Spain on the international stage. Was Spain a European, a Mediterranean, or an American power? The fourth lecture in the Spain 1959–1992 series is in pursuit of an answer. It also looks at how to use élite interviewing in historical research and discusses Javier Marías’ 1989 novel, All Souls.
Democratic institution building. Lecture three uses Javier Cercas’ 2007 novel The Anatomy of a Moment to discuss Spain’s 23 February 1981 attempted military coup. It questions the origins of Spain’s democratic institutions and employs CIA reports in historical research. To see the secret footage, go to: http://bit.ly/1fsV92D.
Spain's transition from dictatorship to democracy in the 1970s. Lecture two asks whether Spain’s transition from dictatorship to democracy in the mid-1970s was inevitable. In so doing, it presents the use of ambassadorial cables in historical research and examines Carmen Martín Gaite’s 1978 novel, The Back Room.
Economic development and political dissent in Franco's Spain. The first lecture in this series focuses on economic development and political dissent in Franco’s Spain. It demonstrates the use of White House meeting minutes in historical research and discusses Juan Marsé’s 1966 novel, Últimas tardes con Teresa.