SPAIN

Why didn't we just invade from Spain?

1) Spain was neutral
2) Pyrenees

Salazar pressured Franco to stay neutral because he was sure the USA would intervene in time.

Why does it matter if they were neutral? Just get their permission to walk your army through. Or don't get permission, either way, it'd be a hell of a lot easier than a D-Day landing.

>Salazar
>Franco

WHO?

Spain at the time was under a fascist government that Germany and Italy helped prop up a couple years before World War II. Them being neutral was to the benefit of the allies.

Okay then why not invade through Portugal and then march into France?

Why not just invade France? Why add another 1,000 or so kilometers you'd need to advance through, with the rugged terrain you get in Eastern Spain?

France was, all things considered, a pretty soft target, and liberating it more quickly means the sooner you get French industry and agriculture away from the enemy and back on your side.

Hell, when I first saw this thread, I thought "We" was Germany and you were talking some post Fall of France get to Gibraltar thing; attacking Spain doesn't really accomplish any Allied strategic goals.

Threads over boys.

>Them being neutral was to the benefit of the allies.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
>TFW watching Hunting Hitler and the Germans were so using Spain as a bolt hole and pulling money and goods though them. The allies were pussies for not blowing Spain flat when they had the chance.

>we

What is this map? Hitler never had any plans to have control over finland after he'd won. There was nothing for him to gain by controlling that area. Contrary to ie. Norway which was essential for it's harbours and sea access.

>Pyrenees
How is the thread still going after the first reply pretty much nailing it?

just another wherhabo dream map...
>argelia

Because Franco was smart enough to see that the risk was not worth the reward.

>salazar
Portugese dictator

>franco
Spanish dictator

Germany had already anticipated that that possibility.

those are a real bitch to get across

>People actually think Germany controlled Hungaria, Romania, Finland, and Bulgaria
Lol

This, isnt a movie, faggot
They only invaded places they needed to
Alos your shitty map is musleading, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Finland werent conquered by the Germans, they were allied to them
Here's the real map, in dark blue German occupied lands

>implying

If a ragtag army at the end of the 18th century could do it, why not the wehrmacht?

Because the Soviets would have gotten to Paris first while the Americans are stuck in Spain with Based Franco guerrilla'ing their supply and communication lines in the rear and the Germans sitting on Festung Pyrenees in the forward.

Congrats, you just Napopoo yourself.

Could do what, that is just proving his point, the defenders were the french

>the defenders were the french

At the beginning
The war ended with the French occupying Northern Spain so the Pyrenees are crossable

Ofc they are crossables by the east and west coast

The Spanish population was heavily militarized, spanish military officials had more experience than the Nazis (Civil War, War of Morocco, World War I and coperation in certain anti-communist campaigns in Colombia) and absurd racial beliefs that the "Iberians" were Very brave for the testimonies about the blue division. Exactly the same reason why Sweden and Switzerland were not invaded.

In any case, it was stupid to try. Spain was supplying many weapons and volunteers to Germany.

>lol let's add even more fronts to this unwinnable war

I once played a game of Hearts of Iron trying to invade nazi europe with Spain not knowing the game very well and it was a disaster. I can only assume this is based on some sort of truth and in real life the generals noticed.

The choke point at the Pyrenees is wide enough to make good use of Germany's top notch mechanized mass infanty, which are well connected by modern supply lines paths from France. Yet the area is also mountainous enough that you can hold a good defensive position with massive amounts of troops.

>invade via a country that is neutral but supportative of your enemy

Yes, this is a great idea that totally wont result in Spain actively joining in the war on the Axis side and attacking your invasion force from behind.

>conquering such a worthless country as Spain
>just to open up more fronts for the inevitable allied invasion

It was a good thing they never took Spain or allied them.

An invasion that would be as pointless as the Italian campaign.

The war in Europe could have ended a year earlier if the British had not insisted on an invasion of a narrow, mountainous peninsula which ends with a mountainous neutral country. Seriously, how did Churchill think it would have succeeded? Even if they captured all of Italy, they would have to split up and go through the French and Austrian Alps before regrouping in Württemberg or Bavaria.