Lessons

 In 1936 the fascist Francisco Franco and his armed forces attacked the democratically-elected government of Spain.  Franco was aided by Mussolini and Hitler, who sent planes and tanks and advisors.  The democracies, including France and Britain, did nothing.  The U.S., of course, didn’t even consider getting involved; we were in one of our “isolationist” periods with the slogan “America First.”  

An international volunteer force was formed to aid the Spanish Republic.  Some Americans joined, calling themselves the Abraham Lincoln brigade.  The elected Spanish government did receive support from the Soviet Union, although it did not match the aid and material from Hitler and Mussolini.  By 1939 Franco was in power and remained in power for over three decades.

You know the lesson the Fascists drew from the Spanish Civil War.  Democracies were weak.  They would do nothing.  They did nothing when Japan attacked Manchuria.  They did nothing when Hitler took over Austria.  They did nothing when Mussolini attacked Ethiopia.  Nothing when Hitler demanded the Sudetenland.  Finally, when Germany attacked Poland, they declared war.  It was too late.  

The United States, of course, did nothing until Pearl Harbor.