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I quite enjoyed the unbiased account of Franco written by Paul R. Johnson in his great book "Modern Times." Whereas most of the Gramscian history books used to teach in government schools since WW-2 depict Franco as having been a Fascist or Nazi, Johnson's account made it clear that he was essentially neutral in WW-2 and the only thing he had in common with Musolini (and less so with Hitler) was concern about the power of the USSR. He was indeed a great anti Communist. I have often wondered about what would have happened if the USA had, instead of giving a wink and nod to the *COMMUNISTS* from here who went to Spain to fight against Franco in the Spanish Civil War, banned these Red Brigades and instead helped Franco to overcome the Stalinists. I have to beleive that Franco would have been our friend and given Hitler and Musolini a somewhat cold shoulder. If we could have succeeded at that, imagine the surprise of both Hitler and Stalin about a US invasion of Europe via Spain in 1940. I love thinking through alternate endings - it helps me to smell irrational, utopian driven, sad excuses for geopolitical strategy in the current era.

You are correct that Franco was neutral during World War Two. Spain was never one of the Axis powers. Unlike Mussolini, Franco did not invade any member state of the League of Nations (as Italy did to Ethiopia, Greece and Albania).

And you forgot to mention that, after D-day, Spain did allow the allied powers permission to stage attacks against the Germans from Spanish territory.

Franco and the Falange prevented Spain from being taken over like Tsarist Russia, and the massacre of millions by the "Republican" Spanish communists, was averted. For that act, Franco and the Falange have never been forgiven by the world's "progressives".

"....what would have happened if the USA had, instead of giving a wink and nod to the *COMMUNISTS* from here who went to Spain to fight against Franco in the Spanish Civil War, banned these Red Brigades and instead helped Franco to overcome the Stalinists...."

I agree with your assessment.

.......and I wonder how much the Kommies in the Roosevelt Administration's State Dept had to do with the US's selection of 'sides'/'friends'/'allies'/'enemies' at that time. I'm sure they guided the US into a harder stance against Franco by whispering in that (FDR) senile idiot's ear