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The European War Office ( es, Oficina de la Guerra Europea or ''Oficina Pro Cautivos'') was a humanitarian office created by King Alfonso XIII of Spain to help the victims of the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, regardless of their allegiance, or whether they were of military or civilian status. The War Office was governed directly by the Private Secretary of the King; it was based in the Royal Palace of Madrid. One of the King's most imperative achievements was to create a compromise between both sides of the conflict, to prevent the further sinking of hospital ships. As consequence of this, Spanish naval observers sailed hospital ships of various countries, in order to ensure that the vessels were being used for their intended purpose, as opposed to military expeditions. The King also collaborated in the creation of a dedicated signal code for hospital ships.


Spanish neutrality

In the interim of World War I,
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
remained neutral due to several inducements. One of these, more esteemed, reasons for the King, was because of his family bonds—his wife being British and his mother Austrian, among other family relations. Nonetheless, this did not prevent the King from forming the European War Office, thus, expressing involvement in the war. On August 7, 1914, it was published in '' Gaceta de Madrid'', a Royal Decree, signed by both King Alfonso and Prime Minister
Eduardo Dato Eduardo Dato e Iradier (12 August 1856 – 8 March 1921) was a Spanish political leader during the Spanish Restoration period. He served three times as Spanish prime minister: from 27 October 1913 to 9 December 1915, from 11 June 1917 to 3 Nov ...
, declared the country's neutrality, stating that government had the "duty to order the strictest neutrality to Spanish subjects in accordance with the laws in force and the principles of public international law". For the
Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
, there was no purpose to engage in the conflict, especially considering that there were not enough resources to do so— a reason which the political and economic class conceded upon. King Alfonso also agreed, despite having talked with the French ambassador of his desire to enter the conflict on the side of the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
in exchange of "some tangible satisfaction," presumably referring to
Tangier Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the cap ...
. Another consequential rationale for Spanish neutrality was the precariousness of its
armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
. Spain was involved in numerous conflicts in the north of Africa because of its protectorate of Morocco. This situation caused for an outdated
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, with inferior supplies and, because of the large number of
officers An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
, most of the budget went to pay their salaries. The
Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
's reputation was impaired due to the defeat in the Spanish-American War of 1898. It was not until a decade later when the government started again to invest in new warships, however, the Navy was not ready to engage
great powers A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power in ...
. Social unrest must also be mentioned, as a result of growing support of the labor movement and the appearance of left-wing republican parties, which may attempt to spark a republican revolution. A
coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
would be unfavorable to Spain.


The Office

The Office, was formed in, approximately, 1914 with six staff. A publication in a French newspaper, ''Le Petit Girondais,'' provoked an avalanche of letters from many Europeans asking for aid. This compelled the King to enlarge the Office to 48 staff members, all of them speaking several languages, assisted by many volunteers. A notable member of the Office was historian and translator Julián Juderías, who spoke 15 languages. The office worked in coordination with the
Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
and was structured in several sections: * Missing People. *Information and Correspondence in Occupied Territories. *Prisoners. *Repatriations of Soldiers Severely Wounded or Sick. *Repatriations of Civilians. *Internment Service in Switzerland. *Pardons. *Commutations of Sentences. *Remittance of Funds to Individuals and Families in Occupied Territories. *Reports on Inspection Visits by Spanish Delegates. The Office admitted more than 200,000 letters —140,000 of them from the families of soldiers— all of whom were answered thanks to, what Juan José Alonso Martín, director of the Palace General Archives, has described as "a primitive computing system." The efforts of the King was not only to find people's relatives but to cease the practice of capital punishment. It is calculated that approximately 100 were saved from execution thanks to the Office —including French and German soldiers. The King even tried to save
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of ...
and his family, with no success. The Palace General Archives have more than 90 documents sent to St. Petersburg that proves the efforts to liberate or visit the Tsar —the Office's staff visited more than 4,000 prisoners over all Europe— but the Romanovs were already dead when the rescue operation began. However, the King was not sure of the fate of the
Tsarina Tsarina or tsaritsa (also spelled ''csarina'' or ''csaricsa'', ''tzarina'' or ''tzaritza'', or ''czarina'' or ''czaricza''; bg, царица, tsaritsa; sr, / ; russian: царица, tsaritsa) is the title of a female autocratic ruler (mona ...
and her children so he and his Office continued. There is evidence that his efforts were instrumental in lifting the German invasion of Belgium, so that provisions from the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
could reach its nine million inhabitants.


Recognition

Diplomats involved in the operation received the Reconnaissance Française medal, the women received the Red Cross medal and the rest of the staff received the Order of Isabel the Catholic Queen. King Alfonso himself was thanked by the people of
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
and
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
in 1923. He was also greatly admired around the world. A young English girl even wrote this prayer which appeared in a newspaper: "''And God bless Father and Mother, and Nurse, and send Father back soon from his horrid prison in Germany. And God bless specially the dear King of Spain who found out about Father. Amen."'' In 1917, King Alfonso was nominated for the
Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...
, but it was given to the
International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...
. He was nominated again in 1933, when already in exile. In honor of its Royal status, ''Le Meurice Hotel'' has a room with his name, Suite Royale Alphonse XIII, where the acclaimed Spanish painter
Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...
spent one month every year for thirty years.


Featured cases

* French actor and singer
Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor and entertainer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", "Louise", " Mimi", and "Thank Hea ...
was taken prisoner in Germany; it was thanks to the secret intervention of King Alfonso that he was released. * Russian ballet dancer
Vaslav Nijinsky Vaslav (or Vatslav) Nijinsky (; rus, Вацлав Фомич Нижинский, Vatslav Fomich Nizhinsky, p=ˈvatsləf fɐˈmʲitɕ nʲɪˈʐɨnskʲɪj; pl, Wacław Niżyński, ; 12 March 1889/18908 April 1950) was a ballet dancer and choreog ...
was arrested in
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
and was released thanks to the intervention, among other international leaders, of King Alfonso. * In the Royal Palace's archive exists a complaint about the bad situation of future French president
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
made by the Spanish inspectors and sent by the King to a war camp. * Being only 8-years-old, a French girl named Sylviane Sartor sent a letter to the King asking him to find her uncle, a war prisoner, saying that the deed would enlighten her mother. She said the following: "''Your Majesty, Mother is crying all the time because her brother has been taken prisoner. She has just received a letter that says he will die of hunger. Your Majesty, if you could send him to Switzerland… because Mother is certainly going to make herself ill. Your Majesty, I thank you in advance. Your servant, Sylviane"''. The King replied, asking for more information: "''Dear Miss, I will do my best to stop your mother from crying. So be so good as to send me exact news of your uncle so that I can take the matter further. Alfonso XIII, King."'' The prisoner was Achille Delmonte, found in a camp in
Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and sent back to
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
with his family. *The French prime minister asked the King to attempt to get the repatriation of 20,000 French civilians that the war had suppressed in the enemy zone, and that they were to be deported to internment camps. Alfonso XIII achieved their liberation in several months, and France considered him a war hero henceforth. *The efforts of the Office were unsuccessful in the search for John Kipling, the only son of the
Nobel Prize for Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...
holder
Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...
. His remains were not found and identified until 1922.


Public exhibition

Nowadays, all these letters and documents from the European War Office are property of the Royal Palace of Madrid archives and they were displayed as part of a public exhibition called ''Letters to the King. The humanitarian activities of Alfonso XIII during the Great War'' between November 8, 2018 and March 3, 2019. It was held in the Genoa Rooms of the Royal Palace of Madrid.


See also

*
Ministry of Supply The Ministry of Supply (MoS) was a department of the UK government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. A separate ministry, however, was responsible for aircr ...
*
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
*
Diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...


External links


Some pictures of the public exhibition


References

{{Reflist World War I Cultural history of World War I Humanitarian aid organizations of World War I Politics of World War I 1914 establishments in Spain