Spanish-Italian Relations and the Influence of the Major Powers, 1943-1957

In the summer of 1943 the Mussolini regime collapsed and the signing of the armistice by the new Government was headed by Badoglio. This moment was a turning point in bilateral relations, as Spanish authorities were forced to adopt a new policy towards the two 'Italies': the one in the North, the RSI, supported by Germany, and the one in the South, the Kingdom of Italy, supported by the Allies.

Spanish-Italian Relations and the Influence of the Major Powers examines these complex relations between Spain and Italy, beginning in 1943 and continuing until1957, contending that the relationship cannot be examined in isolation and must be understood in its broader context. Was the influence of the hegemonic powers so overwhelming that they dictated the main objectives of these countries? Did Spain and Italy even have a minimum degree of independence to display their own foreign policies? Focusing on the countries' responses to the challenges of the post-war period and how they struggled to pursue a more independent foreign policy, Pablo Del Hierro Lecea, analyses the degree of influence which Great Britain, the United States and France exerted in Spanish and Italian foreign relations.

Pablo Del Hierro Lecea is a Lecturer in Global History at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands. He specializes in international relations and political history in the twentieth century, focusing on right wing movements and neo-fascism.