9. The Spanish Civil War as a Weapons and Tactics Proving Ground
The Spanish Civil War became a proving ground for German weapons and tactics. The opposing Republican forces became de facto guinea pigs upon whom the Germans experimented and worked out how to best coordinate their air, armor, and infantry forces. The result was witnessed soon after the guns fell silent in Spain, in the devastating German blitzkrieg that overran much of Europe early in WWII. As to the Condor Legion, its most notorious action occurred in April, 1937, in the Basque region of northern Spain. Fighting, which began there on April 20th, was going badly for the Basque defenders. Between the aerial superiority of the Condor Legion, and the incompetence and indiscipline of the Republican side, their front was on the verge of collapse. They were only saved by the hesitancy of the fascist Spanish commanders, who failed to seize the moment and finish off their reeling foes.
