Machiavelli would be proud of Franco for using others might to win the civil war and then stay neutral. But his help COULD have been a war winner. After all, closing allied operations in the med would have made things very difficult for the Allies...to say nothing for the Atlantic bases. And while Spain was ravaged by civil war their army at least had experience, if not up to date weaponry. They, with German and Italian help, could probably keep the Allies out. Plus, a seaborne invasion of Spain would be very unlikely. With the kriegsmarine prowling the waters, a version of Torch wouldnt happen. And Overlord used really small shortrange boats for the first waves of men that were launched from just the other side of the English Channel. Only Algeria could provide such an oppurtunity, and with the med under Axis control, thats a risky bet at best. Not to mention Spain is great defensive territory. It would have been a nightmare for the Western Allies to fight there, just like Italy. But it would require more men and equipment just to keep it stable.

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"If your gonna buy the angel s**t, you might as well go for the zombie package as well."
-George Carlin