The 1953 Pact of Madrid

In 1953, Spain and the United States signed an historical deal by which the U.S. installed strategic military bases in Spain and the Franco dictatorship gained international recognition and legitimacy.

The Pact, set in the global context of the Cold War, has constituted the cornerstone of bilateral relations between the two countries. Since 1980, historians have examined the secret documents comprising the greater part of the Pact of Madrid. This is the first in a mini-series on Spanish-US relations during the Cold War.