Ok how do I send units to help Nationalist Spain?

[Shireknight]

In HOI playing as Germany I definitely remember sending units to Spain to help in their civil war, I have just had the Spanish civil war event in HOI III but I can't see how to send units over there to gain combat experience.

The Manuel says that in order to send an expeditionary force to Spain I need to be allies with them but you can't form an alliance with them until they expect to be at war with someone, well they are at war with someone (Republican Spain) yet despite guaranteeing their independence I still can't offer them an alliance and I can't even declare war on Republican Spain and help Nationalist Spain via the back door either (in fact I can't declare war against anyone not even Austria or Czechoslovakia) -am I missing something obvious here?

 

[Kovax]

There's a diplomatic decision which provides a small number of extra units to Nat. Spain, but you don't get them back later. There are provisions in a few mods such as HPP to send volunteers and have them return after the war, but not in the vanilla game.

Normally, you use the Anschluss decision to lower your neutrality (generally available in early 1938, unless you make maximum use of spies supporting your equivalent political party to speed it up by a couple of months) followed by the Munich and 1st Vienna decisions (roughly 6 months and a year later, if you make even moderate use of spies to lower their National Unity). Declaring war outright against AUS or CZE doesn't give you "freebie" cores on the land and scripted extra manpower like the diplomatic events do. Using the events gives you 100% production and no revolt risk, whereas annexing them by force leaves you with "occupied" land that only provides 50% output, and Revolt Risk which lowers that output even more. Patience pays for GER, at least until after 1st Vienna.

 

[Shireknight]

Right got it ok I'll just play nice till 1939 and watch what happens for my first play-through -cheers again Kovax

 

[unmerged(760343)]

If republican spain wins, I would not advise invading spain. They don't have much mp or ic but the terrain, revolt risk and infastructure is horrible. Invasions in spain can bog down for months even if you have vast superiority due to those factors. Also, if you invade spain the allies will reinforce them from gibralter. Basically it becomes a big mp, supply and time suck that doesn't really yield you anything other than even more land to garrison and defend from naval landings.

 

[Forster]

True, but if you do it right, you can cut off those units from Gibraltar and possibly take it at the same time. Not possible against a player, unless asleep, of course.

 

[Oof]

In HOI playing as Germany I definitely remember sending units to Spain to help in their civil war, I have just had the Spanish civil war event in HOI III but I can't see how to send units over there to gain combat experience.

The Manuel says that in order to send an expeditionary force to Spain I need to be allies with them but you can't form an alliance with them until they expect to be at war with someone, well they are at war with someone (Republican Spain) yet despite guaranteeing their independence I still can't offer them an alliance and I can't even declare war on Republican Spain and help Nationalist Spain via the back door either (in fact I can't declare war against anyone not even Austria or Czechoslovakia) -am I missing something obvious here?

In TFH it’s no longer necessary to send units to Spain. IIRC you it’s impossible.

True, but if you do it right, you can cut off those units from Gibraltar and possibly take it at the same time. Not possible against a player, unless asleep, of course.

Spain is a pretty big risk to invade. Besides the possible MP problems, the IC cost of guarding an occupied Spain is high (in units and supply), it’s hard to defend against invasions and it raises your threat. While what you gain in IC and resources is minimal. And you do face the possible risk of an early DOW from the USSR. It’s my recommendation only to invade or invite Spain to the Axis, if you control the UK and have or are about to beat the USSR. Otherwise Spain is an even bigger risk as Italy!