Spain -- Records of the Foreign Service Posts of the Department of State (RG 84) [CIVILIAN AGENCY RECORDS -- Department of State and Foreign Affairs Records]

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Despite the sympathies of the Spanish Government under Francisco Franco with the Axis and its constant provocations, such as the seizure of Tangier in North Africa, and harboring spies and saboteurs, the United States and Great Britain followed a careful policy in the expectation that Spain would not become an avowed belligerent. For most of the war Spain remained pro-Axis, but non-belligerent. Even if Spain wanted to assist the Axis it was exhausted from the Spanish Civil War. Also, because of the sea blockade Spain was reliant on the Allies for food, fuel, and raw materials. Spain did, however, helped the Axis by servicing their planes, allowing their agents to operate in Madrid, sent the "Blue Division" to fight with Germany against the Russians, and provided Germany with wolframite. After the fall of Mussolini in July 1943, Spain softened its stance against the Allies. After much pressure, in May 1944, Spain agreed to reduce drastically its tungsten exports to Germany, to hand over all interned Italian ships, to close the German consulate in Tangier, and to expel all German agents on Spanish territory. With respect to the latter, Spain continued to give Germany intelligence aid right up until the end of the war. It did not sever diplomatic relations with Germany until April 1945. {Note 1}

Spain had been asked in October 1944 to state its adherence to Bretton Woods Resolution VI. It did not do so until May 5, 1945. Neither did Spain freeze German assets nor the assets of Axis dominated countries until the same date. A few days later, however, Spain exempted from blocking the assets of countries with whom it still maintained diplomatic relations. {Note 2}

Records of the U.S. Embassy, Madrid Spain

General Records 1936, 1939-1945, 1950-1952 (Entry 3161)

        Boxes 1-134 location: 350/67/23/04

Classified General Files (Security-Segregated Records) 1940-1952 (Entry 3162) 
   
        Boxes 1-187 location: 350/67/26/02
        1940
        Box #  File #  File Title or Subject
        1  710  Political Relations
                        711  Morocco and the War
            800  Political Reports
            851  Financial Conditions
            851.51  Exchange location: 350/67/26/02
        1941
        Box #  File #  File Title or Subject
        2  631  Trade Relations location: 350/67/26/02
        3  711.2  Foreign Funds Control
            800  Political Reports location: 350/67/26/03
        4  820.02  Axis Activities
            850  Economic Matters
            851  Financial Conditions
            851.51  Exchange
            851.6  Banks, Banking
            854  Patents and Copyrights
            863  Mines, Mining
            871  Censorship location: 350/67/26/04
        1942
        Box #  File #  File Title or Subject
        5-7  631  Trade Relations location: 350/67/26/03
        7  710  Political Relations-Argentina-Germany
            710  Political Relations-Argentina-Italy
            710  Political Relations-Egypt-Germany
            710  Political Relations-France-Germany
            710  Political Relations-France-Spain
            710  Political Relations-Germany-Italy
            710  Political Relations-Germany-Spain
            710  Political Relations-Great Britain-Spain
            710  Political Relations-Portugal-Spain
            710  Political Relations-Spain-United States
location: 350/67/26/03
        8  800  Spain location: 350/67/26/03
        9  800  Political Reports
            711.1  Neutrality Bloc
            711.1  Spain
            711.2  Germany location: 350/67/26/03
        10  820  Military Activities location: 350/67/26/04
        10A  820.02  Axis Activities location: 350/67/26/04
        11  851.51  Spain
            851.51  Spain-Switzerland
            851.51  Tangier
            851.51  United States
            863  Mines, Mining location: 350/67/26/04
        1943
        Box #  File #  File Title or Subject
        15-17  631  Trade Relations
        19  710  Political Relations-Germany-Spain
            710  Political Relations-Germany-Spain-Trans-shipment
            710  Political Relations-Great Britain-Portugal
            710  Political Relations-Great Britain-Spain
            710  Political Relations-Great Britain-Italy
            710  Political Relations-Italy-Spain
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Switzerland
            710  Political Relations-Spain-United States
            710  Political Relations-Chile-Germany
            710.1  Argentina
            710.1  Spain
            710.2  Neutrality, Neutrals
            710.3  American Property in Enemy Territory
location: 350/67/26/05
        20-21  800  Political Reports location: 350/67/26/05
        22  800.1  Petain
            800.1  Hitler location: 350/67/26/05
        23-25  820.02  Axis Activities location: 350/67/26/06
        27  850.06  Insurance
            850.31  Property Census
            851  Financial Conditions
            851  Tangier [shipment of gold from Tangier by State Bank of  Morocco]
            851.5  Germany
            851.51  Spain
            851.51  Tangier
            851.51  United States
            851.6  Banco Exterior
            851.6  Bank of Morocco
            851.6  Chase National Bank
            851.6  National City Bank
            863  Spain
            863.4  Diamonds
            863.4  Germany-Diamonds location: 350/67/26/06
        28  871  Intercepts location: 350/67/26/06
        1944
        31-34  631  Trade Relations location: 350/67/26/07
        36  710  Political Relations-France-Spain
            710  Political Relations-Great Britain-Portugal
            710  Political Relations-Great Britain-Spain
            710  Political Relations-Portugal-Spain
            710  Political Relations-Spain-United States
location: 350/67/26/07
        37  710  Political Relations-Spain-United States
            711  European War [includes various subjects, including war  guilt and refugees] location: 350/67/27/01
        37-38  711.2  Neutral Commerce
        38  800  Political Reports-Argentina
            800  Political Reports-Spain
            800  Spain-Portugal
            800  War Refugee Board location: 350/67/27/01
        39-41  800  Political Reports location: 350/67/27/01
        42  800.1  Franco location: 350/67/27/01
        42-46  820.02  Axis Activities location: 350/67/27/01
        48  850  Economic Matters location: 350/67/27/02
        49  850.31  Property Census
            851  Financial Conditions
            851.5  Gold Policy-Spain
            851.5  Gold
            851.5  Credit Suisse (Gold)
            851.5  Germany-Spain
            851.5  Italy-Spain
            851.5  Morocco
            851.5  Switzerland
            851.5  France
            851.51  Spain
            851.51  Spain-United States
            851.51  United States
            851.51  Switzerland
            851.51  Spanish Foreign Exchange
            851.51  Commercial National Bank
            851.51  Foreign Funds Control
            851.51  Spain (Refugees Funds)
            851.51  Swiss Bank Corporation
            851.51  Tangier location: 350/67/27/02
        50  851.6  Banks, Banking
            863.4  Diamonds location: 350/67/27/02
        51  871  Censorship location: 350/67/27/03
        52  879.6  Lufthansa location: 350/67/27/03
        1945
        Box #  File #  File Title or Subject
        60-61  631  Trade Relations location: 350/67/27/04
        65  710  Political Relations-Spain-Argentina
            710  Political Relations-Spain Great Britain
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Germany
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Guatemala
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Hungary
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Japan
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Mexico
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Peru
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Portugal
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Russia
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Uruguay
            710  Political Relations-Spain-United States
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Yugoslavia
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Ecuador
            711  War Guilt (Croatian Plane)
            711  War Guilt-Laval
            711.1  General
            711.1  Portugal
            711.1  Ireland
            711.1  Spain location: 350/67/27/05
        66  710  Political Relations-Spain-Guatemala
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Germany
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Italy
            710  Political Relations-Spain-Japan
            710  Political Relations-Spain-United
            711  War Guilt Cases
            711  War Guilt Cases, Laval et al
            711.2  Neutral Commerce location: 350/67/27/05
        67  711.9  General
            711.9  Germany
            711.9  Italy
            711.9  Japan location: 350/67/27/05
        67-68  800  Political Reports location: 350/67/27/05
        71-73  820.02  Axis Activities location: 350/67/27/05
        74  850  Economic Matters location: 350/67/27/06
        75  850.6  Banks, Banking
            851  Frozen Funds
            851  Portugal
            851  Spain
            851  Financial Conditions
            851  Spain-Italy
            851  Argentina
            851  Foreign Funds Control
            851  Spain-Germany
            851  Spain-Italy
            851  Frozen Funds-France
            851.5  Great Britain
            851.5  Belgium
            851.5  Spain
            851.5  Germany
            851.5  United States location: 350/67/27/06
        76  863.4  Clandestine Sale of Diamonds in Spain l
location: 350/67/27/06
       
Secret General Records 1944-1945 (Entry 3163)

        Boxes 1-2 location: 350/67/30/01

Top Secret General Records 1944-1945, 1947-1955 (Entry 3164)

        Boxes 3-5 location: 350/67/30/02

Footnotes

{1}Return to text Researchers should find some interesting perspectives about the Spanish-American relationship during the war in Acheson, Present At The Creation, op. cit., pp. 53-55, 59-61. Also a useful source is Wartime Mission in Spain 1942-1945 by Carlton J.H. Hayes, who served as the American ambassador to Spain. (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1945).

{2}Return to text Clarke, "Safehaven Study," pp. 185-187. Researchers on these issues should consult these to Foreign Relations of the United States volumes: FRUS, 1944, Vol. II, pp. 213-251. "Concern of the United States over Enemy Attempts to Secrete Funds or Other Assets in Neutral Countries; Inception of the Safehaven Program" and FRUS, 1945, Vol. II, pp. 852-932. "Concern of the United States over Enemy Attempts to Secrete Funds or Other Assets in Neutral Countries; Implementation of the Safehaven Program."
   

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