Would they make it difficult on the Germans? They would almost certainly be involved in the WWII. Would they be able to hold on against the Germans?
i think the USSR could have had a second ally west of the iron curtain, which would have been interesting.
Perhaps it would have stopped the western allies from cooperating with the USSR, because they feared the soviets as much as the nazi's?
i think the USSR could have had a second ally west of the iron curtain, which would have been interesting. I think it's more likely that the two would be bitter enemies as anarchist-controlled Spain represented a threat to Soviet totalitarianism.
That's quite wrong. The Stalinists where the majority in leftwing Spain, apart from Catalonia, where the Left-Communists (POUM) and Anarchists (CNT-FAI) where the strongest and the republican part of Aragon, which was mostly Anarchist. For the rest the PSOE was dominant, mostly because of the fact that the USSR only send aid (guns, supplies, advisors, even airplanes) to that party. Also because of that aid, the PSOE which was an independent party at first more and more became a puppet for the USSR. Ironically, this meant postponing the revolution untill after the civilwar, because Stilin didn't want to intimidate France.
More than likely there would have been a struggle between the different leftwing factions had they won the war, however it seems likely that the Staninlists would have gain dominance. Should Spain have become an allie of the socviet union it is likely that many of western European countries would have become part of the soviet bloc as there would have been a communist front advancing through france aswell as the eastern front near the end of the war
Perhaps it would have stopped the western allies from cooperating with the USSR, because they feared the soviets as much as the nazi's? i agree. in fact, the allies would have possibly joined hitler and mussolini in an effort to overthrow the republic by means of direct intervention. no way the allies where going to let Stalin obtain an ally in the west AND cede to him direct access to an estrategic section of the mediterranean. too close to gibraltar for comfort; it would have posed an unacceptable danger to vital british shipping lanes. franco was the allies ''plan a''. direct intervention was always their ''plan b''. the republic might have survived a couple of years under communist party rule with the PSOE held hostage. the SIM and NKVD would have completed the physical eradication of other non-communist leftists. ultimately the republic was doomed.
