Remembering Franco: Spanish Collective Memory from the Civil War to Today (thesis)

Abstract

This work will engage four different bodies of literature: that of Franco and his regime, the history of the transition from dictatorship to democracy, the debate over historical memory in Spain, and the broader topic of historical memory as a whole. Rather than disagree outright with most works, it will instead build upon research and analysis already completed to demonstrate how, despite years of memory dominance by the state, the people at the grassroots level over time have taken control of the remembrance of Franco's regime. After many years hidden below the surface, the power struggle for control of collective memory has gone public and the people have become just as important players as the state. I will build upon the work of these scholars, but rather than try to find some unknown aspect of the dictator's life, I will use the works completed about Franco to analyze what memory he was trying to create, what legacy he was trying to leave, and how he attempted complete his vision. Through analysis of his life's details provided by his biographers and his own words, the state tried to impose its own carefully constructed memory about the greatness of the regime and its role as savior of the Spanish people. [page 6 of historiography]