Best New Book Society for Spanish and Portuguese Historical StudiesThe Crisis of Democracy in Spain;is the first study in English to scrutinize the central role of republicanism in the origins of the Spanish Civil War of 193639. Previously historians have focused on the Left and the Right of the political spectrum at the expense of the Centre. Yet the Centre, as represented by the republican movement, dominated the governments of the Second Republic of 193136 until it collapsed into war.The Crisis of Democracy;in Spain thereby confronts the greatest paradox of the Second Republic: why did the most popular and historic party of the republican movement play a key role in the Republic's destruction?
