Alejandro Quiroga – författare

Unravelling the debate about the Spanish nation and its identity in the new democracy, this book looks at the issue as both a historical debate and a contemporary political problem, particularly complex due to the legacy of the Francoist Dictatorship which deeply eroded the legitimacy of Spanish nationalism. During and since the transition Spanish nationalist discourse has evolved to meet the challenge of new concepts of nation and identity. These formulations argue very different configurations of the relationship between nation and state. While the Constitution of 1978 defines Spain as a nation of nationalities, many politicians and intellectuals now claim that Spain is a nation of nations, others that it is a nation of nations and regions, or a post-traditional nation state, or post-national state. For the peripheral nationalists, it is merely a state of nations and regions. What is at issue is not whether Spain exists or not as a nation; rather, it is the traditional ways of seeing Spain from both the centre and the periphery that are being challenged.The Reinvention of Spain examines the ways in which Spanish and regional identities are projected and how influence the external actions of the Spanish state. It also analyses the dynamic of comparative grievance and competition between regions deriving from the peculiar architecture of the state in Spain, and their effect on social and political cohesion. Finally, it examines scenarios of change that might foster solutions but asserts that Spain will continue to reinvent itself.

This book is the first major biography of General Miguel Primo de Rivera, dictator of Spain between 1923 and 1930, who played a key role in the shaping of a counterrevolutionary Europe in the interwar era.Following new historiographical trends, this book combines biographical experiences of the dictator with a sociopolitical reading of the dictatorship to reflect on the configuration of national, political, and gender identities at individual and group levels. It challenges traditional readings of Primo de Rivera as a benign, non-ideological leader who established a paternalistic dictatorship, instead showing an astute and ambitious politician who created a nationalist, highly repressive, authoritarian regime profoundly influenced by Italian fascism. The monograph also explores Primo de Rivera's role as the creator of right-wing populism in Spain, who portrayed politicians and judges as enemies of the Spanish people, used 'fake news' in his propaganda machine, and presented himself as a charismatic leader ready to destroy the liberal elites.This book is intended for scholars and students specialising in Spanish history and politics, along with those interested in nationalism, populism, far-right movements, Fascism, dictators and authoritarian regimes in twentieth-century European history.The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution‑Non Commercial‑No Derivatives (CC‑BY‑NC‑ND) 4.0 license.

This book is the first major biography of General Miguel Primo de Rivera, dictator of Spain between 1923 and 1930, who played a key role in the shaping of a counterrevolutionary Europe in the interwar era.Following new historiographical trends, this book combines biographical experiences of the dictator with a sociopolitical reading of the dictatorship to reflect on the configuration of national, political, and gender identities at individual and group levels. It challenges traditional readings of Primo de Rivera as a benign, non-ideological leader who established a paternalistic dictatorship, instead showing an astute and ambitious politician who created a nationalist, highly repressive, authoritarian regime profoundly influenced by Italian fascism. The monograph also explores Primo de Rivera's role as the creator of right-wing populism in Spain, who portrayed politicians and judges as enemies of the Spanish people, used 'fake news' in his propaganda machine, and presented himself as a charismatic leader ready to destroy the liberal elites.This book is intended for scholars and students specialising in Spanish history and politics, along with those interested in nationalism, populism, far-right movements, Fascism, dictators and authoritarian regimes in twentieth-century European history.The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution‑Non Commercial‑No Derivatives (CC‑BY‑NC‑ND) 4.0 license.

Right-Wing Spain in the Civil War Era explores the lives of the leading Spanish conservatives in the turbulent period 1914-1945. The volume is a collection of biographies of the most important figures of the Spanish Right during the last years of the Restoration (1914-1923), the Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera (1923-1930), the Second Republic (1931-1936), the Civil War (1936-39) and the early years of the Franco regime (1939-45). This book brings together a number of leading historians of twentieth-century Spain. By adopting a biographical approach, the volume aims at providing a new insight of the origins, development and aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. Contrary to the traditional view, Right-Wing Spain in the Civil War Era shows a diverse and fragmented Spanish right which, far from being isolated, was profoundly influenced by German Nazism, Italian Fascism and French Traditionalism. This remarkable and innovative collection of essays will be welcomed by students and lecturers of Spanish history alike.