Diplomacy and strategy of survival : British policy and Franco's Spain, 1940-41

An analysis of Britain's diplomatic efforts to preserve the non-belligerency of Franco's Spain, during the period from late 1940 to the end of 1941. Making extensive use of recently available British and Spanish documentary records, Dr Smyth explains how Britain's uphill struggle to secure Spanish non-belligerency had been rewarded with success by December 1940. Ironically, British policy-makers were unaware of the earl), success of their efforts, so they remained alert throughout 1940–41 to the danger of sudden Spanish support for a German move across their territory to Gibraltar. The conclusion notes how continuing Spanish neutrality helped the British endure 'their finest hour' and the Franco regime to survive the destruction of its former Fascist patrons. Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 Britain and the birth of Franco's Spain, 1936-39......Page 23 Defining a policy......Page 39 Opposition......Page 65 Strategic diplomacy: SeptemberOctober, 1940......Page 97 Economic diplomacy: SeptemberDecember, 1940......Page 123 The Tangier crisis......Page 146 The limits of attraction......Page 186 The exhaustion of diplomacy......Page 230 Conclusion......Page 255 Notes......Page 265 Bibliography......Page 324 Index......Page 336 Denis Smyth. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 311-321.