International Relations 1956-75

• The question of Gibraltar's sovereignty came to the fore in the 1960s and threatened friendly relations between Spain and Britain. Spain never relinquished its claim to Gibraltar, while the British argued that the inhabitants of the area should decide Gibraltar's fate. The population of Gibraltar enjoyed local democratic self government and an increasingly higher standard of living than Spain. Therefore, a referendum in 1967 showed overwhelming support to remain under British rule.
• In 1969, Spain attempted to cut off Gibraltar from Spain and to accelerate the economic development programme for the area surrounding Gibraltar, which became known as Campo de Gibraltar. But, by the time of Franco's death, the status of Gibraltar remained unresolved.
• Franco attempted to maintain a powerful position for Spain in North Africa. He presented himself as the protector of Arab interests and claimed Spain would act as a mediator between Europe and Arab countries. Relations between these countries became closer in the late 1940s, partly due to Spain's refusal to formally recognise the state of Israel, established in 1948. Spain continued to develop economic and cultural agreements in the Middle East and in return the Arab states assumed a neutral attitude towards Spain's colonial position in Morocco.
• Franco's decision to withdraw from Morocco in early 1956, following the successful struggle waged by Moroccan nationalists against French control, left little prospect of Spain retaining its zone of Morocco. Conflicts in Morocco resulted in Spain being forced out of much of its colonial territory in the 1960s.
• In 1958 Morocco's Mohammed V had stated that he had future plans for the Spanish Sahara. However, Spain opposed any change of status for the area. In 1975, Spain changed its position, wanting to grant full independence to the Spanish Sahara under UN supervision. In March 1975, 300000 unarmed Moroccans entered the territory and due to increasing international pressure, Spain agreed to cede the Spanish Sahara to Morocco and Mauritania. At the time of Franco's death, Spain retained only small areas in North Africa.