From precision bombing to combined arms tactics, the Spanish Civil War played a crucial role in developing and strengthening Germany's military power . As German sociologist Franz Borkenau argues in his eyewitness account of what many historians describe as Germany's "dress rehearsal for World War II," the Spanish Civil War became "a largely non-Spanish affair" (297 , The Spanish Cockpit). Germany used the unrest in Spain to advance its own war agenda. By helping Franco rise to power, Hitler secured a strategic ally that would serve him well during World War II, as a source of the raw materials and military assistance he needed. Without Hitler, Franco's nationalist movement would have retreated to the more established Spanish Communist Party. Germany's involvement in Spain was not only crucial to the Nationalists' victory, but also in preparing Germany for a full-fledged European war. Germany's involvement in Spain from 1936 to 1939 enhanced Hitler's power and ambitions, paving the way for World War II, which broke out a few months after Franco became Spain's leader. Hitler and Franco shared a desire for power and they helped each other achieve their goal.