National Interests and Local Loyalties: Desertion and Subversion across the Spanish-Portuguese Border, 1914–19

Abstract

This article explores Portuguese-Spanish relations during the First World War through the perspective of the borderlands separating the two countries. Spain remained neutral throughout the conflict, while the Portuguese Republic intervened on the Allied side in March 1916. The war, however, proved extremely polarizing for Portuguese society. It paved the way for the authoritarian regime of Sidónio Pais and for a brief civil war between republicans and monarchists in early 1919. As explained in classic diplomatic accounts, Madrid adopted a friendly attitude towards its neighbour during the most critical phases of the conflict. However, Spanish-Portuguese relations read differently from the perspective of the border. Local authorities on both sides of the frontier were generally hostile to Portugal’s republican regime and often circumvented or disobeyed orders coming from Lisbon and Madrid. Connivance of local authorities allowed numerous Portuguese deserters to defect to Spain and helped monarchist rebels establish subversive networks on border. These dynamics were underpinned by cross-border solidarities. The article makes a broader contribution to debates on state-building processes during the First World War. The central state attempted to strengthen its grip over peripheral regions, but in doing so it encountered opposition that was often able to mobilise local authorities.