Dirty War, Clean Hands

Spain's transition from the Franco dictatorship to a democratic state has been widely regarded as exemplary. However, as modern court proceedings have exposed, the first post-transition government, in attempting to destroy the Basque separatist group ETA, adopted the very policies of indiscriminate [...]
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Spain's transition from the Franco dictatorship to a democratic state has been widely regarded as exemplary. However, as modern court proceedings have exposed, the first post-transition government, in attempting to destroy the Basque separatist group ETA, adopted the very policies of indiscriminate terror which characterised both the Franco regime and ETA's own strategy. In this narrative, Woodworth disentangles a complex conspiracy through documentary evidence and first-hand interviews. He analyzes what happens when a democracy abandons the rule of law, showing how state terror has strengthened revolutionary terrorism and raising questions about post-Franco Spain.