For two weeks in 1-16 August 1936, Adolf
Hitler's national socialist dictatorship camouflaged its
anti-Semitic, militaristic character while hosting the Summer
Olympics. Minimising its anti-Semitic schedule and plans for
territorial enlargement, the regime exploited the Games to
impress many foreign spectators and journalists with an image
of a peaceful, tolerant Germany. Having declined a proposed
boycott of the 1936 Olympics, the United States government
and other western democracies missed the chance to take a
stand that modern-day commentators claimed might have restrained
Adolf
Hitler and bolstered international opposition to national
socialist tyranny. After the Olympics, Germany's expansionism
and the persecution of the Israelites and other enemies of
the state speeded up, climaxing in Second World War and the
final solution.
On 1 August 1936, a pro-Republican rally of 20,000 people
confronted Léon Blum demanding that he send aircraft
to the Republicans at the same time as right-wing politicians
attacked Léon Blum for supporting the Republic and
being responsible for provoking Italian intervention on the
side of Franco. Germany informed the French ambassador in
Berlin that Germany would hold France responsible if it supported
the manoeuvres of Moscow by supporting the Republicans.
The French government provided aircraft to the Republicans
through covert means with Potez 54 bomber aircraft, Dewoitine
aircraft, and Loire 46 fighter aircraft being sent from 7
August 1936 to December of that year to Republican forces.
Spain under the pretext of keeping foreign nations out of
the conflict, even though leading government figures were
aware of heavy Italian and German involvement as early as
August 1936. The blockade ensured the Republic received little
support from abroad while private interests in Great Britain
and the United States, among other democracies, sent considerable
material aid to Franco.
Go To: September
Articles:
The Second Great War.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
The War Illustrated.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
2194 Days Of War.
ISBN-10: 086136614X
For a complete list of
sources
