InSpaintodaythecivilwarremains’thepastthatwillnotpassaway’.ThelongshadowoftheSecondWorldWarisnowalsobringingbackcentreframeitsmostdisquietingaspects,revealingtoabroaderpublicthestarktruthalreadyknownbyspecialisthistorians--thatinSpain,asinthemanyotherinternecinewarssoontoconvulseEurope,warwaswagedpredominantlyuponcivilians--millionswerekillednotbyinvadersandstrangers,butbytheirowncompatriots,includingtheirownneighbours.Acrossthecontinent,Hitler’swarofterritorialexpansionafter1938woulddetonateamyriad’irregularwars’,ofcultureaswellasofpolitics,whichtookona’cleansing’intransigenceasthosedrivingthemsoughttomake’homogeneous’communities,whetherethnic,politicalorreligious.SomuchofthiswasprefiguredwithprimalintensityinSpainin1936,where,on17-18July,agroupofarmyofficersrebelledagainstthesocially-reformingRepublic.SavedfromalmostcertainfailurebyNaziandFascistmilitaryintervention,andbyaBritishinactionamountingtocomplicity,thesearmyrebelsunleashedaconflictinwhichciviliansbecamethetargetsofmasskilling.ThenewmilitaryauthoritiesauthorisedandpresidedoveranexterminationofthosesectorsassociatedwithRepublicanchange--especiallythosewhosymbolisedculturalchangeandthusposedathreattooldwaysofbeingandthinking:progressiveteachers,self-educatedworkers,’new’women.IntheRepublicanzone,resistancetothecoupalsoledtothemurderofcivilians.ThisextrajudicialandcommunalkillinginbothzoneswouldfundamentallymakenewpoliticalandculturalmeaningsthatchangedSpain’spoliticallandscapeforever.HelenGrahamexplorestheorigins,natureandlong-termconsequencesofthisexterminatorywarinSpain,chartingtheresonantformsofpolitical,socialandculturalresistancetoitandthememory/legacythesehaveleftbehindinEuropeandbeyond.Notleastisourgrowingsenseoftheenormityofwhat,ingreaterEuropeanterms,theRepublicanwareffortresisted:Naziadventurism,andthecontinent-widewarsofethnicandpolitical’purification’itwouldunleash.
CLEANSING WOMEN NEW COMMUNITIES
