Presentation Transcript

1. Breaking down the wall of silence: the archives in the battle to retrieve Spain’s historical memory

   Gustavo Castaner IMF AWB Spain
2. A model of transition? Thespanishtransitiontodemocracy has frequentlybeenconsidered a ¨model¨ forothercountries A look back after 30 yearsrevealsthat in factthespanishtransitionwasbasedonagreementswiththedictator´sfollowersthatguaranteedimpunityforthem and theircrimes
3. A MILD dictator? Franco´sregime pales comparedtoHitler´s and Mussolini´s. He died in bed, apparently a harmlessoldman. A deeper look at hisregimereveals a fiercerepression, sustainedduringnearly 40 years, thatcontrolledallaspects of spanishlife, and that in factwasmuch more direthanotherdictatorships (Chile, Argentina…)
4. A forgottenlegacy? Imagine statues of Hitler and Mussolini in thestreets of Germany and Italy… Thatseeminglyimpossiblesituationwasthe case until 2007 in Spain, withthepassing of theLaw of HistoricalMemory… Muchworse, thousands of corpses of thevictims of Franco´s brutal repression lie in forgottenmass graves withoutanyrecognition
5. Archives as anassettoretrievehistoricalmemory
6. Documentingrepression Archives havebeen a crucial toolfortheretrieval of theforgottenmemory of thefrancoist´srepression Franco´sregimekeptexhaustive archives detailingthemultiple-prongedprosecution of thevanquished. Evenfacingdifficulties of access, these archives haveproved vital fortheresearchaboutthisgrimperiod of spanishhistory Contrarytothesomewhat extended image of a bumblingregime, thefrancoiststatewas a wellgreasedrepressive machine, withexcellentinformationservicesthatensured a constantflow of informationontheenemies of thestate
7. TOTAL WAR Themilitaryanalists share theconvictionthat Franco couldhave won thewar in oneyear, withtheprofessionalarmyonhisside and the full support of Germany and Italy. Instead he tookthree. Thiswas a completelyintentionalapproach. Thiswastobe a ¨cleansingwar¨, togetrid of communists and enemies of Spain. Againstanenemydeprived of humanity, ¨thereds¨, allstrong-armedtacticspreviouslyrehearsed in Africawerefairgame, includingsystematicexecutions and mass rape
8. Thebestknown case was Badajoz, whereFranco´stroopsshotbetween 2000 and 4000 people in thebullfight ring aftertakingthecity. In words of Jay Allen, reporter of the Chicago Tribune: ¨Theywereyoung, mostlypeasants in blueblouses, mechanics in jumpers, ¨TheReds¨. They are stillbeingrounded up. At 4 o’clock in themorningtheywereturnedoutintothe ring throughthegatebywhichtheinitialparade of thebullfightenters. There machine gunsawaitedthem. Afterthefirstnightthebloodwassupposedtobepalmdeeponthefarside of the ring. I don’tdoubtit. Eighteenhundredmen –therewerewomen, too- weremoweddownthere in some 12 hours. Thereis more bloodthanyouwouldthink in 1,800 bodies¨
9. Thecolumn of death Francisco Espinosa Maestre has documented in hisbook ¨Thecolumn of death¨ thebloodyadvance of theAfricanArmythrough Extremadura, spearheadedbythe shock troops of theSpanishLegion. Beforeenteringeachvillagetherewas a negotiationwiththelandownersonthenamesthatwouldintegratethelist of the 10% of thepopulationthatwouldbeshotsummarily.
10. WAR EDICTS
11. Rape as a warpractice Aboutgang rapes, John T. Whitaker, reporter of ¨The New York HeraldTribune¨ wrote: ¨Theyneverdeniedto me thattheyhadpromisedtheMoorswhitewomenwhentheyreached Madrid. I satwiththeseofficers in bivouac and heardthem debate theexpediency of such a promise. Some contended that a whitewomanwasSpanishevenif red. Thispracticewasnotdeniedby El Mizian, theonlyMoroccanofficer in thespanisharmy. I stood at thecrossroadsoutside Navalcarnero withthisMoorishmajorwhentwoSpanishgirls, notout of theirteens, werebroughtbeforehim…
12. Rape as a warpractice Afterquestioningthemformilitaryinformation, El Mizianhadthemtakeninto a smallschoolhousewheresomefortyMoorishsoldierswereresting. As theyreachedthedoorwayanululatingcry rose fromthemoorswithin. I stoodhorrified in helplessanger. El Miziansmirkedwhen I remonstratedwithhim. “Oh, they’llnotlive more morethanfourhours”, he said. I supposeFrancofeltthatwomenhadtobegiventotheMoors. Theywereunpaid”
13. Courtsmartials and summarytrials Frommarch 1937 the wild repressionlinkedtothewaredictsisreplacedbycourtmartials, followingthesummary trial procedure. Underanappearance of legalitytheobjectiveistoimpartquickjustice and theguaranteesforthedefendantspractically non-existant (thecounselforthedefense are militaryofficersunderhierarchic discipline)
14. TRIBUNAL OF POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITIES Aftertheimmediate and frequently fatal repressionassociatedwithwaredicts and courtmartials, theLaw of PoliticalResponsibilities (February 1939) establishes a second wave of repressivemeasures, adressedagainstthosewho “contributedtocreateoraggravatethesubversion of everykindinflictedtoSpainsinceOctober 1st, 1934 and thosewho, sinceJuly 18th, 1936 opposedtheNationalMovementwith concrete actionsor grave passivity” TheseTribunalscouldimposepenalties of total disqualification, banishment, exile, total orpartialloss of assets and loss of nationality
15. POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITIES Thepenaltiesapplyeventifthedefendanthaddied, extendingtothedescendants. Therepressiveeffects of thislawhadanenormouseffectfortheprofessional and economicannihilation of thevanquished. UntilSeptember 1941 the regional Tribunalshadinitiated 229,549 cases