Development of Spain-Britain relations after the First World War (based on Spanish and Soviet newspapers)

Abstract

The issue of the development of Spanish-British relations after the First World War has been poorly studied by both foreign and domestic scholars. Therefore, even at the present stage in the writings of researchers there is a view that in the interwar period, the relations between the two countries almost did not develop. In view of this, the authors have set themselves the goal, on the basis of the Spanish and Soviet periodicals of that period, which was one of the main sources of information, to analyze Spanish-British relations after the First World War. The study found that relations between Spain and the United Kingdom were complex and strained during the 1920s and 1930s. On the one hand, this was facilitated by the civil war and the armed conflict in Morocco (1921-1926), during which relations between the two colonial countries deteriorated significantly. Gibraltar has also remained unresolved, although some agreement has been reached on this issue. In particular, it was decided to connect the telephone line between La Linea and Gibraltar. On the other hand, despite some misunderstandings, both countries maintained close diplomatic, cultural, economic and trade ties. The press of that period contains information about diplomatic visits, audiences and more. For example, in July 1926 the King of Spain and his entourage, accompanied by the Spanish ambassador to the United Kingdom, Merry del Val, visited the University of Oxford, where the King was awarded the honorary title of Doctor. This amicable attitude of the Spanish and British monarchs to each other was also caused by the fact that the King of Spain Alfonso XIII was married to Princess Eugenia Battenberg Victoria, who was the granddaughter of the Queen of Great Britain Victoria and was brought by the cousin sister of the Acting British ruler of the Royal Majesty. The relations between the two countries were complex and contradictory, but this did not prevent the two monarchical states from cooperating.