The Localization of the Spanish War

In July, 1936, none of the Great Powers wanted a European war. But, as in 1914, the preceding three or four years had brought in their wake a series of incidents and developments which increased tension considerably and made statesmen realize that a general war was far from impossible. The armaments race, the Italo-Abyssinian affair, the remilitarization of the Rhine zone, the Franco-Soviet alliance and the resulting denunciation of Locarno by Germany, the growth of nationalism and dictatorship, the increasing hostility of bolshevism and fascism, the apparent breakdown of world peace machinery—to mention only a few aspects of the situation—produced considerable pessimism about the chances for keeping the peace. On July 1, 1936, M. Blum, speaking in the League Assembly, emphasized “with what serious apprehension France views the present situation.” “The world at this moment,” he said, “is not a world of peace … We feel the atmosphere growing heavy; we see the shadow looming. Everywhere the world is arming … For the first time in eighteen years, a European war is once again looked upon as a possibility.”