L´insegnamento della storia nazionale nell´Italia fascista e nell´Spagna franchista

The debate surrounding the teaching of history and its role in schools is not limited to the two cases we have discussed. It stems from the global conflict experienced by interwar Europe, in which nation-building held a prominent place. The political and cultural significance attributed to the definition of national identity reached such magnitude that it became an arena from which few governments and states distanced themselves. History, for them, represented a formative element that directly influenced public consciousness and allowed for the consolidation of will. Assessing the impact of the national histories we have mentioned, which led to the creation of an identity defined by patriotic and nationalistic parameters, is a complex problem. This is not the place to address it, but the testimonies of teachers and students, collected in school records, can shed light on the effects of propaganda and participation in pseudo-political and military organizations, thus allowing us to gauge how what is learned in school is shaped and transformed.