The Spanish support for the Third Reich in the Second World War: New considerations about the Etappenorganisation

Abstract

The goal of this article is to study the great Spain-Portugal supply area as part of the international deployment of the Etappenorganisation before and during the Second World War. To accomplish this objective, the records of the German Naval War Command are analysed to demonstrate three hypotheses: Spain was part of the Etappenorganisation long before the beginning of the war; she played an important role in the preparation of supply vessels and blockade runners, supported by Spanish non-belligerence; the dismantling of the Etappenorganisation in Spain provisionally began in 1942 and continued in the following years.