He didn't have the strength, period.
It wasn't Spain's fight. Spain wasn't attacked. Spain had not guaranteed the integrity of Poland's borders (remember Poland?). Spain didn't have the resources to contribute anything to the war against the Axis; if they had come in with the Allies they wouldn't have been able to repel a German invasion.
Under the circumstances, neutrality was absolutely a moral and honorable course to take, as it was with Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal, and Vatican City.
> It wasn’t Spain’s fight.
World War II was every decent country’s fight. “Neutrality” wasn’t a legitimate option: it was Good versus Evil.
> Spain didn’t have the resources to contribute anything to the war against the Axis;
The Germans and Italians would have had a merry time trying to sneak warships past Gibraltar into the Mediterranean had Spain fought with the Good Guys. Vichy France may have been much less comfortable had Spain been in the war.
> if they had come in with the Allies they wouldn’t have been able to repel a German invasion.
Didn’t need to: Franco had already sold his soul to the Axis. They were old-time beer buddies by that time.
> Under the circumstances, neutrality was absolutely a moral and honorable course to take, as it was with Switzerland, Sweden, Portugal, and Vatican City.
War wimps all: at the very best, they were good men who did nothing, in the Edmund Burke meaning of the phrase. In the case of Franco, I have reservations even on that concession.
There was only one moral and honorable course to take during WW-II, and thank God our ancestors took it. Franco, and the leaders of the countries you mention above, to their eternal shame, chose not to.
Sorry, I don’t agree with you on this, not even one little bit.