I saw an exhibition about the Republican exile three years ago. It was heartbreaking how France treated the flleing Republicans. As they had their rifles confiscated they admonished the French "you'll need to give me back that rifle soon enough".

I have heard that the first US tank to enter liberated Paris was manned by Spaniards.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman