In the early modern era, the relations between countries were determined by commercial, geopolitical and military factors. Different states exerted control over other regions through economic strategies, armed forces or the negotiating capacities of their leaders. Accordingly, diplomatic historians have traditionally paid special attention to trade, military prowess and the interaction between political elites. However, in the 20th Century, other factors have gained increasing relevance in the foreign policy of a given state, such as education, intellectual networks and the sharing of ideas. Consequently, the specialised historiography shifted its focus onto cultural elements, which are now central to the history of international relations.

In the early 20th Century, culture started to become a key component of international relations. The Department of State of the USA and the foreign offices of many European countries realised how useful cultural propaganda campaigns were for diplomacy. France and the United Kingdom founded educational corporations to contribute to their foreign policies: the Institut Françis (1922) and the British Council (1934). The equivalent Spanish institution is the Instituto Cervantes, which was set up much later, in 1991.

Nevertheless, the Spanish government established several institutions to meet this diplomatic objective by promoting Spanish culture abroad and developing educational relations with other countries in the first half of the 20th Century. In 1907 the Board for Advanced Studies and Scientific Research (Junta para Ampliación de Estudios e Investigaciones Científicas, JAE) was founded, and later, in 1921 the Board of Cultural Relations (Junta de Relaciones Culturales, JRC) was created. Both organisations were established to promote intellectual contacts with European and American nations. In 1932, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Spain issued a report explaining the role of these institutions in Spanish foreign policy: