The Importance of Spain in the Second World War

Spain was a huge drain on the Italian military, both in terms of equipment and finances. Germany would also be brought into the Civil War very early, even though it had no real interest in Spanish politics. Hitler's reasons for supporting Franco were not that much different than Mussolini: he believed his future plans would result in a European-wide war. A Franco-controlled Spain could provide Germany with U-boat bases on the Atlantic,. create a second front against France, and most importantly, close the Mediterranean to British naval vessels.