Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

In April 1931 Spain became a democratic republic; in April 1939, after almost three years of civil war, it succumbed to a vengeful authoritarian dictatorship. The first half of this special subject examines the origins and course of this violent denouement, and whether the republic failed or was made to fail, including the nature of the forces which headed it and hoped to benefit from it, the character of the political and economic context in which it had to operate, the extent of the reforms that it introduced, and the response both of the forces opposed to it and of Spain's traditional institutions. The second half of this special subject begins with the failed anti-Republican military coup of July 1936, exploring the reasons for its failure, and the civil war it unleashed which ended in the overthrow of the Republic by the Nationalists under General Franco in 1939. The second half examines the military, political and social history of the Nationalist and Republican zones during the civil war.

The aims of this module are:
•To enable students to study the period of the Spanish Second Republic and Civil War (1931-1939) in depth and to engage with both primary sources from the period and the major historiographical debates concerning it.
•To give students the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of this short period of Spanish history.
•To introduce students to historical research and to guide them in the analysis of primary documents and texts.
•Thereby to enable students to develop their own interpretation of the period.
•To provide an opportunity of investigating in some depth selected problems, including the appraisal of elected source material and the critical examination of current historiography.
•To provide an opportunity to acquire a sound general knowledge of the subject, reading widely and critically in the primary and secondary literature associated with it and to develop the capacity for independent study.

Outline Of Syllabus

The following is a guide only. Actual subjects may differ from those listed.

1. The Republic Implanted: The Reformist Bienio, 1931-33
2. The Bienio Negro, 1933-1935
3. The Left and the Republic
4. Catholicism, Conservatism and the CEDA, 1931-36
5. The Army, Conspiracy, Crisis and Rebellion, 1931-36.
6. The Spanish Revolution
7. Repression, Counter-Revolution and the Rise of Franco
8. The Civil War and the World
9. The Post-Revolutionary period in the Republican Zone, 1937-1939
10. Nationalist Spain, 1937-1939

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

- In-depth knowledge of the period 1931-1939 in Spanish and World history.
- Knowledge of different aspects of this period (military, political, social, economic etc.) and an understanding of the interrelationship between them.
- Detailed knowledge of, and ability to engage with, the key historiographical debates concerning this period.
- Sense of the significance of this period in Spanish and World history.

Intended Skill Outcomes

• Students are expected to improve their ability to read quickly and with an eye for the distinction between the particular and the general (in taking notes on the material they read to prepare themselves for seminars and the examination).
• To argue clearly and succinctly both on paper (in their essay and examination) and orally (in their contributions to seminars)
• To manage their time (in order to prepare for the seminars and the examination.)
• Students will thus develop their capacity for independent study and critical judgement and the ability to respond promptly, cogently and clearly to new and unexpected question arising from this study.
• They will also develop associated skills in research, critical reading and reasoning, sustained discussion and appropriate presentation of the results.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Seminars encourage independent study and promote improvements in oral communication, problem solving skills and adaptability.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Essays test students’ ability to conduct independent research, relate primary source documents to broader problem, ability to formulate an interpretation of evidence in response to a question, and academic writing skills. The researching and writing of an essay is a tool of learning and understanding rather than merely a means of assessing progress.

Submitted work tests intended knowledge and skills outcomes, develops key skills in research, reading and writing. Essay 1 feedback will enable students to develop their understanding to support the final essay work.

General Notes

N/A