Word: gibraltarism
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Apart from invading Britain at once and winning the war with one supreme smash, which it was doubtful Hitler felt strong enough to do, three other ways of helping Italy suggested themselves: 1) a drive from the west coast of France, down across submissive Spain, at Gibraltar; 2) sending troops from Hitler's pool of 1,000,000 men in Austria (see map) to put some spine into the Italian armies now afield; 3) sending troops from the smaller pool in Rumania, to attack Greece from the rear across Bulgaria...
Besides, Adolf Hitler might feel obliged to go to Italy's aid. If necessary, Germany might even occupy Italy. But Germany might bolster Italy by less drastic means, by lending planes to fight the Greeks, or attacking Gibraltar through Spain, Greece through Yugoslavia...
...might make enemies out of friends. German diplomacy worked to incorporate Yugoslavia in its Axis Order, to soothe Turkey and Bulgaria. In Spain Great Britain won a diplomatic victory, signed a clearing agreement that probably contained a secret understanding providing for the return to Spain of Gibraltar after the war. Thus, for the time being at least, was secured Britain's second naval fortress...
Great Britain's fleet at Gibraltar welcomed the assignment last week of escorting three supply ships bound for Malta through what Italy still calls Mare Nostrum ("Our Sea") but which cartoonists now label Nightmare Nostrum. It was known that what was left of the Italian Navy after Admiral Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham's brilliant aerial-torpedo stab into its main base at Taranto (TIME, Nov. 25) had scuttled for a more remote hideaway, probably Cagliari on Sardinia's south coast or Naples on the mainland. Perhaps the British keepers of the western gate of Italy...
...Suda Bay he heard reports from the expeditionary officers and toured gun emplacements. One of the huge guns was fired, and Cretans who stood around cheered and clapped as if an Italian ship had been sunk before their eyes. They talked exultingly of Suda Bay as "an eastern Gibraltar." Sir Archibald heard with satisfaction of the raid on Taranto (see p. 20), of R. A. F. cooperation in Greece, of the wonderful work of the Greeks themselves...