1936-- Ed.) M. Léon Blum was informed (by London -- Ed.) that the guarantee given by Great Britain to maintain the frontiers of France would not remain valid in the event of independent French action beyond the Pyranees".

(André Géraud ('Pertinax'): Preface to: Eleuthère N. Dzelepy: 'The Spanish Plot'; London; 1937; p.viii).

"The British warning, as we knew at the time was conveyed to M. Yvon Delbos,. the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the course of a visit by Sir George Clerk, British Ambassador to Paris. Sir George is understood to have said that, if France should find herself in conflict with Germany as a result of having sold war material to the Spanish Government,. England would consider herself released from her obligations under the Locarno Pact and would not come to help".

(Julio Alvarez del Vayo: 'Freedom's Battle': London; 1937; pp.69-70).

In other words, if France were to give military assistance to the Spanish Government, its defensive alliance with Britain would be declared null and void.

Thus, according to Blum's testimony to the French Chamber of Deputies in July 1947,
"... after visiting London on 22-23 July, Blunt was forced to reverse his decision to aid the Republic".

(Robert H. Whealey: op.cit.; p.220).

So, on 25 July 1936,

"... the Blum government issued a decree forbidding the export of arms from France to Spain".

(Ivan Naisky: 'Spanish Notebooks'; London; 1966; p.29).

"The refusal of the French Government to hand over to the Republic the arms that had long ago been ordered and paid for was a veritable stab in the back for Spanish democracy".

('International Solidarity with the Spanish Republic: 1936-1939' (hereafter listed as 'International Solidarity'; Moscow; 1976; p.362).

The United States imperialist government applied the 1935 Neutrality Act to the Spanish Civil War, but US corporations exported large quantities of much-needed oil to the rebels, this being exempted from its provisions:

"United States neutrality... favoured Franco, since American companies took advantage of the Neutrality Act's failure to classify oil as a war material and began sending tankers to Lisbon on 18 July".

(David Mitchell: 'The Spanish Civil War'; London; 1982; p.70).

On the other hand, like Britain and France, the USA

"... refused to sell arms to the Republic". (Harry Browne: 'Spain's Civil War'; Harlow; 1983; p.38).

But the arms embargo did non affect both sides in the civil war equally, since the rebels were in receipt of large supplies of arms from Germany, Italy and (to a lesser extent) Portugal:

"The Nationalists enjoyed the advantage of... military supplies from Italy and Germany. These played a crucial role in the Nationalist victory, especially at the end of July (1936 -- Ed.,) when German and Italian aircraft facilitated the ferrying of the Army of Africa to Spain, thus allowing the Nationalists to sweep through Andaluzia and Estremadura.

(Gerald N. D. Howat (Ed.): 'Dictionary of World History'. London; 1973; p.1,421).

On the other hand,

"... the fascist government of Italy and the Nazis met no obstacles in sending arms... to the assistance of the rebel generals".

(Luigi Longo: 'An Important Stage in the People's Struggle against Fascism', in: 'International Solidarity ; op.cit.; p.11).

"While the legitimate government was being denied the right to purchase any type of arms, the insurgents were receiving all they needed from Germany and Italy". (Dolores Ibarruri: op.cit.; p.202).

Furthermore,

"... the strongly pro-rebel government in Lisbon was not only supplying material but permitting transhipment of German and Italian supplies across its country"

(David T. Cattell: 'Soviet Diplomacy and the Spanish Civil War' (hereafter listed as 'David T. Cattell (1957)'; Berkeley (USA); 1957; p.21).

As Australian-born author and translator Gilbert Murray said in a letter to the 'Times' in October 1936:

"The professedly double-edged embargo really cuts only one way. It keeps the Government forces unarmed for the benefit of the well-armed rebels".

(Gilbert Murray: Letter to the 'Times' (22 October 1936): p.12).

[syndicat]

Texaco supplied 5 million dollars of gasoline on credit early in the war. The arms sent to Franco is exhaustively catalogued in "Arms for Spain".

[Blackice]

Not only Hitler, Mussolini supported Franco during Spanish Civil war too. Also, they helped directly to Franco, by bombarding some villages, securing shores etc etc..

[Bloody Kalashnikov]

I have heard a group of european civilians created a fund rasing group to raise money to finance the republicans.

[Holden Caulfield]

I have heard a group of european civilians created a fund rasing group to raise money to finance the republicans.

many Communist Party members and groups in the UK and across Europe raised funds for the republic, and had food drives to send rations. Many young people went to fight and die for their ideals in the International Brigades.

It was a time of real internationalist solidarity at a grassroots level, reading accounts of it al really hit home at how much we can do

[Bloody Kalashnikov]

Yeah solidarity comrade, but it must of been hard to work with anarchists and trotskyites marxists capies all together, i remember reading something orwell wrote, he seems to critisize the communists more than he does franco.