Historical Dictionary of the Spanish Civil War
By (author) Francisco J. Romero Salvadó
Publication date:
14 March 2013Length of book:
448 pagesPublisher
Scarecrow PressISBN-13: 9780810857841
The tragedy that devastated Spain for 33 months from July 1936 to April 1939, was, first and foremost, a brutal fratricidal conflict, the product of the fatal clash between diametrically opposed views of Spain and an attempt to settle crucial issues which had divided Spaniards for generations: agrarian reform, recognition of the identity of the historical regions (Catalonia, the Basque Country), and the roles of the Catholic Church and the armed forces in a modern state. Being a war between Spaniards, it was particularly brutal, but it was also part of the broader move toward war in Europe and thus sucked in many “volunteers” from abroad. And it left a deep imprint since General Francisco Franco remained at the helm of the country until his death in 1975.
The Historical Dictionary of the Spanish Civil war covers the history of the war, first through a long chronology, which highlights the major steps from the incubation to the conclusion. The overall situation is summed up in the introduction. Then the dictionary section fleshes it out, with over 600 entries on persons, places, events, institutions, battles, and campaigns. More reading can be found in an extensive bibliography. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Spanish Civil War.
The Historical Dictionary of the Spanish Civil war covers the history of the war, first through a long chronology, which highlights the major steps from the incubation to the conclusion. The overall situation is summed up in the introduction. Then the dictionary section fleshes it out, with over 600 entries on persons, places, events, institutions, battles, and campaigns. More reading can be found in an extensive bibliography. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Spanish Civil War.
Well-regarded historian Romero Salvadó examines the heartbreak of the Spanish Civil War in over 600 cross-referenced entries on people, places, events, institutions, campaigns, and battles. The vastly different ideological philosophies that violently clashed between July 1936 and April 1939 had ripples that affected Spain for generations. While all civil wars are brutal, this one was especially fierce and diverse in nature. Involved parties ranged from Soviet agents to Nazi airmen, from Catholic clergy to landowners, from American volunteers to Spanish Basques, and a divided Spanish military. This dictionary, part of the "Historical Dictionaries of War, Revolution, and Civil Unrest" series, features lists of acronyms and abbreviations, a nice set of maps, a good chronology, and a bibliography for further study. Examples of the entries included are the "International Brigades," "General José Asensio Cabanillas," "General Douglas" (the pseudonym used by a Soviet Air Force officer), "Francisco Franco," "László Rajk," "Catalonia," and "Catholic Church." Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty.