A United Front

Just a sketch, comments are welcome and more wil follow.--Marcpasquin 02:22, 17 May 2005 (UTC)

Background
When the Spanish civil began, France was governed by the left wing Popular Front lead by Léon Bloom. Although he was quite sympatethic to the republican cause (both personnaly and as leader of the socialist party) he feared that giving in to the demand of the communist party for open support might endanger the coalition and potentialy even lead to a civil within france. Because of this (and to his regret) he was forced to adopt a policy of benevolent neutrality toward the spanish republic.

What if, however, something was to force his hand ? What if some right wing group attempt a coup or instead what if some left wingers create a situation whereby Blum cannot back down for fear of losing the left parties support ? The result would be a united front of the french and spanish republian force pushed against the rebels backed by italy and germany.

What you would have would be a zone composed of the north of spain and the western part of france under republican control, the south of spain under nationalists and the rest of france in open rebelion. The reich in 1936 was not prepared yet for war and so would not be as formidable an adversary as it would be later on. They might still attempt to seize alsace-lorraine with the help of local irredentists (french right-wingers were generaly favorable to catholic fascist but hostile to the nazi who they saw as "the old ennemy").

Other countries would adopt various position: UK and US would stay neutral, the USSR might still back the republicans (although the presence of france would lessen its influence) or it might fear a backlash and too adopt neutrality. If it went with the second, it might actualy help the propaganda campaign of the republicans to present themselves as democraties in peril and not part of a revolutionary movement. Poland might try to join up with the republicans (if only in spirit).