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MADRID, August 15, 1940
Chief of State and Generalissimo
of the Spanish Army
DEAR DUCE:
Since the beginning of the
present conflict, it has been
our intention to make the
greatest efforts in our
preparations, in order to enter
the foreign war at a favorable
opportunity in proportion to the
means at our disposal, since the
lack of the most vital
provisions and the interruption
of communications with Italy and
Germany hindered every operation
at the moment.
The rapid and devastating
victories in Flanders altered
the situation; the defeat of
France liberated our frontiers,
lessening the grave tension
which we along with our
Moroccans have been bearing
since our Civil War.
From this moment, our horizon
became brighter, our operation
became possible and could become
very effective, once the
difficulties of provisioning
have been removed.
In this manner, upon the entry
of your Nation into the war, we
had to take a clearer stand, one
of alertness, changing to one of
non-belligerency, which, in the
field of foreign affairs, could
not fail to have great
repercussions. This awakened
jealousy and opposition, and
unleashed an Anglo-American
offensive against our
provisioning, aggravated in
these days by the new measures
taken by the United States
against our exports, and by the
English blockade measures,
causing grave tension in our
relations with those countries.
The consequences, which the
conquest of France is to have
for the reorganization of the
North African territories have
made it advisable for me, now
that the time has come, to
charge my Ambassador in Rome
with transmitting to Your
Excellency the Spanish
aspirations and claims
traditionally maintained
throughout our history in the
foreign policy of Spain, today
more alive than ever in our
consciousness ; to territories,
whose present administration is
a consequence of that Franco-English
policy of domination and
exploitation, of which Italy
also bears so many scars. To the
legitimate Spanish aspirations
are added in this case the
requirements for security
necessitating the elimination of
a weak and thinly protected
frontier, and the assuring of
our communications with the
Canary Island group.
In this manner, Spain in
addition to the contribution
which she made to the
establishment of the New Order,
through our years of hard
struggle, offers another in
preparing herself to take her
place in the struggle against
the common enemies.
In this sense, we have requested
from Germany the necessities for
action, while we push forward
the preparations and make every
effort to better the
provisioning situation as far as
possible.
For all these reasons, you will
understand the urgency in
writing you, to ask your
solidarity in these aspirations
for the achievement of our
security and greatness, while I
at the same time assure you of
our unconditional support for
your expansion and your future.
With my greatest admiration for
the brave Italian comrades who
are fighting so gloriously, I
send you my most cordial regards.
F. FRANCO
To His Excellency
Senor BENITO MUSSOLINI
Head of the Italian Government
Italy.
The Chief of Government and Duce
of Fascism
ROME, August 25, 1940
To the Head of the Spanish
Government
Generalissimo Don FRANCISCO
FRANCO BAHAMONDE
MADRID.
DEAR FRANCO!
I thank you for the letter which
you have sent me, and in which
you sketch the position of Spain
in the present stage of the war.
I should like to make it clear
to you at once, that your letter
has not surprised me.
Ever since the outbreak of the
war I have been constantly of
the opinion that "your" Spain,
the Spain of the Falange
Revolution, could not remain
neutral until the end of the war,
but at the right moment would
change to non-belligerency and
finally to intervention.
Should that not happen, Spain
would alienate herself from
European history, especially the
history of the future, which the
two victorious Axis powers will
determine.
Furthermore, she would have no
moral justification for the
solution of her African
questions, and, let me say to
you, a victorious revolution
must set itself extreme goals of
an international type, such
goals, therefore, as can, at a
given moment, require the
complete attention and the total
effort of a people.
It is clear to me that Spain,
after three years of civil war,
needed a long period of
recuperation, but events will
not permit it, and your domestic
economic condition will not get
worse when you change from non-belligerency
to intervention.
I should like to say to you,
dear Franco, that I, with these
my practical considerations, do
not wish to hasten you in the
least in the decision that you
have to make, for I am sure that
in your decisions you will
proceed on the basis of the
protection of the vital
interests of your people and am
just as certain that you will
not let this opportunity go by
of giving Spain her African
Lebensraum.
There is no doubt that after
France, Great Britain will be
defeated; the British regime
exists only on one single
element: the lie.
I certainly do not need to tell
you that you, in your
aspirations, can count on the
full solidarity of Fascist Italy.
I beg you, dear Franco, to
accept my most cordial and
comradely greetings.
MUSSOLINI
Article Courtesy: Eddy Cassin
via Avalon Project
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