Of course what inspired that diversion was Mark posting a shot from the Battle of Britain film of Fascist Spanish aircraft in the 1960s - a neat trick!
A neater trick was Franco's manoeuvring, in contrast to Mussolini's poor calls. After getting power tanks to great degree from his German and Italian Fascist brethren's air power, Franco then managed to avoid getting pulled into W.W.II despite his debt and sympathy for their causes.
(Interestingly the Spanish Civil War was started when a privately charted British airliner brought him from North Africa back to Spain. That Olly Air Services DH Dragon Rapide was later presented to Franco, and is on show in the Spanish Air Force Museum, genuinely the 'aircraft that started a civil war'.)
Two interesting posters I recently found, thanks to WIX member Ricardo Reis, illustrating Franco's alliances - Here's a poster of Franco as a key member of the European Fascist 'gang' in 1939:
Long Live Spain!
Authorship: unknown; Country: Spain; Date: 1939; Dimensions aprox.: 33x69cm; Photography; Illustration
Code: P5147
Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal.
And here's another, from the middle of the war, 1942, showing (quite correctly, but venally) that he was keeping Spain out of W.W.II.
Franco keeps peace in Spain
Authorship: unknown; Country: Spain; Date: 1942; Dimensions aprox.: 100x70cm; Illustration
Code: P4450
Both from here:
http://webposters.adm.ntu.edu.sg/site/page/homeHaving navigated all that, and getting supplies from Germany until very late in their collapse, he then managed to switch alliance again and this time obtain support from the US - essentially for his anti-communist stance, but while he continued to lock down Spain.
A truly nasty but smart little thug, he managed to die of natural causes and old age. Sometimes there's no justice!
Regards,
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