Viejas y nuevas memorias de la Guerra Civil

Abstract

This article examines autobiographical narratives of the Spanish Civil War by way of war diaries, letters and memoirs which have been published between 2006 and 2013. Since the beginning of the war the trauma caused to Spanish society has led to a substantial number of personal narratives. These sources, based upon individual experiences, are of great value for constructing a multi-faceted history of the war itself. We examine memoirs and diaries which for various reasons have not been published until recently. We deal first with military memoirs from the Francoist side, which show a striking continuity with present-day neo-Francoist approaches. Second, we examine memoirs by members of the Republican élite and of the popular classes, all of them coming from different political cultures. Finally, we account for the writing of women in exile and of a Chilean diplomat in Madrid.