Fascism in Spain, 1923-1977

Being a novice on this subject, I found "Fascism in Spain" very informative on a complex and horrific time in Europeanpolitical history. The subject matter is not one I have been exposed to honestly. Mr. Payne, in my opinion, covered itvery well and very deeply. He furthered my desire to read more on post WW1 Europe with an objective point of view,a subject matter I found not readily available. A surprise to me was the role of The Church. Also, I have not yet learnedenough to objectively form an opinion on Franco taking into account the political environment in which he lived. I found"Fascism in Spain" not a particularly easy read. I needed to learn the format, and many Spanish language phraseswould interrupt my thought. But despite the pace, I was enthralled by the subject matter and always eager to continue.Realizing the title would select the book's market, I would highly recommend "Fascism in Spain", the book.

Arrived as advertised.

A well written book on a little known part of world history. The author touches a long period of Spain's 20th Century history. The 50 years of "fascism" in Spain is accentuated with its cover provided to legitimize the Franco dictatorship as a mass popular movement. Particularly interesting are the interactions between Spain and other fascist regimes of the first half of the century. This raises the "what if" scenario of Spain entering World War II on the side of the Axis in 1940/41 and the possible affect on the final outcome of the war. As it turned out, General Franco was correct in not joining the Axis at their height and of course did not suffer their eventual defeat. As the only surviving "fascist" regime, the latter history is about the deminishing impact of the party beyond 1945. The question I am left with is whether the dictatorship was ever truly fascist, or merely donned the trappings of mid-century popular politics.

So THIS is why Franco was able to rule for 39 years! Payne has done a fantastic job of explaining how Primo de Rivera could come to power, fall, then nine years later Franco could become Spain's "Caudillo". Payne's detailed account makes one feel as though they have experienced what it was like in Spain from the beginning of Primo de Rivera's dictatorship to the restoration of democratic institutions in 1977. Overall, a good read.

As a newcomer to Spanish history in general and Franco's regime in particular (prior to this, the only book I had read about the Spanish Civil War was Orwell's Homage to Catalonia), I frequently became exasperated with Payne's detailed history of the fascist movement in Spain. It is overwhelmingly a political history, devoting most of its pages to the gradual construction of a recognizably fascist party under Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, and then, after Franco's triumph in the Civil War, the appointment of political officers of various ideological stripes. Payne sticks very closely to his subject and rarely places it within a larger historical context, which will make it difficult for readers who don't already possess a basic understanding of the Civil War and the Franco regime. Nonetheless, Payne's writing is incisive, well documented, and even fascinating if you happen to share his exclusive interest in the evolution of a political party that, by his own conclusion, played a secondary, dependent role in Spanish history. The last ten or so pages of the conclusion would almost be sufficient for the general reader who doesn't have the time to wade through Payne's exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) detail.