Political Uses of History in Spain

History has always been a target of political exploitation. Two opposed conception of Spanish history confronted one another throughout most of the twentieth century. Whith no tradition of memory/history or hegemonic national consciousness, the years of dictatorship accentuated the old conflict. The way in which the transition to democracy took place encouraged the forgetting of our most recent past. We are now witnessing an increasing politicization of history in a way less evident than before. Historical commemorations and revisions present an interested picture of normality that constrasts with the pessimism of yesteryear