
The People's Dictator
The Life of General Primo de Rivera
Alejandro Quiroga(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 29. January 2025
Book
Hardback
354 pages
978-1-032-69181-7 (ISBN)
Description
This book is the first major biography of General Miguel Primo de Rivera, dictator of Spain between 1923 and 1930, who played a key role in the shaping of a counterrevolutionary Europe in the interwar era.
Following new historiographical trends, this book combines biographical experiences of the dictator with a sociopolitical reading of the dictatorship to reflect on the configuration of national, political, and gender identities at individual and group levels. It challenges traditional readings of Primo de Rivera as a benign, non-ideological leader who established a paternalistic dictatorship, instead showing an astute and ambitious politician who created a nationalist, highly repressive, authoritarian regime profoundly influenced by Italian fascism. The monograph also explores Primo de Rivera's role as the creator of right-wing populism in Spain, who portrayed politicians and judges as enemies of the Spanish people, used 'fake news' in his propaganda machine, and presented himself as a charismatic leader ready to destroy the liberal elites.
This book is intended for scholars and students specialising in Spanish history and politics, along with those interested in nationalism, populism, far-right movements, Fascism, dictators and authoritarian regimes in twentieth-century European history.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
Following new historiographical trends, this book combines biographical experiences of the dictator with a sociopolitical reading of the dictatorship to reflect on the configuration of national, political, and gender identities at individual and group levels. It challenges traditional readings of Primo de Rivera as a benign, non-ideological leader who established a paternalistic dictatorship, instead showing an astute and ambitious politician who created a nationalist, highly repressive, authoritarian regime profoundly influenced by Italian fascism. The monograph also explores Primo de Rivera's role as the creator of right-wing populism in Spain, who portrayed politicians and judges as enemies of the Spanish people, used 'fake news' in his propaganda machine, and presented himself as a charismatic leader ready to destroy the liberal elites.
This book is intended for scholars and students specialising in Spanish history and politics, along with those interested in nationalism, populism, far-right movements, Fascism, dictators and authoritarian regimes in twentieth-century European history.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Academic
Illustrations
16 s/w Abbildungen, 16 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder
16 Halftones, black and white; 16 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
719 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-69181-7 (9781032691817)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
approx. 06/2026
1st Edition
Routledge
€60.00
Not yet published

E-Book
01/2025
Routledge
€0.00
Available for download

E-Book
01/2025
Routledge
€0.00
Available for download
Person
Alejandro Quiroga is Professor of Spanish History at Newcastle University and Beatriz Galindo Distinguished Researcher at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. His research focuses on twentieth- and twenty-first-century nationalisms and national identities in Europe.
Content
Introduction - Who and When 1. Rebel Without a Cause (1870-1920) 2. The Forging of a Conspirator (1920-1923) 3. The Military Directory (1923-1925) 4. The Civil Directory (1925-1930) 5. Caudillo of the Nation: Propaganda, Masculinity and the Leadership Cult 6. The Nationalisation of the Masses 7. Fall and Death of a Dictator 8. What Happened Here?: History and Memory of a Dictator and His Dictatorship