The Bérard-Jordana Agreement (French: Accords Bérard-Jordana, Spanish: Acuerdo Bérard-Jordana), also called Berard-Jordan Agreement in English, was a political treaty signed by France and Spain in Burgos on 25 February 1939. Its name is based on the two principal signatories, Léon Bérard for France and General Francisco Gómez-Jordana Sousa Jordana for Spain.
Background
The Spanish Civil War had begun between the left-leaning Republicans (or "Loyalists") and the right-leaning Nationalists on 17 July 1936, but by January 1939, it had decisively turned to favour the Nationalists, with major Republican defeats at the Battle of the Ebro in November 1938 and the Catalonia Offensive of 1938–1939 causing the fall of Barcelona. In the meantime, Nazi Germany advanced its foreign policy goals on France's other flank by achieving the Remilitarization of the Rhineland and the Anti-Comintern Pact in 1936 and the Anschluss of Austria and the Munich Agreement in 1938.
The Spanish Nationalists, who accepted German and Fascist Italian assistance against the Republicans, did not want to be drawn into a potential conflict between Germany and France and signalled to unofficial French envoys to the Nationalist leadership that they would maintain strict neutrality in Germany's expansionist designs.
The left-leaning French government of Léon Blum, which had tentatively supported the Republicans, was now faced with more than 400,000 refugees, who attempted to escape the Nationalist advance and crossed the border into France, as well as with the diplomatic prospect of Spain being ruled by Francisco Franco, who was diplomatically aligned with France's rivals: Germany and Italy. As a result, the French government was forced to clarify its relationship with Francoist Spain to deal with the refugee crisis and to prevent a Spanish military alliance with Germany and Italy that might be aimed against France. The new Francoist government in Spain, on the other hand, wanted to maximise its own political and diplomatic legitimacy by normalising the relations with France and the United Kingdom as soon as possible. The Spanish leadership was willing to grant the French request to prevent permanent German and Italian troop presence in Spain, which the Francoists had not intended to allow anyway. However, Spain in return demanded for France to deliver all goods of the Spanish Republic that were currently in France, including art collections, financial assets and military equipment.
Meetings took place between the French Senator Léon Bérard and General Francisco Gómez-Jordana Sousa, Franco's leading advisor on foreign policy and later foreign minister, in February 1939. The first meeting started on 5 February, the second on 18 February. The final convention at which the treaty was signed between Bérard and Jordana started on 23 February. France accepted almost all of Spain's demands for the diplomatic relationship and could not secure any major concessions from the Spanish in return.
The agreement was signed on 25 February 1939. It remained secret until the French government published it on 27 February.
The French legislature voted to confirm the recognition of Franco on 24 February and in favour of Édouard Daladier's desire to normalise relations with the new Spanish regime by a margin of 323 to 261.
Content
The agreement contained a political declaration, a declaration of good neighbourly relations, and a declaration on the Spanish assets in France. Furthermore, Jordana gave verbal assurances on the refugee situation in France.
Political Declaration
The French government recognised the Franco government as legitimate in Spain. Spain and France affirmed that they would co-operate in Morocco.
Declaration of good neighbourly relations
Both governments agreed to undertake every necessary measure for the close supervision of any activity directed against the tranquility and security of the other party. The French government promised to take specific measurements to prevent subversive activities of Spanish nationals in France directed against Spain.
Verbal assurances by General Jordana regarding the refugee question
The Spanish government declared its willingness to receive all refugees, without distinction between men, women and children, who had gone to France. However, the Spanish government reserved itself the right to prosecute in Spanish courts any refugees for any crimes that they might have committed.
Declaration on Spanish assets in France
The French government promised to return Spanish property of the following types: