Fernando María Castiella facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fernando María Castiella
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 25 February 1957 – 29 October 1969 |
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| Preceded by | Alberto Martín-Artajo |
| Succeeded by | Gregorio López-Bravo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 December 1907 Bilbao, Spain |
| Died | 25 November 1976 (aged 68) Madrid, Spain |
| Occupation | Politician, diplomat, professor of Private International Law |
Fernando María Castiella y Maíz (1907–1976) was an important Spanish diplomat and politician. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Spain from 1957 to 1969. This was during the time when General Franco led Spain.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Fernando María Castiella was born in Bilbao, Spain, on December 9, 1907.
He studied Law and earned a special degree called a Doctorate from the University of Madrid. He continued his advanced studies in famous cities like Paris, Cambridge, and Geneva. He also studied at The Hague Academy of International Law. In 1935, he became a professor of Public International Law at the University of Madrid.
During the time of the Second Spanish Republic, he was active in a Catholic student group. He also wrote articles about international topics for a newspaper called El Debate.
Career and Service
When the Spanish Civil War began, Fernando Castiella left Madrid and joined the Nationalist Army. He served as an officer.
During World War II, he joined the Blue Division. This was a group of Spanish volunteers who fought alongside the German army on the Eastern Front. With another person named José María de Areilza, he wrote a book called Reivindicaciones de España in 1941. This book talked about Spain's ideas for expanding its influence in French Africa.
Diplomatic Roles
Fernando Castiella helped create the Faculty of Political Science and Economics at the University of Madrid. He was also its first dean.
Later, he became an ambassador. He served as Spain's ambassador to Peru from 1948 to 1951. After that, he was the ambassador to the Holy See (the government of the Catholic Church) from 1951 to 1957. While in this role, he helped negotiate an important agreement called the Concordat in 1953.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
General Franco appointed Fernando Castiella as the Minister of Foreign Affairs on February 25, 1957. His main goal was to improve Spain's relationships with countries in the Western world.
International Relations Efforts
He tried to make Spain a member of NATO and an associate member of the European Common Market, but these attempts were not successful. He also tried to get better agreements for defense and cooperation with the United States, but he had little success there too.
However, he did succeed in making Spain one of the founding countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1961. This organization helps countries work together on economic issues.
Key Policies
Fernando Castiella was considered a moderate who wanted to open up Spain's policies. In 1961, he wrote a draft law about religious freedom. This law was finally passed in 1967.
He also strongly pushed for Gibraltar to be returned to Spanish control. He argued that Gibraltar should go through a process called decolonization. He had even written a book about Gibraltar many years before. Despite his strong efforts, he was not successful in getting Gibraltar back for Spain.
After his time as minister, he taught Private International Law to advanced students at the Complutense University in Madrid.
Later Life
Fernando María Castiella died in Madrid on November 25, 1976.
See also
In Spanish: Fernando María Castiella para niños
