L’Argentine : terre d’exil des intellectuels espagnols

Abstract

The Spanish element is essential in Argentina. This is due to historical, demographic and cultural factors. The colonial past is the most evident reason which explains the bonds with Spain. However, we should not focus too exclusively on this since Argentina is the result of many changes brought by both Great Britain and France rather than of the Spanish colonial heritage. Nonetheless, the demographic factor seems more relevant though, since back in the 1930s and the 1940s the Spanish population represented 10% of the total population, e.g. two million people. From a cultural point of view, we may outline the importance of Spain on the Argentinean ways of thinking. Therefore, certain figures such as Unamuno, Ganivet and Ortega y Gasset had a measurable influence on the ways of thinking of Argentinean intellectuals from the beginning of the 20th century. Consequently, it seems quite natural that when they were forced to exile, many Spanish intellectuals chose Argentina as their host country. Throughout publishing houses, magazines, and in universities and literary circles, Spanish intellectuals began to denounce Franco's regime after their exile.