It is now a widely held academic view, that the dominant occupation of Franco, and his regime, was the nationalistically focused, self-indulgent, reworking of history. Designed to brutally disseminate an idealised vision of a united singular Spanish National identity, under the auspicious guise, of avoiding another civil war and banishing the evils of Marxism. And how he, throughout the years of the dictatorship, outwardly projected this image of unity, in order to gain economic favour with the differing dominate world powers (Preston 1995). The aim of this paper will be to chart how certain cultural artefacts were used to manipulate and romanticise the propaganda perpetuated by Franco during the civil war and the ensuing dictatorship. The essay will look at how these artefacts were used during the thousand day war, in uniting the differing right wing nationalist entities into a singular force; and how this idealised propaganda imbued the Nationalists with a crusade like mentality. The paper will also examine how these ideals, in the aftermath of the civil war, were wielded callously by the Francoist movement. In their heinous endeavour of purging all Republican supporters, and decimate any objectivity as to the real nature of the civil war. The paper will conclude by looking at the cultural artefacts used by the Catholic Church during their relentless march towards, the unified ideals and morals of National Catholicism.
In 1936 the decision was made by the Nationalist rebels to bestow military and political authority on General Franco. Once invested with this power, Franco took steps towards unifying the right wing Nationalist factions, including the Falangist Militia, Carlist Requetes, the Military, the Catholic Church and the M...
... middle of paper ...
...gh cultural artefacts like pilgrimages, fiestas and days set aside for the celebration of the catholic saints.
To conclude, by charting how certain cultural artefacts were abused by the Franco Regime, in its efforts to mould the people of Spain, by imposing moralistic cultural values, and the notion of a united Spanish Nation with a shared and uniform cultural heritage. The paper has followed a natural progression from the civil war years, through the changing face of the Dictatorship, from a fascist focused regime, to the relentless endeavours of the Catholic Church, as they tried to ingrain their doctrine on the Spain nation. The cultural division in Spanish society this produced, maybe go some way to shining a light on the current fracturing of Spain; as Catalonia and The Basque region look for autonomy from the centralised national government in Madrid.
She discusses about a historical text that “has a few points in common with baseball cards” (318), in which it was published by Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala. The manuscript contains a mixture of Quechua and Spanish, and is addressed to King Philip III of Spain. Guaman Poma’s letter is split into two parts: the first of which is called Nueva coronica, “New Chronicle,” and serves as “the main writing apparatus through which the Spanish presented their American conquests to themselves” (319). This first half of the text introduces one distinctive phenomenon of the contact zone: the autoethnographic text, in which it involves collaborations with people from different social and intellectual backgrounds “to create self-representations intended to intervene in metropolitan modes of understanding” (320). “New Chronicle” rewrites the Christian history and the Spanish conquest to paint a new picture of the world, where the Andean people lie in the center, not the Europeans. At the end of the first half, Guaman Poma argues that there should have been a peaceful encounter between the Spanish and the Inca, thereby forming a potential for benefiting both parties, not just one. Finishing explaining Guaman Poma’s letter, Pratt quickly connects his letter to the contact zone, making an argument that the art of the contact zone illustrates a picture of the oppressors, the Europeans, from the oppressed, the Andeans’,
Francisco Franco (1892-1975) was a lifelong military leader. He rose through the ranks until the early 1930s, when he found himself, a right-wing monarchist, in the middle of a left-wing republic. He was demoted, but later rose up again, and by 1935 he had been named chief of staff of the Spanish Army, a position he used to get rid of left-wing figures and their military institutions. When the left- wing social and economic structure of Spain began to fall, Franco joined the rebellion. He soon led an uprising and took control of Spain after the Spanish Civil War (1939). From then unti...
Adventures In The Unknown Interior of America, a narrative by Cabeza De Vaca, contains many pieces of information that are applicable to present day society and the culture that has been created. The values of today’s moral code and the moral code of those who lived in the fifteen-hundreds, whether or not they knew Spain as their mother country or America to be the only country, have similar qualities. Not only has moral code contained similar values but it also contains comparable accommodation to different cultures living among one another.
The study of religion is often a rigorous process because the central tenets of the subject: image, ritual, and myth are often copious in their complexity. For example, consider the multiple meanings that are inherent in the image of a crucifix. Some Christians might view it as an image of suffering, whilst others would reject that notion and instead perceive it to be one of love. These differences may seem inconsequential at first, but they can overtime shape the beliefs of an individual and by extension a community. To understand this dynamic better one only has to analyze the Christo Aparecido (Christ Appeared), an authentic Mexican crucifix with a fascinating history from the colonial era to the present. This history is made known by the text, Biography of a Mexican Crucifix: Lived Religion and Local Faith from the Conquest to the Present by Jennifer Hughes, from which I contend that over the life of the Christo Aparecido there continues to be an understanding among devotees that this crucifix is sacred because it displays animus while being a vestige for the sacred to occupy. To support my position I will attempt to relate the moments where the Christo Aparecido is said to show signs of life, in particular his stay in Mexico City during the colonial era and his role in more modern times with rival groups clashing over its efficacy in the village of Totolapan.
In the year 1939 the formidable General Francisco Franco rose to power during a time of government and economic struggle in Spain. He contained an ability that he began to develop and strengthen, allowing him to easily and efficiently take control of a situation, all while growing into a natural, very influential leader. His striking tactics of manipulation and articulate speech were cultivated from a young age, transformed into what would become mechanisms of terror. Due to a life that was submerged into the military and the path taken because of his specific division of the army, Franco developed these characteristics of a dictator, using them to accomplish a complete takeover of Spain’s civilization by whatever means necessary; the country was then plunged into a whirlwind of political, economic, and social struggles but also improvements that would continue to alternate until his death.
In the novel The President, Miguel Asturias shows that fear controls personal identity in a totalitarian government. He explains that the fear of death and punishment controls a society and alters the unique way of life. Personal identity is the unique set of emotions, experiences, and lifestyles that make up an individuals life. Religious devotion and Christian resignation becomes apparent in a life dominated by fear and paranoia. True feelings and emotions can be hidden by fear. Fear and paranoia of the surrounding environment can cause a person to live an isolated life.
Fascism is defined as, “an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.” Peter Hyland reports that throughout the 1920s and the 1930s, an economic depression was growing and becoming widespread throughout the world. People were losing faith in their democracies and in capitalism. Leaders who gained power supported powerful militarism, nationalism, and initiated the return of an authoritarian rule. J.R. Oppenheimer says that the rise of fascism and totalitarianism in Europe and Russia instigated a “critical step on the path to war.” In 1922, Benito Mussolini held leadership in Italy, promising a proficient and militaristic nationalistic state. During his control as prime minister, he gained a large group of followers, banned the disparagement of government, and used extreme violence against his enemies within the parliament.
AMD Press, New York, NY. Llorente, Juan Antonio [1967] A critical history of the Inquisition of Spain, from the period of its establishment by Ferdinand V to the reign of Ferdinand VII, composed from the original documents of the Archives of the Supreme Council of the Inquisition and from those of subordinate tribunals of the Holy Office. J. Lilburne Co., Williamstown, MA. Roth, Cecil.
Other religious practices that resulted from the blending of ancient Mesoamerican and Catholic cultures in the diversity of colonial life include: the construction of churches and cathedrals on or near ancient temple sites; the ritual use of a fermented drink in spiritual practices (pulque and wine); public worship; incense; bundle cults; and many other "little traditions" (Carmack 304).
In order to understand the effects of the Spanish Civil War, the atmosphere of Spain prior to 1936 needs to be understood as well. Spain, unlike major European powers, never experienced a bourgeois revolution and was therefore still dominated by a significant aristocracy. However, Spain had gone through several civil wars and revolutions making violence one of the most common devices for change. It, also, had undergone several cycles of reform, reaction from the opposition, and reversal by military uprising led by a dictator before 1936 (Preston 18).
Evidently, Spain’s loss of its colonies[3] lowered the morale of the Spanish people and reflected Spain’s backward and deteriorating nation,[4] especially in respect to the development of other European countries of that period. It was here that the Spanish realised their desperate need for ‘regeneration.’ However, a disagreement on the type of change needed divided the Spanish nation into two factions, ... ... middle of paper ... ...
This book investigates the social and political backgrounds of Spain before and during the civil war. This book is valuable because it was written almost immediately after the war, which allows for the book to more accurately represents the ideas of the time. However, this book is limited by the fact that Brenan writes somewhat condescendingly about the Spanish people, mainly those of the lower class.
The Estado Novo, also referred to as the Second Republic, is a key part to Portuguese history in the 20th Century. It was a right leaning, conservative regime, led by the corporatist, authoritarian dictator António de Oliviera Salazar; established in 1933 and lasting until 1974. The First Republic had been and unsuccessful, unstable, Republican democracy, and had been overthrown by a coup d’état in May 1926, which led to the evolution of the ‘Ditadura Nacional’ which eventually progressed to become the Estado Novo. The incorporation of the significance of the role of the Catholic Church and fascism is difficult to evaluate as Salazar’s regime ‘continued about equal blends of Roman Catholic principles and Mussolini-like fascism’ .
Fast track to the 1800’s when we see many problems result from important happenings such as the peninsular war, which occurred from 1807-1814, the Spanish American wars of independence where Spain lost a significant amount of its colonies in the Americas in early 19th century. But lastly three Carlist wars that dated from 1832 all the way to 1876 had effect a new interpretation of Spain’...
“The Temple [of The Sagrada Família] grows slowly, but this has always been the case with everything destined to have a long life. Hundred-year-old oak trees take many years to grow tall; on the other hand, reeds grow quickly, but in autumn the wind knocks them down and there is no more to be said"1. These words, spoken by Antoni Gaudi about his life-long work, Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, are a means to justify the extremely long time needed for the construction of the Sagrada Família, while referencing the themes and structural concepts he borrowed from nature in his designs. While this logical explanation may give comfort to some, others doubt the temple’s eventual completion, as its construction has just passed 123 years, with roughly half of the temple completed.1 Although churches and cathedrals have always endured long periods of construction, the plan set forth by Gaudi is of such an elaborate nature as to set the temple in a league of its own. The drive of Gaudi and others involved in the project are very representative of the Catalan people. Catalonia, and specifically Barcelona, has historically been a successful and prosperous region in Western Europe, a leader in politics and trade, but lost much of its importance and independence in modern times. Catalan nationality persevered, and Barcelona sought ways to reaffirm their identity and show the world it is a city rich with life and culture. While many projects would follow, perhaps the best example of this desire to show the world the worth of Catalonia is embodied in the Sagrada Família. The grand magnitude and elaborate attention to detail involved in the construction of the Sagrada Família are a clear portrayal of the ideal of Catalan pride.