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The Spanish Right and the Jews, 1898–1945
Antisemitism and Opportunism

In the series:
Studies in Spanish History

Isabelle Rohr
Isabelle Rohr is a visiting lecturer at King’s College, University of London and at St Mary’s College, University of Surrey. She has published several articles on Spanish-Jewish relations in the twentieth century. She received her PhD in International History from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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“This fascinating and compelling work moves some considerable way beyond the existing literature on the Franco regime’s treatment of Jewish refugees during the Second World War. In an entirely original way, it combines a lucid analysis of the historical origins of Spanish anti-Semitism with a revealing dissection of the ideological and strategic (indeed cynical) motives underlying the contradictory policies adopted by the Franco regime after 1943. This unique work is an extremely important contribution to the history of contemporary Spain, to the post-Inquisition history of the relationship between Spain and the Jews and to an important dimension both of the Holocaust and of the Second World War.” From the Series Editor’s Preface, Paul Preston, London School of Economics

“ An original contribution to the historical literature in that it combines a lucid analysis of ‘indigenous’ Spanish sources of antisemitism over the long term, with a penetrating appraisal of the specific mixture of ideological and strategic (indeed frankly opportunistic) motives driving the contradictory policies adopted by Francoists towards different groups of European Jews in the period between c. 1936 and 1945… The particular strength of Dr Rohr’s work is its understanding of the constant interplay between the political mythology of Spanish antisemitism and Spain’s geopolitical interests and colonial aspirations. And it is the way her longue durée analysis informs the intelligent dissection of the war years (1939–45) that makes hers such an impressive piece of work.“ Professor Helen Graham, Dept. of History, Royal Holloway, University of London

“The author has reconciled several different kinds of history – exploring political myths, colonialism and foreign policy during wartime as well as contributing to both Spanish and Jewish history… The subject of the Jews in Spain is one that abounds with clichés, largely because relatively little has really been worked out historically about the Jewish legacy in the contemporary period. This book explores the subject sufficiently broadly to allow us to view Spanish-Jewish relations in both the historical and historiographical contexts, and furthers our understanding of the triangular relationship between the Franco government, and Jews and (to a lesser extent) Muslims in Morocco, especially during and after the Spanish civil war… This engaging, stimulating and original work firmly gives the issue of race in contemporary Spain the historiographical importance that it merits. Just as the Moorish ‘Other’ has long been recognised as a significant term of reference of Spanish identity, this books shows how the construction of ‘the Jew’ plays a similar role.” Dr Michael Richards, University of the West of England

“This book debunks the so-called ‘paradoxical’ nature of Franco’s supposed benevolence towards the Jews, showing that any generosity on the regime’s part was both opportunistic and unreliable. Dr Rohr grounds Franco’s relationship to the Jews during World War II in the fascinating and complex history of post-Inquisitorial Spanish attitudes towards Jews, ranging from Philosephardism to various forms of antisemitism according to shifting ideological goals. Rohr’s reading of Franco’s neo-Philosephardism in the context of his colonial ambitions in Northern Africa is groundbreaking.” Dr. Soledad Fox, Assistant Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature, Williams College

Published in association with the Cañada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Spanish Studies

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