The armed struggle against fascism in Europe can be said to have begun in the Spanish civil war, in which a fascist military junta failed an attempt of a coup against the democratically elected republican government in 1936, event which triggered the war between republicans and loyalists. This conflict became a testing ground for a war against fascism in Europe, as the second world war would erupt just a few years afterwards. It's well known that the fascist loyalist enjoyed the economic and military support of Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, while France and England adopted an isolationist, non-interventionist policy, and the USSR being the main way for the republican side to secure armament to fight fascism in their soil. What isn't so well known, are the ways in which the US enabled the fascists to enact their brutal civil war that plunged Spain into more than three decades of ruthless dictatorship.
The US, while in theory agreed to a non-interventionist policy, had no problem allowing oil companies to profit from the conflict, with Shell or Texaco selling or even loaning immense amounts of oil to the fascists for their economy and military, without which the war may have not turned in their favour. The only punishment imposed on Texaco for their behaviour on the war, was simply a ridiculous fine of $22,000, but it was allowed to continue the loans and trades, to the point of the Texaco CEO being bestowed with the Cross of the Order of Elisabeth the Catholic after the war concluded, one of the biggest (doubtful) honours that the fascist regime could grant to anyone.
In its effort to undermine socialism around the world, the US didn't have any problem setting up military bases in fascist Spain to secure control of the strategically important Gibraltar strait with a navy base in Rota, and three other air bases created in the country during fascism. It is now clear that any leader, regardless of how oppressive, authoritarian or fascist it may be, was welcome in the US military empire as long as it proved to be a reliable ally against worker organzation and socialism. While the US wasn't the only country supporting the fascists in their coup and civil war against a democratically elected government, we often forget about the role of capital in the development of ideological conflicts.
