The Second Spanish Republic survived unchallenged for a mere five years, its fall plunging Spain into a bitter civil war. Mary Vincent examines this crucial period in Spanish history. She demonstrates how political choice was eroded under the Second Republic, and reveals how popular religiosity came to be the Right's most potent weapon. Her fascinating analysis throws new light on the origins of the Spanish Civil War and on the vexed question of who bore ultimate responsibility for the conflict.

Spain, 1833-2002 provides a cultural history of Spanish politics from the civil war of 1833 to the Spanish adoption of the Euro in 2002. A tumultuous period dominated for the most part by violent military interventions in the political process, a succession of weak, unstable, but repressive governments, and the ever-present threat of rebellion from below, this era culminated in the victory and repressive dictatorship of General Franco.
Using a wide range of sources, both textual and material, author Mary Vincent focuses on the question of how ordinary people came to identify...