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The ‘Salamanca Papers’: Plunder, Collaboration, Surveillance and Restitution.

Authors :
Anderson, Peter
Source :
Bulletin of Spanish Studies: Hispanic Studies & Researches on Spain, Portugal & Latin America. Nov2012, Vol. 89 Issue 7/8, p171-186. 16p.
Publication Year :
2012

Abstract

During the course of the Spanish Civil War, Francoists set up special teams to seize documents from organizations which had backed the Popular Front government. In the immediate wake of occupation, these squads would frequently enter towns and cities and appropriate lorry loads of paperwork which they ferried to Salamanca. Nationalist officials trawled through their copious bounty in order to scout out the names of opponents who could be punished for their activities in favour of the Republic. For good reason historians have viewed the Salamanca Papers as a stark example of state directed plunder. By focusing on the role of volunteers in willingly providing information to the authorities, this article seeks to complement the focus on the role of the state. The article also shows that the authorities exploited the information they gleaned to pick out and reward supporters as well as identify and punish enemies. The article further discusses some of the efforts made by Salamanca officials to return documents to Francoists. By examining the Salamanca Papers from these perspectives, the article seeks to throw light upon the close ideological and emotional identification between Francoist state officials and some of their eager supporters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14753820
Volume :
89
Issue :
7/8
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Bulletin of Spanish Studies: Hispanic Studies & Researches on Spain, Portugal & Latin America
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
83621171
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1080/14753820.2012.731566