World War II Database

1. Anonymous says:
11 Dec 2009 12:52:25 PM

Can you tell me who has the rights to this photo of Hitler and Franco at the Hendaye train station?

2. Bill says:
12 Feb 2011 07:21:19 PM

PLAYING THE GAME OF: CAT AND MOUSE

Adolf Hitler & Generalissimo Francisco Franco
talk turkey. Photo taken at Hendaye in occupied France near the border with Spain on October 23, 1940.

TALKS WERE CORDIAL...BUT NOT HOPEFUL

Hitler hoped to get Spain into the Axis Alliance along with Japan and Italy. Franco
kept the Germans at arm's length during the war.
After three years of bitter civil war left Spain's economy almost in ruins, Spain had enough of the civil war.
Franco would not get involved and used all the tricks he could to mark time.

PROMISES, PROMISES, THOSE KIND OF PROMISES:

Hitler promised military and economic aid help the Spanish even a 10 year alliance the
meeting went on for nine hours through interpreters, Franco wanted much, and could the Germans deliver? he told Hitler that Spain would fight, as soon as its military
and economy was made good.
After more hours of talks and getting just about nowhere Hitler realized there was no point in continuing the meeting.
After hours of talks, haggling about some
what if...Franco would enter the war at its own convenience. Hitler fumed and left the meeting. Foreign Minister Ribbertrop, said of Franco That ungrateful coward! He owes us everything and now he wont join us.

DIPLOMACY 101:

October 23rd the Germans arrived on time for
the 2 pm meeting, but the Spanish weren't
there. One hour later Franco arrived was the
late arrival accidental or was it on porpose
Franco later told one of his generals I'll
use every trick I can and arriving late was one of them. Making Hitler wait put him at a
psychological disadvantage from the start.

Hitler once said of the meeting with Franco
it was like having a tooth extracted.

From Oct.1941 to Feb.1943 Spain sent volunteers, who formed the Blue Division to Russia 47,000 Spaniards served at different times in the Division.
22,000 became causalties, 4,500 died, fewer
than 300 POWs returned from Russian hands,
in 1954.

Churchill would admit, to the duplicity and
ingratitude of Franco's dealing with Hitler.

3.  Bill says:
20 Jun 2011 03:28:53 PM

CAT & MOUSE: A RELATIONSHIP LIKE NO OTHER

In 1939 Hitler presented a Mercedes-Benz G-4
to Generalisimo Francisco Franco of Spain as a gift.
Spain stayed out of World War II and sat on the side lines, played a game of Cat & Mouse with Hitler. Spain still recovering from its
Civil War, worked hard to improve economic
prosperity.

POST SCRIPT: INTRIGUE & SECRETS

Franco continued to hold and rule Spain for another thirty five years, through WWII and into the 1970s.
Hitler survived five more years, and died in his bunker in Berlin, April 1945, the city was controlled by the US, USSR, Britain and France the country was devastated by WWII, divided into two countries West Germany and East Germany until reunited after the fall of Communism.

SUGGESTED READING:

Franco and Hitler: Spain, Germany and WWII
By Stanley G. Payne
Published by Yale University Press
ISBN-10 9780300151220

4.  Bill says:
25 Sep 2011 07:39:43 PM

During the walk through the station:

Franco asked Hitler how was your trip. Hitler replied, Francisco at the border we had to go through customs can you believe that!

5. Anonymous says:
21 Nov 2011 07:02:04 AM

A successful Fascist dictator. How can this be ?

6. Harri Beobide says:
22 Feb 2017 01:38:09 AM

I would like to know the copyright of this image as I would like use the picture of Franco and Hitler in an educational website called historiana.eu.
thank you in advance