Spanish government pays homage to Hitler loyalists: once more, Spain is different

As already reported, the Spanish Government’s highest official in Catalonia recently paid homage to the “Blue Division”, a unit of the Wermacht. This did not lead to her firing or resignation, but instead Madrid has explicitly supported  Ms Maria de los Llanos de Luna. Many details have already been discussed in the press and the social media, but in order to understand how odd this is in the European context, we need to remember that the members of this unit made a personal, public, oath of allegiance to the Führer.

Thus, although this was Franco’s contribution to Hitler’s war in the East, together with economic cooperation and intelligence support, each soldier of the Wermacht’s 250^th division personally made an oath of loyalty to the German dictator. Therefore, we are not talking about a purely Spanish unit that may have taken part in the hostilities, but rather about a division fully integrated into the German Army. A look at their uniforms, for example, makes this clear.

Furthermore, when Franco finally decided to put some distance with the Nazi Regime, not all volunteers returned. The division was officially disbanded, but some 1,500 members chose to stay and fight side by side with the German Nazis to the end. They were quietly authorized to do so by the Franco Regime.

Thus, when the Spanish Government granted a diploma to the veterans of the 250^th Division, publicly praised them, and incorporated them into an official event, it was not just paying homage to a Spanish military unit. Rather, it was praising Hitler, his regime, and his armed forces, which brought destruction to all of Europe.  Needless to say, nothing like this would be possible in Germany or Austria. Spain, however, is once more “different”.

The ultimate problem  is not just the view of German history that Spanish leaders may have (and, before anybody accuses the ruling Popular Party, let us remember that similar events took place under Socialist administrations), but rather the way in which they approach certain questions. Faced with a referendum in Austria, Hitler chose to invade. He may well have won it, but he preferred to make sure, plus he never was in favor of giving people a choice. Similarly, faced with plans for a referendum in Catalonia, the Spanish Government is threatening to use force. No arguments, no debate, just force.

Thus, the time has come for Spain to stop praising Hitler and his war machine, and to stop reacting to referendum proposals in the same way as the Fuhrer. As the Austrian case makes clear, democracy and self-determination are two sides of the same coin. Destroy one, and you put an end to the other. In other words, the time has come for Spain to bury Franco, truly join the Allies, and embrace democracy. 

 

Alex Calvo is a Professor of International Relations and International Law, Head of the IR Department, and Postgraduate Research Director, European University (Barcelona Campus). An expert on Asian security and defence issues, he got his LLB from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, University of London) and is currently doing an MA in Second World War Studies at the University of Birmingham. He is a former teaching and research fellow at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan).