Letters to a King: Uncovering World War I's Lost Soldiers

A newly published online archive contains nearly 190,000 letters sent to Spain's King Alfonso XIII during World War I, where he mediated requests from families seeking their missing soldiers. Spain remained neutral during the war, allowing the King to act as a diplomatic intermediary, sometimes successfully locating missing persons.

A vast archive of nearly 190,000 letters has been made available online, offering war historians and families a deep dive into World War I's lost soldiers. These letters, addressed to Spain's King Alfonso XIII, highlight his role as a humanitarian intermediary in the 1914-18 conflict.

While Spain stayed neutral during WWI, King Alfonso emerged as a vital diplomatic channel for families desperately searching for their loved ones. His first major success involved finding a French woman's husband in a German POW camp, a feat that garnered international attention and resulted in an influx of correspondence to Spain's Royal Palace.

The archive showcases the wide range of appeals made to the King, from ordinary citizens to renowned figures like Giacomo Puccini and Rudyard Kipling. Despite the King's efforts, only around 4% of cases resulted in locating the missing soldiers, often already deceased. Today, these documents serve as a poignant reminder of the war's devastation and the European cultural nuances.