Of Mountains, Molehills and The Rock

Letter From Madrid

In our age of transitory agreements, with the Monroe Doctrine forgotten and the NATO accords treated as relics of the forgotten Forties and Fifties, it is refreshing to see how much life is left in the hardy Peace of Utrecht (1713). By the treaty, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession, Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain. The loss was a particularly galling one for the Spanish. But with diplomatic finesse worthy of the increasingly important role she is playing in European affairs, Spain has found in the treaty a basis for her newly-pressed claims to the Rock.

JF

About the Author

James Fletcher

Featured Tags

Letter From Madrid

In our age of transitory agreements, with the Monroe Doctrine forgotten and the NATO accords treated as relics of the forgotten Forties and Fifties, it is refreshing to see how much life is left in the hardy Peace of Utrecht (1713). By the treaty, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession, Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain. The loss was a particularly galling one for the Spanish. But with diplomatic finesse worthy of the increasingly important role she is playing in European affairs, Spain has found in the treaty a basis for her newly-pressed claims to the Rock.