This week, seventy years ago, der Führer die Deutchland, Adolf Hitler, met El Caudillo de España, El Generalísimo Francisco Franco, in the French resort town of Hendaye on the Franco-Spanish Border.  Today, Hendaye is a town of 15,000 at the foot of the French side of the Pyrenees on the Côte de Basque.
    El Caudillo was accompanied by his brother-in-law, and Spanish Foreign Minister, Ramón Serrano Súñer.  The two arrived by train from Madrid.  Der Führer arrived at Hendaye at the appointed time of 4:00 p.m. on October 23, 1940 in his special train Amerika.  The German Foreign Minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, arrived in his own special train Heinrich. 
    Der Führer’s special train, Amerika, was pulled by two locomotives and contained two baggage cars, two dining cars, two Flakwagens armed with two anti-aircraft guns a piece, the Führerwagen command car, which included a conference room and a communication center, two dining cars, two guest cars, the Fuhrer’s bathing car, the press car, der Führer’s personal coach equipped with a drawing room about the size of three regular compartments, a sleeping birth and a bathroom.  In the drawing room there was an oblong table with eight chairs grouped around it.  The command coach was equipped with a long conference room dominated by a map table.  The communication room was in constant touch by teleprinter and regular telephone with Berlin. Crew, staff and bodyguards numbered about 100. The name of the train would be changed to Brandenberg, following the December 12, 1941 Declaration of War by the German Reich against the United States.
    Around midnight on October 20, 1940, the Amerika, and der Führer, left Berchtesgaden, on the first leg of an incredible journey that was to cover more than four thousand miles within a week, and include four conferences with the leaders of three countries.  These rail journeys drove the railway people crazy, since, for security purposes, the route was never announced in advance. Rather, an order would be issued, thirty minutes in advance, to clear the route of all traffic.
    The first stop was Montoire-sur-le-Loir, France.  At 6:30 p.m. on October 22nd the Amerika pulled into the station.  The Heinrich was already there.  A thick red carpet had been rolled out.  Anti-aircraft batteries had been stationed on surrounding hills.  At 7:00 p.m. Pierre Laval, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, arrived by car.  Der Führer told Laval that he wanted to discuss increased cooperation between France and the German Reich against the British.  Many Frenchmen were none too happy with the British, feeling that they had abandoned them during the Battle of France, and then turned on them by attacking the French Fleet at Mers el-Kebir, and again at Dakar.  Additionally, France was hoping to see the return of the 1,600,000 French soldiers being held in German POW camps, as well as some relief from the crushing reparations and the cost of the German occupation imposed by the Armistice. Hitler indicated that he would like to speak to the French Leader, the 84-year-old hero of World War I, Marshal Henri Philip Pétain. Laval agreed to arrange the meeting for the Amerika’s return trip.
    At 4:00 a.m. on October 23rd, the Amerika departed Montoire-sur-le-Loir for Hendaye on the Spanish border. There the German Führer was scheduled to meet with the Spanish Caudillo. The purpose of this meeting was to call in Germany’s chip.  Without German aid, Franco’s revolt would have died aborning. When the revolt began, Franco, and the bulk of the soldiers loyal to him, were in Spanish Morocco, with no way to get from Morocco to mainland Spain.  An appeal to der Führer produced German transport planes to transport Franco and his soldiers to the mainland.  Further aid included the Condor Legion, which insured Franco’s Nationalist forces of air superiority, as well as a tank detachment and German officers to instruct in armored tactics.  Although Fascist Italy had supplied far more men, at greater financial cost, to the Nationalist cause than Nazi Germany, it was the quality and the timeliness of the German aid that insured a Nationalist victory. 
    Now, the German Führer wanted this debt paid by having Spain enter the war, and between the two countries, the elimination of the British Outpost at Gibraltar.  This would effectively close the Mediterranean to the British and seriously imperil their hold on Egypt and the Suez Canal.  An incidental bonus would be the addition of the Spanish Fleet to the already powerful Regia Marina Italiana.  If France could be enticed to enter this coalition, what was left of the French Fleet, combined with the Italian and Spanish Fleets, would give the Axis naval superiority in the Mediterranean.
    At 4:30 p.m. the train carrying the Spanish Caudillo and his Foreign Minister, Ramón Serrano Súñer, arrived, a half hour late. Der Führer was waiting on the platform as the Spanish train arrived. He greeted the Spanish Caudillo as he alighted from his train and invited him to review the Honor Guard, which had been assembled.  Then the parties withdrew to the Drawing Room of the Amerika.  When asked to join the Axis, El Generalísimo agreed - but with conditions. Many conditions!  It was a classic “yes, but.”  Franco’s Spain had just undergone three years of a horrific civil war, which claimed the lives of over half a million and much of the country’s treasure.  In fact, all of Spain’s gold - more than five hundred fifty million dollars’ worth - had been shipped to the Soviet Union - for safe keeping - and, as predicted by Stalin upon its arrival in Moscow, was never seen by Spain again. Franco and Súñer knew that Spain needed time to recover before entering any further military ventures. The arms, munitions, food, territory and supplies that the two demanded as a condition of Spain’s entry into the war were impossible for the German Reich to accommodate. In addition, the two Spaniards demanded some of the French colonies, which Hitler couldn’t give, without alienating the French. The talks continued late into the evening, when dinner was served.  Although the Spaniards were scheduled to leave after dinner, Hitler tried again. Finally, at 2:15 a.m. the Spanish train left Hendaye as the Spanish National Anthem was played - with no agreement. 
    Furious that his trip to Hendaye, and discussions, had arrived at naut, Hitler returned to Montoire-sur-le-Loir on October 24th, arriving at 3:30 in the afternoon.  He labeled Señor Suñer as that “Jesuit Swine” and referred to the Spaniards’, “...misplaced sense of pride.”  He said that with him, “Franco would not even have become a minor party official!” 
    Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop had remained in Hendaye for another round of talks with the Spanish, and he arrived at Montoire-sur-le-Loir by plane. Now he was also furious because the Spanish Foreign Minister did not attend the meeting which they had arranged.  Instead he sent a junior official. Hitler later told the Italian Duce that he, “...would rather have three or four teeth extracted than go through that again!”
    At the request of the German Führer, the Spanish Caudillo met with the Italian Duce in Bordighera, on the Italian side of the French-Italian border, on February 12, 1941, in a final attempt to convince the Spanish Caudillo to bring his country into the war. By that time, the Italians had lost the eastern half of Libya, the Royal Naval had administered a devastating blow to the Regia Marina Italiana at Taranto and the Greeks had repulsed the Italian invasion and occupied part of Italian-controlled Albania, and Mussolini’s heart wasn’t in it. At the meeting, Franco asked, “Duce, if you could get out of this war, would you?”  Mussolini raised his arms and replied, “If only I could!”
    At 6:00 p.m., on October 24, 1940, Marshal Henri Philip Pétain, accompanied by French Foreign Minister Laval, arrived at Montoire-sur-le-Loir by car. Marshal Pétain was greeted, by an Honor Guard headed by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, as the “Victor of Verdun,” referring to the famous WWI battle between the French and Germans. Although the old Marshal confirmed his country’s readiness to collaborate with the German Reich, he said that he would have to consult with his government for anything more specific.  There would be no Declaration of War against Great Britain by France either. Nor would France allow Germany access to French North Africa. Conversely, the POWs remained in the German camps and the payments to Germany continued. At 7:45 p.m., Hitler accompanied the Marshal back to his car while the Honor Guard presented arms. The two never met again. 
    Afterwards, Hitler’s interpreter, Dr. Paul Schmidt, wrote, “I am inclined to regard the ‘Victor of Verdun’ the winner in the duel of diplomacy at Montoire.”
    The Amerika remained at Montoire-sur-le-Loir that evening.  While there, a letter arrived from the Italian Duce. It said, among other things, “As far as Greece is concerned, I am determined to act without hesitation - in fact, act very rapidly indeed.” Hitler was concerned that the Italians might do something rash - like attack Greece, about which Mussolini had been warned! Hitler instructed the German Foreign Minister to contact his Italian counterpart, who was also Mussolini’s son-in-law, Count Galeazzo Ciano, to arrange a meeting between the German Führer and the Italian Duce. 
    Early Friday morning, on the 25th of October, von Ribbentrop advised der Führer that, “I just spoke with Count Ciano on the phone and told him der Führer would very much like to speak with the Duce.” Early next morning, Count Ciano put this to the Duce and responded to the German Foreign Minister that the Italian leader, “...would be happy to welcome der Führer... on Monday in Florence.” With that, the Amerika departed Montoire-sur-le-Loir for Munich, arriving late on Saturday.  At 6:00 a.m. on Monday morning, October 28th, the Amerika departed Munich, bound for Florence.
NEXT WEEK: THE GREEK DAY OF “NO!”
Mr. Wimbrow writes from Ocean City, Maryland, where he practices law representing those persons accused of criminal and traffic offenses, and those persons who have suffered a personal injury through no fault of their own.