1949: A Year of Important Approaches

Abstract

Spanish-Italian relations progressively started to improve at the end of 1948, putting an end to a period of crisis which had lasted for more than a year. Aware of this new context, the Spanish authorities decided to take the initiative during the year 1949 with one goal in mind: the normalization of diplomatic relations between Madrid and Rome. As a matter of fact, the Spanish authorities were firmly convinced that Italy would be receptive to these approaches thus becoming the first European country after the condemnatory UN resolution of December 1946 to appoint a new ambassador in Madrid. Accordingly, the main aim of this chapter will be to analyse the different initiatives taken by the Spanish authorities during that year in an attempt to assess the actual impact that those had on the evolution of bilateral relations.