Ruptura – The Impact of Nationalism and Extremism on Daily Life in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939)

Ruptura; focuses on how nationalism, as well as extremist conceptions and projects, defined daily life experiences in the battlefield, in civilian cities, and in towns. A principal objective is to demonstrate that the civil war was not a struggle waged between ideologies disconnected from the preoccupations and daily lives of the Spanish people. It brings to light the climate of violence, the social and symbolic transformations resulting from political divergence, and the widespread uncertainty that shaped the behavior, attitudes, lifestyles, practices, and experiences of both combatants and civilians. New theoretical approaches on so-called 'war studies' are addressed. Several contributions frame their analyses within the international context of radicalization and political violence of interwar Europe. Without an understanding of the development of extremist projects, ideologies, and attitudes in their particular and international dimensions, it is impossible to explain the atmosphere of severe social radicalization and the unprecedented levels of violence reached during and after the civil war. In present times, when the relationship of 'extremism' and nationalism to civil war is once again at the heart of public discourse and a preoccupation of media and governments, a historical perspective on these questions could not be more timely or necessary.