Interrogating Francoism: History and Dictatorship in Twentieth-Century Spain

Helen Graham here brings together leading historians of international renown to examine 20th-century Spain in light of Franco’s dictatorship and its legacy.
Interrogating Francoism uses a three-part structure to look at the old regime, the civil war and the forging of Francoism; the nature of Franco’s dictatorship; and the ‘history wars’ that have since taken place over his legacy. Social, political, economic and cultural historical approaches are integrated throughout and ‘top down’ political analysis is incorporated along with ‘bottom up’ social perspectives. The book places Spain and Francoism in comparative European context and explores the relationship between the historical debates and present-day political and ideological controversies in Spain.
In part a tribute to Paul Preston, the foremost historian of contemporary Spain today, Interrogating Francoism includes an interview with Professor Preston and a comprehensive bibliography of his work, as well as extensive further readings in English. It is a crucial volume for all students of 20th-century Spain.
The book gathers an author team of internationally renowned experts on contemporary Spain and deploys a three-part structure to look at the monarchist regime; the Second Republic; the civil war and the forging of Francoism; the nature of Franco’s dictatorship, and the ‘history wars’ that have since taken place over the dictator’s legacy. The volume’s essays are always alert to the ways in which this legacy continues to shape historical perceptions and debate today, including of the pre-Francoist twentieth century. Social, political, economic and cultural historical approaches are integrated throughout the text and ‘top down’ political analysis is incorporated along with ‘bottom up’ social perspectives. The book places Spain and Francoism in comparative European context (especially the debates opened up since 1989 on the meanings of the Second World War), and explores for the first time in an integrated fashion the relationship between the historical debates and present-day political and ideological controversies in Spain.