k in her attempt to maintain for her minor son
the throne of his father, but in spite of the many difficulties that
she had to face she succeeded. These difficulties were chiefly
internal and of an economic nature, although those in connection
with Spain's West Indian possessions were almost as vexing. For many
years of this period Spain was more or less in a state of anarchy,
and labor disturbances throughout the country took on a most violent
form. In recent years, however, conditions have improved
considerably and to-day the future of Spain is more promising than
it has been for many decades.

In foreign politics Spain did not play a very important part,
especially not since the loss of most of its colonies. It
participated in a number of the more important international
conferences held during the last thirty-five or forty years and,
generally speaking, managed to maintain friendly relations with most
of the other nations. During the long regency of Queen Marie
Christine her personal influence, of course, was bound to be felt to
a considerable extent and to that extent Spain may be said to have
been more inclined toward the Central European Powers and especially
toward Austria than toward any other countries. This is due to the
fact that the Queen Regent was a member of the Hapsburg family and
that one of her late husband's sisters is married to a prince of the
reigning house of Bavaria. On the other hand the Spanish people are,
of course, in customs and language, more closely related to the
French and Italian people and this racial relationship is found
expressed in a more or less strong sympathy for France. In 1906 King
Alfonso XIII married Princess Victoria of Battenberg, daughter of
one of the daughters of Queen Victoria of England and of a German
prince, but thoroughly English in her bringing up and sympathies.
This alliance of course brought Spain into closer contact with
England. Considering these various conditions it is clear that Spain
has about as many sentimental reasons for supporting the Allies as
it has for supporting the Central Powers, and this balanced its
sentiments so well that its neutrality has been really fair and
sincere. The entrance of Portugal into the war, however, may have an
important bearing on Spain's future attitude.

CHAPTER X

DENMARK, SWEDEN, NORWAY, HOLLAND, AND LUXEMBURG

The reasons for the neutrality which the three Scandinavian kingdoms
have maintained in the Gr