This book investigates urban conflict, popular protest and social control in Barcelona during the period 1898-1937. Focusing upon the sources of anarchist power in the city and the role of the organised anarchist movement during the Second Republic the volume concludes with an analysis of the decline of the power of the anarchist movement during the civil war in its identification of the local conditions that made Barcelona into the capital of European anarchism.

The CASB Occasional Papers is intended as a platform for the dissemination of research focused on Spanish topics carried out by young American university students. Many students come to Spain to complete their academic studies, discover the complexity of the local society and its history and, as a consequence, some of them address their academic interest in Hispanic issues in writing. In this sense, CASB Occasional Papers aims to contribute to the evolution of a new generation of “Hispanistas” from different fields and backgrounds in the very early steps of their academic careers and, at the same time, offer the results of their junior research to broader and non-specialized audiences. Within a context of decreasing interest in humanities and social studies, this publication is an effort to promote and encourage research in fields centered around the perspective of “outsiders”, the Transatlantic point of view and an interdisciplinary approach to wide-ranging themes. The three papers included here examine several aspects of the Spanish Civil War and its consequences: Molly Goodkind analyzes four important radical American women (Mary Low, Lois Orr, Martha Gellhorn and Josephine Herbst) who participated in the war; Marcella Hayes examines the role of seven anarchist maquis during the Francoist dictatorship in Barcelona; and Amanda Mitchell studies the relevant recent debates on history and memory as a result of the Ley de la Memoria Histórica (2007).

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.

This volume attempts to equip the English-speaking reader with a fuller understanding of the uniqueness and quality of the culture of Catalonia by providing a comprehensive portfolio of the creative contribution of the nation across a broad spectrum of achievement.

2017 saw Catalonia come under the world's spotlight as it again fought for independence and the preservation and protection of its unique Catalan culture. Answering the questions and complications behind the fight for Catalonian Independence, Catalonia Reborn is a detailed guide to the region's political, historical and cultural issues. For the layman as well as the expert, it takes the reader through the rich history of Catalonia – its language, culture and political background – to the present day, covering defining eras of the region from Franco's dictatorship to the 2017 independence referendum and elections.

This book examines the transformation of the Catalan nation in socio-economic, political and historical terms, and offers an innovative interpretation of the determinants of its nationalist mobilisation. With Franco's and Spanish nationalism's victory in 1939, and the consolidation of a long-lasting dictatorship, it appeared certain that the Catalan national movement would be crushed. Yet, this did not happen and Catalan nationalism and identity re-emerged at the end of Franco's dictatorship in 1975 more firmly rooted than before. The core of this book traces the Francoist repression and the nationalist response to it, demonstrating how new political actors reconfigured Catalan nationalism over the course of the Franco regime (1939--1975). Post-Franco, Catalan cultural and political identity was consolidated and Catalonia became the most successful state-less nationalism in western Europe. The 21st century has been marked by an ever-growing independence movement, culminating in the vast demonstration in the city of Barcelona in July 2010. Andrew Dowling provides multi-faceted viewpoints in historic perspective, and reflects on possible steps and outcomes for this new pro-independence turn in Catalan nationalism. This study will appeal not only to students of Spain but also to those interested in nationalism as a separate issue of enquiry. The themes treated in the book -- Franco's Spain, nationalism, anarchism, Catholicism, communism and the Catalan role in Spain's transition to democracy -- make this work an essential point of reference for students and researchers in Hispanic studies, modern European history and political science. Published in association with the Catalan Observatory, London School of Economics.