Andorra: The Micro Diarchy
Focus Question: How did Andorra remain sovereign between France and Spain while interacting with both?
How Andorra went from the Moors, to the Visigoths, to the Holy Roman Empire, to a semi-autonomous diarchy
Andorra has an area of 468 km2. Andorra is one of seven microstates in Europe. These are tiny independent nations in Europe, such as Liechtenstein, Malta, the Vatican, San Marino, Monaco, Luxembourg, and Andorra. Furthermore, Andorra’s sole official language is Catalan and native Andorrans are ethnically Catalan, but it has many people from Spain, France, and Portugal, bringing their language with them. Next, the Roman Empire was a dominant ancient civilization which controlled most of the lands around Europe and in the Mediterranean. It got too big to manage, and it dissolved into an Eastern Empire (Byzantine) and the Western Empire (collection of independent Germanic kingdoms). The Holy Roman Empire started in the West when the Pope wanted to revive the Western Roman Empire (and the new empire lasted from 800 to 1806). Charlemagne was the first Holy Roman Empire, and led many military campaigns in France, Austria, and Andorra! The land might have been large, but it was very decentralized. Finally, the Spanish Civil War was an insurrection against the Second Spanish Republic led by Generalissimo Francisco Franco (from 1936 to 1939). Franco’s side was called the Nationalists, and they conquered much territory – parts of Morocco and up to the French border.
Map of Andorra
Andorra was first established in 803, when Charlemagne, the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, recovered the area from the Moors. Previously, the land had been held by the Roman Empire, then conquered by the Visigoths, then part of Muslim al-Andalus, and finally the Franks. Following territorial disputes between the Count of Foix (France) and the Bishop of Urgell, they signed the Treaty of Paréage in 1278. “The pact was maintained over time with important transformations, to the point that the Constitution of Andorra includes the system of the co-princeship, with the bishop of Urgell and the president of the French Republic as co-princes of Andorra, in equality and in a personal capacity” (“Història d'Andorra”). This demonstrates Andorra’s ability to become sovereign through agreements, and how Andorra today reflects its creation 800 years ago. So, Andorra became one of the last diarchies (ruled by two monarchs).
Paréage of Andorra (1278)
During WWII, Andorra was a gateway for Jews and French people to escape through. It was a route that would be hard to follow due to the 8000ft Pyrenees peaks. The Pat O’Leary, Dutch-Paris, Francois, and the Marie-Claire Lines all used routes through Andorra. Once evaders make it to Barcelona, they could go to the American/British Embassy to flee. Even though Andorra remained neutral, it was a puppet of different countries. Radio Andorra was a central broadcaster all over Europe, which Germany wanted to twist into propaganda. However, Radio Andorra remained under Andorran control, even being a platform for French refugees to send coded messages in songs to their relatives. During the Spanish Civil War, Andorra had many threats and possibilities of being conquered: “Franco's troops, shortly after occupying Girona and reaching the French border, arrived at the Andorran border in February 1939. The good understanding between Commander Aguirre, the trustee Cairat and Colonel Baulard, with whom interviewed at the border crossing, he guaranteed Andorra's neutrality in the conflict” (“Andorra” [Gran Orient d’Andorra]). This agreement demonstrates how Andorra maintained sovereignty through negotiation while maintaining good relationships with its neighbors. Additionally, France created a detachment in Andorra to protect it from Franco’s advancement.
In 1993, Andorra adopted its first constitution, creating a parliamentary system where the co-princes are merely symbolic. The last remnants of feudalism went away. The same year, Andorra joined the UN, getting international recognition, and joined the Council of Europe in 1994. Andorra has always used currencies from the surrounding countries, like the French Franc and the Spanish peseta, until being replaced by the Euro. The currency use proves the influence of its neighbors. European Travel expert Rick Steves wrote, “While Andorrans speak Catalan, and feel particularly connected to Catalunya, their commercial environment is as international as can be” (Steves). This proves that Andorra has been opened up to the world politically and economically – sovereign but globally influenced.
