Could a Franco-ist Spain have joined the Falklands War?

Thande · Feb 6, 2007

Odd thought I had. If I'm talking out of my ASB then just say so,

but -

What if General Franco's Spain had endured to 1982 (presumably under some like-minded and equally powerful successor, as it's asking a bit much for him to last that long) and entered the Falklands War?

The most obvious motivation being that, while most of the Royal Navy is off fighting Argentina, it's the best opportunity in years for Spain to take back Gibraltar.

Thoughts?

Tyr · Feb 6, 2007

IIRC someone did a pretty good timeline about this not so long ago.
Forgot who it was and what it was called though.

Long story short- Gibralter put under siege, British army in Germany races to Spain and overthrows Franco.

Shadow Knight · Feb 6, 2007

Maybe if you could tie this into China grabbing Hong Kong, maybe France grabbing the channel islands (or not but if the British pie is up for grabs who else might try to take a slice?)...

Fellatio Nelson · Feb 6, 2007

Thande said:
Odd thought I had. If I'm talking out of my ASB then just say so, but -

What if General Franco's Spain had endured to 1982 (presumably under some like-minded and equally powerful successor, as it's asking a bit much for him to last that long) and entered the Falklands War?

The most obvious motivation being that, while most of the Royal Navy is off fighting Argentina, it's the best opportunity in years for Spain to take back Gibraltar.

Thoughts?

And bout half the USN was based in Spain during the Cold War period. Might prove tricky if they objected.

Tyr · Feb 6, 2007

Shadow Knight said:
Maybe if you could tie this into China grabbing Hong Kong, maybe France grabbing the channel islands (or not but if the British pie is up for grabs who else might try to take a slice?)...

France going for the channel islands is just nutty and would never happen.
China...it would require a big POD and lots of ifs and buts with a British leader deciding to reign on our deal to give it back.
But that would be bigger then China invading HK, it'd be WW3.

MrP · Feb 6, 2007

Well, according to what I understand, the British redeployment to the South Atlantic forced NATO's European forces to go on full alert, as Britain had pulled out so many units that NATO was now below spec in case of Russian invasion. I'd expect Britain to invoke the self-defence clause to defend Gibraltar.

Alcuin · Feb 6, 2007

Thande said:
Odd thought I had. If I'm talking out of my ASB then just say so, but -

What if General Franco's Spain had endured to 1982 (presumably under some like-minded and equally powerful successor, as it's asking a bit much for him to last that long) and entered the Falklands War?

The most obvious motivation being that, while most of the Royal Navy is off fighting Argentina, it's the best opportunity in years for Spain to take back Gibraltar.

Thoughts?

First thought it to remember that Franco had nominated Juan Carlos as his successor and the King had immediately declared himself a constitutional monarch so you'd need to change the personalities of both Frnaco and Juan Carlos.

If despite that it had happened, Britain would get the only opportunity it could ever have to use its nuclear weapons. (probably against somewhere in Southern Argentina)

OperationGreen · Feb 6, 2007

Alcuin said:
First thought it to remember that Franco had nominated Juan Carlos as his successor and the King had immediately declared himself a constitutional monarch so you'd need to change the personalities of both Frnaco and Juan Carlos.

If despite that it had happened, Britain would get the only opportunity it could ever have to use its nuclear weapons. (probably against somewhere in Southern Argentina)

This Man could object to the King getting the Succession
Luis Carrero Blanco
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Carrero_Blanco

Lets say he isn't killed and Continues Franco's regime,Now hes no spring chicken but maybe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Arias_Navarro.

However wasn't it so that Churchill paid a lot of money to Franco and his top Generals to Keep Gibraltar off the table from 1940 on-wards?