History: Spain - Kingdom, Republic, Dictatorship and Back Again 1900-1982

This course traces Spanish history from the turn of the century. We look at the impact of World War One and Two and empire in a Spanish context and the relationship of Spain to the west and to the Axis powers.

We examine the rule of Primo de Rivera after the Great War and its consequences for Spain. We consider the Second Republic and its Byzantine politics, the Civil War in all its bewildering complexity and the dictatorship of Franco and its aftermath. Throughout we consider the impact of Basque and Catalan Nationalism and its turn to violence in the 1960s and 1970s including the ETA campaign. We then examine the return to democracy from 1975 up to the victory of the socialists in the 1982 election. Throughout we will consider economic, social, cultural and political trends as well as Spain’s position in the world and the way in which Spanish history has been presented (or ignored) over the years. Extensive use of Spanish art and photography will be used every week.