Economy and politics in the embargo of high technology during the Cold War. The case of a semiperipheral country (Spain)

Abstract

The political reasons lying on far-reaching economic decisions making has been at the center of international debate for many years, especially during the Cold War. This article aims to deepen the understanding of the functioning of the world economy during the Cold War. It analyzes the scope of policies to control the transfer of Western high technology to enemy countries in the framework of a division of the world into blocs. In particular, it is proposed to examine the mechanisms of the technological embargo imposed by the hegemonic power in the West -US- and its economic repercussions on several Spanish companies of the high-end sectors. This contribution adopts an interdisciplinary perspective that combines the economic approach of Adler-Karlsson (1968), the most general of the geo-economics and the business of Segreto (2006). The work diversifies and updates the bibliography and incorporates new primary sources, including business and official sources.