Spain and the First World War: The Logic of Neutrality

At the outbreak of the armed hostilities in Europe, the Spanish government rapidly decreed its official neutrality in the conflict. This article analyses the nature and meaning of that neutrality and the reasons for its maintenance until the bitter end. Its adoption was a logical and necessary decision given the country's economic and military weakness and the absence of any formal treaties with the belligerent blocs. However, this article examines how neutrality was not an static concept but underwent different phases related to the evolution of the war and the domestic realm and whose impact would be decisive in exacerbating the regime's internal tensions and accelerating its decay and crisis.