The Policy of Simmering : A Study of British Policy During the Spanish Civil War 1936–1939

Few modem events have aroused more controversy than the Spanish Civil War. This controversy was especially acute in Great Britain, which was tom between its distrust of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy on the one hand and of Communist Russia on the other. The and determined to avoid war at British public, pacifist in sentiment almost any cost, sensed the danger implicit in the Civil War, yet realised its impotence to control events in Spain which indeed it little understood. The British Government, though under heavy attack from the Opposition and from a handful of its own supporters, succeeded in its endeavours to keep the country out of war on this occasion. The neutrality of Spain, even after Mussolini had entered World War II, was of inestimable value to Britain after the debacle in the summer of I940. It may be therefore that British policy during the Civil War paid off later on as well as achieving its purpose at the time. Dr. Kleine's book, lucidly written and carefully documented, ex­ amines the British attitude toward the Spanish Civil War. The author has the advantage of belonging to a generation which is able to analyse these events with historical detachment. Yet his understanding and easy style have made the period live. Neutrality was not easy for Britain. Its far-reaching interests in trading with Spain and in passage through Iberian waters again and again raised awkward problems. Few modern events have aroused more controversy than the Spanish Civil War. This controversy was especially acute in Great Britain, which was torn between its distrust of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy on the one hand and of Communist Russia on the other. The British public, pacifist in sentiment and determined to avoid war at almost any cost, sensed the danger implicit in the Civil War, yet realised its impotence to control events in Spain which indeed it little understood. The British Government, though under heavy attack from the Opposition and from a handful of its own supporters, succeeded in its endeavours to keep the country out of war on this occasion. The neutrality of Spain, even after Mussolini had entered World War II, was of inestimable value to Britain after the debacle in the summer of 1940. It may be therefore that British policy during the Civil War paid off later on as well as achieving its purpose at the time. Dr. Kleine's book, lucidly written and carefully documented, ex amines the British attitude toward the Spanish Civil War. The author has the advantage of belonging to a generation which is able to analyse these events with historical detachment. Yet his understanding and easy style have made the period live. Neutrality was not easy for Britain. Its far-reaching interests in trading with Spain and in passage through Iberian waters again and again raised awkward problems Front Matter....Pages I-XII Introduction....Pages 1-5 Formulation of a Policy....Pages 6-22 Metamorphosis of Non-Intervention....Pages 23-36 Conflict of Interests....Pages 37-51 Change of Leadership....Pages 52-71 Themes and Variations....Pages 72-86 Struggle for Spanish Recources....Pages 87-102 Results of Violation....Pages 103-116 Negotiating with Mussolini....Pages 117-139 Conclusion....Pages 140-144 Back Matter....Pages 145-161