Spain and the Suez Crisis. A brief illusion 60 years ago (1956)

Abstract

The crisis of Suez meant a brief period of time in the second half of 1956 during which, Spain believed to be able to act as a leading country in the solution of an international crisis which involved the main Western powers. Spain took part in the London Conference because she was one of the signatory states of the Convention of Constantinople that regulated the use of the Channel since 1888. In the meetings, Madrid advanced a proposal of solution, approaching the problem from the legal angle, which had the support neither of the rest of the attendants nor of Egypt, although it was included as an annex in the final resolution. Secondary actor throughout the crisis, Spain eventually understood what her position really was and that she could not put at risk her precarious international position within the Western world because of a traditional friendship with the Arabs that did not bring any gain in her international standing.