Book
Open Access
Europe’s Favourite Dictatorships
Southern Authoritarianism, Tourism, and the “Free West”, 1945–1975
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Patricia Hertel
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Funded by:
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (SNF)
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2026
About this book
In the decades following the Second World War, the existence of authoritarian regimes on the Iberian Peninsula undermined the idea of a "free West." At the same time, Spain and Portugal were emerging as ever more popular holiday destinations for West European tourists. This book analyzes how tourism shaped the relations between West European democracies and the Iberian regimes: Government officials and entrepreneurs established touristic infrastructures, travel writers addressed the tension between visitors’ leisure and locals’ oppression, activists called for a boycott of tourism to the authoritarian regimes. In a period shaped by the Cold War, tourism turned the Iberian regimes into Europe’s favourite dictatorships.
Author / Editor information
Patricia Hertel, Departement of History, University of Basel, Switzerland.
Topics
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Frontmatter
I -
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Acknowledgements
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Contents
VII -
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Introduction
1 -
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1 Acquaintances: Improbable Tourism in the First Post-War Years
45 -
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2 Rapprochements: Touristifying the Dictatorships’ Images in the Mid-1950s
101 -
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3 Collaborations: Managing Tourism Development in the Early 1960s
151 -
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4 Confrontations: Tourism’s Political Symbolism in the Late 1960s and Early 1970s
190 -
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5 Crisis: Tourism in the Transitions to Democracy in the Mid-1970s
243 -
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Conclusion
285 -
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Bibliography
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Index
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
February 2, 2026
eBook ISBN:
9783111382920
Hardcover published on:
February 2, 2026
Hardcover ISBN:
9783111381787
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Front matter:
8
Main content:
339
Illustrations:
18
Coloured Illustrations:
15
Audience(s) for this book
Wissenschaftler/-innen mit dem Schwerpunkt Geschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts
Creative Commons
BY-NC-ND 4.0
Safety & product resources
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Manufacturer information:
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Genthiner Straße 13
10785 Berlin
productsafety@degruyterbrill.com
