Bloodshed as seen from the front row: Perception of the Spanish civil war in Gibraltar (1936-1939)

Authors

  • Julio Ponce Alberca Universidad de Sevilla

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v12i25.983

Keywords:

Gibraltar, Spanish Civil War, Refugees, Stereotypes, Images

Abstract

The British colony of Gibraltar served as a unique vantage point from which to observe the unfolding of the Civil War in neighboring Spain. However, despite the numerous testimonies available, the issue of the perceptions and images about the conflict in Spain originating in the Rock has been only superficially explored. The enclave's image as welcoming to Spanish Republicans during the Spanish Civil War and having a resolute anti-Francoist vocation has been successfully installed in public discourse. This mediatized perception stems probably from the sixties, when Franco's regime announced the closure of the Gibraltar fence ― it remained closed for more than a decade, even during the Spanish democratic transition. It was at that time that the ROCK was perceived as a democratic bastion as opposed to the neighboring Spanish dictatorship. However, the historiographical literature on the Rock evidences certain important nuances to this vision of this place's friendly disposition to the Second Spanish Republic. Nowadays it is known, for instance, that Gibraltar gave shelter to prominent anti-republican figures, that its authorities observed with some reluctance what was happening on the other side of the fence and that the heterogeneous Gibraltarian population did not adopt a homogeneous attitude in favor of the Spanish Republican regime. Therefore, it seems appropriate to clarify this apparent contrast between memories and history, and that is precisely the aim of the following lines: the study of the ― always subjective ― perceptions of Spaniards and Britons who spent a certain amount of time in the Rock on those fateful dates. In order to analyze them, three population groups will be distinguished: Spanish refugees, Gibraltarians and other British citizens and, finally, the opinion of the enclave's authorities (especially the Rock's governors). The objective is to verify whether impressions were similar among the three groups and within each of them. As we know, contemporary testimonies significantly enrich the historical reconstruction of the past.

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Author Biography

Julio Ponce Alberca, Universidad de Sevilla

Profesor Titular de la Universidad de Sevilla dentro del departamento de Historia Contemporánea, imparte docencia en la Escuela Internacional de Posgrado así como en la Facultad de Geografía e Historia. Integrante del grupo de investigación de Estudios de Historia Actual (GEHA), participa como investigador y responsable en distintas líneas y proyectos de investigación relacionadas con movimientos históricos, representatividad democrática, élites políticas y liderazgo local.  Ha publicado numerosos artículos y libros dentro de estas materias.

References

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Julio PONCE ALBERCA: Gibraltar and the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39 Local, National and International Perspectives, London, Bloomsbury, 2015.

Francis SILVA et al.: Red Ship and Red Tape. The José Luis Díez and Gibraltar, Ubrique, Editorial Tréveris, 2021.

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Gamel WOOLSEY: Málaga en llamas, Madrid, Temas de Hoy, 1998.

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Published

2024-01-24

How to Cite

Ponce Alberca, J. (2024). Bloodshed as seen from the front row: Perception of the Spanish civil war in Gibraltar (1936-1939). Revista Universitaria De Historia Militar, 12(25), 176–198. https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v12i25.983

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 25 (2023): Mujeres en guerras, perspectivas discursivas

Section

Estudios

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Copyright (c) 2024 Julio Ponce Alberca

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