Élites and Power in Twentieth-Century Spain

This book examines the élites who have striven to dominate, exploit, or change the structures of power in modern Spain. For much of the twentieth century, Spain has seethed with intense conflict between Catholics and anti-clericals, landowners and peasants, workers and industrialists, centralists and regionalists, liberal democrats and authoritarian soldiers. Periods of outright violence - 1917-1923 and 1936-1939 - have been followed by repressive dictatorships. Yet even under Primo de Rivera and Franco, the struggle continued over how, why, and by whom political, social, and economic power should be exercised.

The contributors, friends and pupils of Sir Raymond Carr, have drawn on the latest research to provide intriguing new insights into Spain's turbulent development throughout the twentieth century.

Readership: Scholars and students of modern Spanish history; social, political and constitutional historians; sociologists.

Edited by Frances Lannon, Fellow and Tutor in Modern History, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, and Paul Preston, Professor of History, Queen Mary and Westfield College, London

"`While historical in scope and method, this perceptive volume has something to offer political scientists interested in modern Spain.' Political Studies"

"`To a large extent, they [the essays] reflect their respective authors particular specializations, yet they also present a coherent and comprehensive panorama of the period.' Sheelagh Ellwood, History Today"

"'elegant little Festschrift ... Quality is uniformly high, without a single weak contribution, which is unusual for this kind of volume ... these eight studies comprise a distinctive book that can be strongly recommended for the understanding of the extreme right, the military and the Axis connection during the long history of the Franco regime.' Stanley G. Payne, University of Wisconsin-Madison, European History Quarterly"

"'Rarely ... can a historian have been more deserving of celebration in a work such as that now published by Frances Lannon and Paul Preston on the manner in which different élites have responded to change. Most of the contributors having been his students, the insight and vigour of this work form a fitting tribute to Sir Raymond Carr.' Charles Esdaile, Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, Volume LXIX, Number 3, July 1992"