Page 137 - The Chief Culprit
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Spain
All the peoples who fall under the “protection” of victorious Germany will also become
our allies. We will have a broad field of action for development of the world revolution.
—J S, P
P C C, A ,
n July 18, 1936, the radio station of the city of Ceuta (then in Spanish Morocco)
transmitted several times the code phrase: “ e skies above all of Spain are clear.”
O is was the signal to begin the militant uprising against the Spanish Republic.
General José Sanjurjo was at the head of the uprising, and after his death the position was
taken over by General Francisco Franco. At the beginning, the troops located in the colo-
nies provided support to the uprising. e militants had to transport these troops quickly
from North Africa to Spain. Hitler came to General Franco’s aid. He allocated twenty Ju-52
military-transport airplanes, which for almost three months made continuous trips from
Morocco to Spain and back. “Between July 28, 1936, and the end of August of the same
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year, the three-engine Junker Ju-52 aircraft transferred a total of 7,350 soldiers and officers,
as well as some artillery units and machine guns, from Africa to Spain. e planes made 461
flights, often with over-limit cargo. An additional 5,455 troops were transferred during 324
such flights in September; then 1,157 more troops during 83 flights in October. Later on,
Hitler noted that “Franco needs to erect a monument, honoring the Ju-52 as the aircraft,
responsible for his victory in Spain.” is was the first mass transport of troops by air in
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history. is air bridge saved the uprising in its most critical early stage. After this, military
units of the Spanish army began coming to Franco’s side. “Eighty percent of the armed forc-
es—120,000 soldiers and officers and a significant part of the civilian guard—found them-
selves on the side of the uprising.” General Franco was aided by the dictators of Germany,
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Italy, and Portugal—Hitler, Mussolini, and Salazar. Fifty thousand German, 150,000 Italian,
20,000 Portuguese, and 90,000 Moroccan soldiers and officers fought on General Franco’s
side. Foreign aid to General Franco amounted to 2,700 guns, 1,150 tanks and armored cars,
and 1,650 airplanes. 4
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