Historia científica vs. Historia de combate en la antesala de la Guerra Civil

Abstract

Historical «revisionists» of the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1939) have in recent years defined themselves as «scientific». Their main ideas are outlined in the «Decalogue of the revisionist historian». The parameters of that self-proclaimed «science» remain undefined, unless they are understood as a way of distinguishing themselves from «ideology», with which they define «commitment history». Thelatter would be the «traditional» historiographical approach, concerned with the explanation of material conditions or the international context, rather than focusing on political discourse or the role played by leaders. The main goal of these new «revisionists» is to demystify the Republican era by placing themselves in an alleged «third position», free from partisan influence of the left or the right. This chapter focuses on the supposed impartiality of «revisionist» historians and on the consistency of the policies of exclusion attributed to Republicans and Socialists.