The Fifth Column and the Diplomatic Corps in the Spanish Civil War

Abstract

This article addresses one of the least studied aspects of the Spanish Civil War: The relationship between the Fifth Column and the diplomatic corps. Drawing on original documentation kept in a variety of archives, it reveals how often that relationship went beyond the limits of diplomatic activity and its humanitarian work. It also shows how a different diplomats, sometimes unknowingly, became contributors to the Francoist cause. Reference is also made to the way that behaviour hindered the Republican Government’s interaction with a series of international emissaries.

Keywords

• españa
• guerra civil
• colaboracionismo
• representaciones diplomáticas
• quinta columna