The Culture of Fascism in Spain

Fall 2011 Nil Santiáñez [email protected]

“THE CULTURE OF FASCISM IN SPAIN” (Graduate Seminar)

1 Course description

This course explores the fascist culture in Spain from the 1920s until the aftermath of World War II. After contextualizing the period through a comparative study of the fascist movement in Spain and other European countries, we will proceed by moving both chronologically and topographically. We will begin with the inception of a fascist habitus during the Moroccan War (1921-27), continue with the creation of a fascist poetics in the Peninsula, analyze war writings produced during the Spanish Civil War, and conclude with the memoirs written by the veterans of the Blue Division on their war experience in the Soviet Union. The emphasis will be placed on the study of fascist written representations, but we will also consider other cultural productions, such as film, art and architecture. Authors studied in this seminar include: Primo de Rivera, García Serrano, Sánchez Mazas, Giménez Caballero, and Santa Marina.

2. List of objectives  Study in depth the cultural representations of one of the hegemonic ideologies in Spain in the twentieth century.  Provide a comparative and an interdisciplinary perspective of Spanish fascism.  Learn about and apply theoretical approaches and analytic tools that the students can use in other disciplines (e.g. Wittgenstein’s “family resemblances”, Bourdieu’s “habitus”, Virilio’s “endocolonialism”, speech-act theory, space theory).  Discuss in class ethical issues (e.g. politics and evil, writing and ethical responsibility).  Explore the residual presence of fascism on contemporary Spain.

3. Course outline

1. Chronology and Family Resemblances of Spanish Fascism

S. Payne, Fascism in Spain. (Selections) S. Payne, A History of Fascism. (Selections) S. Ellwood, Historia de Falange Española. (Selections) A. A. Kallis, The Fascism Reader. (Selections) José Antonio Primo de Rivera, Ramiro Ledesma Ramos, and Onésimo Redondo: political program of Falange Española. (Selections) R. García Serrano, Eugenio.

2. Fascist Habitus: The Moroccan War (1921-27)

P. Bourdieu, “Habitus.” L. Santa Marina, Tras el águila del César. R. Sánchez Mazas, “La campaña de África.” (Selections) F. Franco. Marruecos: Diario de una bandera.

3. Poetics of Fascism: Cartographic Gaze, Will-to-Architecture, and Public Ritual

E. Giménez Caballero, Genio de España. E. Giménez Caballero, Arte y Estado. (Selections) R. Sánchez Mazas, “Textos sobre una política de arte.” El Valle de los Caídos. Burial of José Antonio Primo de Rivera (video clips). Burial of Francisco Franco (video clips).

4. Geopolitics of Fascism: Endocolonialism and Exocolonialism

R. de Basterra. (Selected poems). R. Sánchez Mazas on Rome. (Selected articles). E. Giménez Caballero on Rome. (Selected articles). A. Tovar, El Imperio de España (Selections). José María de Areilza and Fernando María Castiella, Reivindicaciones de España. (Selections).

5. Fascist War Writing: The Civil War and World War II

F. Ximénez de Sandoval, Camisa azul. War poetry (selected authors). F. Franco, Raza (movie). D. Ridruejo, Cuadernos de Rusia. (Selections) T. Salvador, División 250.

Course format: seminar. Examination format: participation in discussions, class presentations with handouts, two reaction papers, one final paper.