Catalogue Number
NMLH.1994.168.146.1
Object Name
Poster
Title
Portfolio collection of Civil War Posters in Spain - Introduction by Rafael Alberti and Maria Teresa Leon
People
Francisco Franco, Rafael Alberti, Maria Teresa Leon
Events
The Spanish Civil War
Date
1968
Description
The first part of the portfolio of Civil War posters in Spain. This is a large paper, which opens like the book. The front says "Portfolio collection of Civil War Posters in Spain - Introduction by Rafael Alberti and Maria Teresa Leon" - this is an English translation from Italian. This portfolio collection considers the Spanish Civil War, which was from 1936-1939. In July 1936,General Franco launched a coup de ta against the left wing, democratically elected government. The fascist army were assisted but Germany and Italy, and the forces of the republic were weak in comparison - but they were provided with some weapons by the Soviet Union. Atrocities were committed by both sides and the war death toll was up to 500,000 people. The war saw republicans loyal to the left-leaning popular front government of the Second Spanish Republic, in alliance with both communist and syndicalist anarchists, fought against an insurrection by the nationalists, an alliance of Falangists, monarchists,
conservatives and traditionalists. The war involved class struggle, religious struggle, struggles between dictatorships and democracy, fascism and communism and revolution. The Nationalists won the wore, who were led by Franco. During the war he commanded Spain's African colonial army. After he won the civil war, his dictatorship became cemented across Spain, enforced through the repression of political opponents, the use of forced labour, concentration camps and executions. The front of the portfolio says the introduction is done by Rafalel Alberti and Maria Teresa Leon - Rafael Alberti was a Marxist poet - after the Spanish civil war he went into exile because of his Marxist beliefs. At the start of the war he was imprisoned in Ibiza - during the war he became a voice of the left and made broadcasts from the capital, making anti-Franco statements and read out his poetry in solidarity with the defenders of the city. After Franco won, he and his wife moved to Paris. After the death of
Franco, he returned to Spain. Maria Teresa Leon was married to Alberti. She was a Spanish write, activist and cultural ambassador. She was a Marxist revolutionary, and during the Spanish civil war, she became the secretary of the Alliance of Anti-fascist writers. They moved to Rome, and compiled this portfolio and wrote this introduction in 1968,when living in Rome. Most of the introduction is in written in Italian, with a few Spanish words.
The English translation is provided as attached multimedia.
Multimedia
