Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:04:10-2:05:52

Spain's exclusion from Washington exposed its naval irrelevance

Spain had dreadnoughts and an empire yet was not invited to the Washington conference, reinforcing Spanish resentment toward the United States.

DreadnoughtsGreat PowersNaval DiplomacySpanish American WarSpanish NavyWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

Was Spain disadvantaged by the Washington Naval Treaty?

Short answer

Spain was not so much disadvantaged as ignored, despite owning dreadnoughts and retaining an empire.

Notes

Unlike revolutionary Russia or the South American dreadnought owners, Spain was a European state with an empire and a nominally complete battle fleet. Its absence from Washington therefore demonstrated how little the great naval powers valued its military weight. Spain was ignored rather than constrained by the treaty. In Spanish political memory, the exclusion could be read as another American humiliation after the Spanish-American War and the loss of overseas possessions.