War in Spain: Appeasement, Collective Insecurity, and the Failure of European Democracies Against Fascism

The League of Nations and the Non-Intervention Committee were two organizations that took multilateral action towards the War in Spain. France and the United Kingdom diverted deliberations and decision-making processes from Geneva, and non-intervention was articulated with the main objective to confine the conflict to the Spanish borders. The failure of the collective security system led to a climate of collective insecurity and the Second World War. This scholarship is essential for scholars of the interwar years crisis, twentieth-century Spanish history, and international relations.

Format: Hardback
Length: 196 pages
Publication date: 27 November 2020
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The War in Spain holds significant international importance, as it was marked by two significant organizations: the League of Nations and the Non-Intervention Committee. These organizations played pivotal roles in shaping the multilateral action towards the conflict. However, France and the United Kingdom, as major powers, diverted both deliberations and decision-making processes from Geneva, undermining the effectiveness of these organizations.

Non-intervention, as applied to Spain, was a complex and multifaceted policy. Despite its name, it involved an intervention, depriving the Spanish government of its own defense while the fascist governments provided massive and regular support to the rebels. This policy aimed to confine the conflict to the Spanish borders and prevent it from escalating into a broader European war.

However, the League's authority was damaged when it violated its Covenant in Manchuria and Abyssinia. The onset of the War in Spain further weakened the League's position, as non-intervention was articulated with the primary objective of containing the conflict within Spanish borders. To achieve this, it was essential to designate the conflict as a civil war, rather than a mere nominal or anecdotal issue, both in London and Geneva. By abandoning the Spanish democracy and foreclosing the collective security system, European democracies were effectively removing all that stood between their own societies and another world war.

The failure of the collective security system, which the League was supposed to safeguard, was prompted by the impossibility of reconciling the British-led policy of appeasement with active anti-fascism. This failure led to a climate of collective insecurity, during which the rise of fascism in Europe and the outbreak of World War II became more imminent. The League's inability to prevent the spread of fascism and the outbreak of World War II has had far-reaching consequences for international relations and the global order.

The scholarship presented herein is of utmost importance for scholars of the interwar years crisis, twentieth-century Spanish history, and international relations. By examining the roles of the League of Nations and the Non-Intervention Committee in the War in Spain, scholars can gain a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics that led to the outbreak of World War II and the challenges faced by international organizations in maintaining peace and security.

Weight: 460g
Dimension: 161 x 241 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367148041