Yet more newly unveiled evidence of Spanish bellicosity
Monday, November 03, 2008
Having decided against invading Germany in '37, the Spanish military was quite happy to sit out WW2, Korea, Vietnam etc etc, but they might have been sent over the Douro in '75:
"In 1975, while dictator Francisco Franco’s health waned and a transition was about to take shape,
Prime Minister Carlos Arias Navarro privately told the United States that Spain was prepared to declare war on Portugal to prevent a communist spillover from Lisbon’s newly installed leftwing
government, declassified documents show".
More at the El Pais english site here, and in Spanish here.
Can't imagine our Portuguese friends would have been much of a challenge to Spain, frankly. Perhaps the much vaunted longest alliance - twixt us and the Portos - would have been called upon. Note, however, that we were prepared to do the dirty on Lisbon by way of carving up its African empire with the Germans, as per discussions somewhere around the turn of the last entry. I can't lay hands on the reference, alas.
"In 1975, while dictator Francisco Franco’s health waned and a transition was about to take shape,
Prime Minister Carlos Arias Navarro privately told the United States that Spain was prepared to declare war on Portugal to prevent a communist spillover from Lisbon’s newly installed leftwing
government, declassified documents show".
More at the El Pais english site here, and in Spanish here.
Can't imagine our Portuguese friends would have been much of a challenge to Spain, frankly. Perhaps the much vaunted longest alliance - twixt us and the Portos - would have been called upon. Note, however, that we were prepared to do the dirty on Lisbon by way of carving up its African empire with the Germans, as per discussions somewhere around the turn of the last entry. I can't lay hands on the reference, alas.
Labels: arms and the man, Portugal, Spain
