Argentina
Argentina is a close trading partner of Germany, and the Germans have completely controlled the country's heavy industry and some agricultural product processing industries. Air Argentina became a subsidiary of Lufthansa. The German Trans-Ocean Association ships transport passengers and cargo across the ocean, maintaining contact with German submarines cruising on the coast of South America. And provide everything you need for German submarine warfare : fuel, food, medicine and spare parts. The Nazi formed more than 100 shell companies in Argentina, and used these companies to withdraw some of the empires gold reserves and huge funds from Europe. By 1945, Argentina's gold reserves had increased from 346 tons to 1,170 tons.
On March 27, 1945, under international pressure, declared war on Germany and Japan, but Argentina never sent a soldier to the front line, but only sent its cruiser to search for submarines left in the South Atlantic after Germany surrendered, as well as German scientists Waynech von Braun.
After the war, the Nazis went to Argentina by collecting their passports at the Roman Red Cross office. Therefore, many famous Nazis appeared in Argentina: Emil Devatin, Kurt Tank, Remar Hotten, Adolf Eichmann , Joseph Menger
Attin fascists march
Afghanistan
Afghanistan government announced its neutrality policy after Germany attacked the Soviet Union. However, this neutrality is virtuous. Members of the Afghan government all believe that the Red Army cannot resist the "invincible German machine" for a long time and hope to take advantage of the possible victory of Germany. Thanks to the king's cousin Mohamed Daoud Khan, the Nazis not only successfully dominated the Afghan economy before the war, but also reorganized the Afghan army in the German model. Kabul plans to take active action against the Soviet Union after the German occupation of Moscow and Leningrad. Not wanting to disclose his intentions, Mohammed was limited to secretly ordering the stockpile of horses, food and preparation for war against the Soviet Union.
The United Kingdom and the Soviet Union worked closely together to make a request to the Afghan government to expel all German agents whose activities pose a threat to the interests of allies and violated the 1931 Soviet-Australian Neutral and Non-aggression Treaty. The Allies used various economic and political pressures to force the Afghan government to accept its demands. The Soviet Union detained Afghan goods purchased by Afghanistan from Germany, while the United Kingdom launched a propaganda and public opinion war against the Afghan royal family. As a result, in just two days, all German subjects were expelled from the country. The price was that the British government bribed the king's cousin 25 million US dollars
In July 1942, when the Germans fought in the Caucasus, the Afghan authorities again called for preparations for war against the Soviet Union because they believed that "there were no guards at all on the Soviet border, only women." Afghans have repeatedly put forward suggestions on political and military cooperation with Germany. Germany forced the Afghan government to change its direction after the defeat of Stalingrad and Kursk, and with the efforts of British and Soviet diplomats and intelligence personnel, Afghanistan was maintained within the neutral scope of the statement.
Mohamed Hashim Khan served as Prime Minister of Afghanistan from 1929 to 1946.
Vatican
According to the Treaty of Rutland in 1929, Italy recognizes the sovereignty of the Vatican. By 1939, 38 countries had established diplomatic relations with the Vatican and recognized the Vatican's neutrality. On the eve of the outbreak of World War II, the then head of state, Pope Pius XII, adopted the appeasement policy against Hitler , and did not oppose the Nazi expedition. Even after Germany and the Soviet Union occupied Poland , he still believed that World War would end there. It was not until the Holocaust began that the Pope had an epiphany—he publicly condemned the Holocaust. During the war, the pope called on people to give love, mercy and sympathy to the "disharmonious flood" and approved the resistance movement. But most importantly, the Pope was concerned that the Allies bombed Rome during the German occupation.
"Routland Agreement"
soldiers of the National Wehrmacht and the Pope's Guard. Rome, 1942
Iran
Iran maintains close economic relations with Germany.Nearly 1,000 German experts are employed, who hold key positions in the country's economy and management. The British began to accuse Iran of supporting the Third Reich and pursuing a pro-German policy. Iran has huge interests in the British economy, and Britain is worried that Persian oil company's Abadan refinery will fall into the hands of the Germans. But the Shah government of Iran rejected the demands of the anti-Hitler coalition and rejected the demands of expelling German workers and diplomats. For the Soviet Union, pro-Germany Iran was a threat to the Caucasus oil-producing zone.
In this case, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union carried out a joint military occupation of Iran. In September 1941, British troops were introduced to southern Iran and Soviet troops entered the north. The Iranian king was forced to abdicate and instead supported his son, Mohamed Reza Pahlavi. German agents in Iran were wiped out by British and Soviet intelligence forces. On January 29, 1942, the Soviet Union, Britain and Iran signed a coalition treaty in Tehran , which stipulated that allies respect Iran's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence in order to defend Iran from aggression by Germany and other major powers. For this reason, the Soviet Union and Britain had the right to maintain their armed forces in Iran until six months after the end of the war. Under this agreement, the delivery of military equipment and materials to the Soviet Union through Iran was organized. On September 9, 1943, Iran officially declared war on Germany, but the Iranian army did not participate in the hostilities. Therefore, Iran not only lost its status as a neutral country in , but also became a participant in the war.
Soviet troops in Tabriz, Iran. September 1941
A British logistics transport convoy accompanied by Soviet BA-10 armored vehicles. Iran, September 1941
American aircraft provided under the lease plan is waiting for transfer to the Soviet Union at Abadan Airport. Iran, in 1942, the president of Ireland determined that Ireland was a non-believer country, but was in crisis due to the war, and on September 3, emergency legislation was promulgated. It restricts the rights of the people, imposes curfews, increases police forces, forcibly reclaim land, freezes wages, restricts union activities, and strengthens censorship. Although Ireland remains neutral, it provides indirect assistance to allies, working with intelligence agencies in the United States and Britain to provide air access to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, detain German prisoners of war, provide meteorological reports to allies, and serve as a food base for Britain. The Irish Volunteers also served in the British army and worked in British factories. During the war, Ireland suffered several attacks by German aircraft, as well as by the Irish fleet. Therefore, Ireland's neutral status is a very conditional position, closer to an indirect war participant than a neutral country,
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Irish Prime Minister Emon de Valera.
Spanish
1939 On September 4, 1939, the dictator Franco signed a neutral decree, but on June 12, 1940, neutral status was replaced by the "non-believer" status. In June 1941, a volunteer "Blue Division" composed of supporters of the ruling party Spanish phalanx fought against the Soviet Union in Germany, including blockade of Leningrad. About 45,000 Spanish passed her troops. In July 1943, Spain declared neutrality again. On October 20, 1943, Franco decided to withdraw from the Blue Division from the front line and disband the division. However, the division caused a lot of trouble to the Red Army. In order to revenge Franco, Stalin asked the Allies to occupy Spain at the Potsdam Conference . Truman and Churchill successfully defended Spain's independence, but regarding the trade embargo, it has to be agreed, which will put Spain in the years of economic crisis.
soldiers of the Eastern Front "Blue Division" 1942
Portugal
1939 In September 1939, Portugal officially announced neutrality.
Portugal's foreign economic platform is based on a 600-year-old British-Portuguese alliance that guarantees its protection of overseas territories: Angola , Cape Verde, Portuguese Guinea, Portuguese India, Macau, Mozambique , Sao Tome and Principe, Portuguese Timor.In 1943, Portugal leased the base for the Azores to Britain, allowing the Allies to provide air cover in the gaps between the Atlantic Ocean, helping them chase the submarines and protect the escort.
1939-1942 in Portuguese India, Goa, there were German merchant ships taking advantage of the neutrality of the colonies to guide German submarines to the Allied caravans through radio. In order not to violate Portugal's neutrality, in March 1943, the British formed a group of mercenaries , destroying the enemy ships.
Throughout the war, Portugal traded and credited on a pound basis, rather than settled in gold. By early 1945, the British owed Portugal $322 million. Until 1944, Portugal sold strategic raw materials from the Axis and Allies - tungsten, with equal proportions. It should be noted that despite Portugal's neutrality, in 1944, the Allies began to put pressure on Salazar to cut off the supply of tungsten to Germany. Salazar imposed a full embargo on the tungsten trade due to concerns about the German naval blockade, causing about 100,000 Portuguese workers to lose their jobs.
Since 1940, Portugal has been organizing European refugee centers, which helped 100,000 to 1 million foreigners (including Jews ) leave Europe. During the war, Lisbon was called the "Spy Capital". Meanwhile, PIDE (Portuguese Secret Police ) maintains a neutral stance on foreign espionage until Portugal’s domestic politics is interfered with. Overall, Portugal survived the war without any damage, but rather greatly increased its national wealth. Portugal provided trade services to allies and Axis powers, and its gold reserves increased from $63 million in 1938 to $438 million in 1946. After the war, unlike Spain, it escaped isolation and, under the famous Marshall Plan, received American aid.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia cut off diplomatic contact with Germany on September 11, 1939, and in October 1941, it cut off diplomatic contact with Japan. Although Saudi Arabia is officially neutral, it provides a large amount of oil reserves for the Allies. Diplomatic relations with the United States were established in 1943. King Abdul Aziz Saudi is a personal friend of Franklin Roosevelt. The Americans were then allowed to build an air force base near Dharam. On February 28, 1945, Saudi Arabia declared war on Germany, and on April 1, 1945, Saudi Arabia declared war on Japan.
US
Many people will be surprised to see that the United States is on the list of neutral countries. However, this is a historical fact.
When Europe was threatened by the imminent war between the fascist countries, Congress hurried to prepare a draft neutral bill , under which the United States refused not only to join the belligerent countries, but also to provide them with any material aid, including weapons and money.
Franklin Roosevelt also understood that if he proposed a war, he might not be re-elected as the third president, because Americans felt it was unnecessary to get involved in the war. So by the beginning of World War II, the German Command was also relieved of the low level of combat readiness, outdated weapons of the U.S. military. However, senior U.S. government officials are actively discussing the benefits of the United States' participation in the war. Secretary of Defense Stinson wrote in his diary: "It would be great if Germany attacked us by themselves.
After Hitler launched the war, he passed a new military budget, accelerating the development of new weapons and military equipment. The United States has great industrial potential and soon produced military products ahead of European countries. Until 1940, the United States strictly abides by neutrality, limited to severe criticism of Germany and its allies, avoiding open conflicts with German and Japanese submarines, and insisting on a trade embargo with warring Europe.
At that time, Britain had realized that it needed the help of the United States to fully repel Germany, and Winston Churchill was determined to involve the United States in the war. He asked Roosevelt to provide material military aid to Britain. , about 50 old destroyers and hundreds of aircraft. Roosevelt sought to amend the Neutrality Act, and in September 1940, aid arrived on the coast of England.It was not just an act of goodwill, but a real trade, and in return, the United States gained the right to 8 military bases on British territory for a period of 99 years. When trade quarantine was broken, the United States was only one step away from joining the war.
sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. December 7, 1941
Turkey
Türkiye has traditionally tended to Germany. Since October 1939, Turkish has officially taken a neutral position. Although Türkiye has signed peace treaties with both the Soviet Union and Germany, neither side believes it.
Turkey announced twice that it would mobilize its troops and concentrate on the border with the Soviet Union. On the eve of Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, Stalin absolutely believed that if Germany won the victory in Stalingrad, the Turks would join the Axis powers and join the war with the Soviet Union. Throughout the war, the Turks carefully monitored all military operations battlefields and focused on the strongest side and stood with it.
Türkiye provided Germany with chromium, copper, cast iron and food, which greatly angered the Allies. In June 1944, Türkiye allowed two German warships to enter Black Sea , which aroused the anger of the Allies. This neutrality of Türkiye caused the Soviet Union to pay a high price. The Soviet Union was forced to retain a force in the Transcaucasus, and another reversal of Türkiye's policy. The Turkey-Germany Treaty of Friendship was signed on June 18, 1941.
Swiss
Swiss Bank was built with German gold mined in countries occupied by Germany and stored in secret vaults in the Swiss Alps. During the
War, Switzerland received 10 million tons of coal from Germany, accounting for 41% of the country's demand. Most of the weapons of the Swiss army came from Germany. The Germans provide oil and food. Germans and Italians were allowed to transit any cargo by rail and air, even by transport of prisoners of war.
Swiss Bank accepts the purge of items plundered by the Germans in the occupied state (gold, including gold jewelry, gold crowns, glasses frames, paintings, historical relics, etc. taken from destroyed prisoners). Starting in 1934, after checking accounts at Swiss banks, they found $2.5 billion worth of Nazi gold. Germany's supply of Swiss industrial products is also calculated in gold value: machines, weapons, torpedo guidance systems, tools, bearings, watches, lighters, medicines, chemical raw materials... Exports to Germany and Italy account for 45% of the total exports. Swiss banks also opened thousands of accounts for Germans, where they stored stolen goods. Swiss banks pay third countries the cost of shipping goods to Germany.
During the war, approximately 2,200 Swiss citizens volunteered in the Wehrmacht and SS. According to a secret agreement with German Wehrmacht , Switzerland sent several medical regiments to the German-Soviet front. It is also confirmed that Swiss companies have been involved in German businesses using prisoners of war labor.
The wedding ring taken from Buchenwald concentration camp was melted.
Goebbels, the president of the Imperial Bank and the head of SS Orendorf to ingots smelted with golden crowns and dead concentration camp prisoners.
With such gold, the Nazis paid in Swiss banks.
Sweden
1939 On September 1, Swedish Prime Minister Albin Hansong declared Sweden a neutral country. In November 1939, after the outbreak of the winter war between and the Soviet Union, Sweden announced that there was no war, but in fact it had become a major ally of Finland. It helped Finland economically and weaponically. Sweden and Finland jointly deploy minefields in the Oran Sea to prevent Soviet submarines from entering the Gulf of Nia in . The Swedish Volunteer Army provided 9,640 officers and soldiers who participated in the bloodiest events of the war. The Swedish "Volunteer" Air Force also provided crew for 25 aircraft. Sweden also provided most of the weapons and equipment used by the Finns throughout the war, food, uniforms and medicines.
Germany occupied Norway , Sweden agreed to Germany use its telephone and telegraph lines. But Sweden managed to decipher the German password and pass the message to the UK.On the other hand, German wounded people traveled through Sweden by railways, and Germany freely used the entire infrastructure of Sweden.
Although Sweden is a neutral country, its maritime traffic is influenced by the Allies and the Germans as Sweden actively trades with both. It provides raw materials and actively purchases weapons in the United States and Italy. During the war, Sweden's main exports to Germany were iron ore (10 million tons per year), machinery and spare parts.
German transport ship transported the army to Swedish territorial waters for refuge, accompanied by the Swedish naval fleet. The Nazis obtained the supply of Swedish goods on credit and transported them on Swedish ships. 10% of ball bearings produced in Germany come from Sweden. It also provides electrical equipment, tools, pulp, weapons and machinery. By the end of the war, almost all Sweden's industry served Germany - 90% of Sweden's exports belonged to Germany.
The Swedish government has imposed a censorship system on the press to exclude materials that may "offend" the Germans, thus endangering "neutrality". Some newspapers were closed for "violations".
From May 1940, most of the Swedish merchant fleet outside the Baltic Sea, a total of about 8,000 sailors, were leased to the UK. During the spring of 1944 to the liberation of Norway in 1945, American aircraft were allowed to use Swedish military bases. Swedish naval attacks Soviet ships in the Baltic Sea.
Until August 1944, Sweden received Nazi gold through Swiss banks. Post-war audit of Swedish Central Bank showed it purchased 59.7 tons of gold during the German war, most of which were not recorded. After the war, Sweden returned 6 metric tons of gold to Netherlands and 7.2 metric tons to Belgium. Winston Churchill, who pointed out that Sweden ignored universal moral principles and fooled both sides by profiting during the war.
Swedish Volunteer Commander General Ernst Lind and his Chief of Staff Carl August Ellenswald during the Winter War in Tornho.
Swedish volunteers during the winter war.
