Description
Book SynopsisDuring the first few days of the Spanish Civil War, women played an integral role in the spontaneous uprising that prevented the immediate success of the Nationalist coup. Around one thousand of these women went on to join the militias who fought at the front. Women also played an important role in the defense of cities, with another several thousand forming sections of the armed rearguard. Indeed, women's participation in the anti-fascist resistance constituted one of the greatest mass political mobilizations of women in Spain's history.Milicianas provides a comprehensive picture of what life was like for the women who fought during the first year of the civil war, focusing on how the women themselves viewed this experience. It demonstrates that the significance of the miliciana phenomenon lies in the fact that these women took up arms in relatively large numbers, were self-motivated, participated in combat equally with their male comrades, and played an extensive and sophisticated mi
Trade ReviewLines hauls the milicianas from the margins of history and exposes them—with both sympathy and rigor—to the scholarly appraisal they deserve. This is a book for all who are interested in the Spanish Civil War. -- Peter Monteath, The Flinders University of South Australia
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Political Organizations and their Abbreviations A Note on the Text Introduction Chapter 1 Women in Spain 1800–1936 Chapter 2 Women and the Social Revolution in the Republican Zone Chapter 3 The Initial Reaction: Street Fighting and Formation of the Militias Chapter 4 Milicianas in Combat Chapter 5 Changing Attitudes and the Decision to Remove Milicianas from Combat Chapter 6 Representations of Milicianas Conclusion Notes on the Sources Bibliography
