Bringing back Culture: Combatant and Civilian Attitudes during the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939

Although heavily studied, researchers have barely examined the social and cultural aspects of the Spanish Civil War. The aim of this article is to contribute to the sociocultural history of the war by reintroducing the cultural elements into the analysis. By taking them together with social and political factors, it provides a more complex outlook on the conflict. To reach these goals, this study examines the experience of those who were on the front line and those who remained in the rearguard. The first part explores soldiers' conditions on the front line and their connection with the rearguard. The second section analyses the role played by cultural elements among combatants and civilians. Finally, special attention is paid to the influence of violence on the soldiers' and civilians' experience of war.