Los intelectuales y la Guerra Civil: los casos de Unamuno y Baroja

Abstract

The intellectual, in contrary to general opinion, does not usually involve him or herself very much in politics, at least not in times of peace or during relative democratic normalcy. In Spain, the Basque Country constitutes an obvious exception. Critical intelligence and political commitment do not mix well, and irresolvable differences can arise. During the Spanish Civil War, the majority of intellectuals made an open commitment to the anti-fascist or the anti-communist cause in the face of the parliamentary democracy crisis. It was difficult not to take part then, and there was a true movement of writers and artists. Miguel de Unamuno and Pío Baroja, two Basques but very universal Spaniards, stood out, among many others, because of their inevitable contradictions, their dedicated efforts to maintain the independence of their opinions and views within the historic climate in which the logic of arms purely and simply required an unequivocal commitment to the cause itself.