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Después de salir de la universidad, se interesó y trabajó en la prensa estadounidense tratando temas de la Guerra Civil Española. Al estallar la II. Guerra Mundial, el ejercito estadounidense lo contrató para trabajar en temas de propaganda contra la Alemania Nazi y en el año 1943 fue enviado a Algeria, para trabajar en la oficina de guerra psicológica. Mas tarde le destinaron a Marruecos para cubrir la dictadura de Franco.
Después de vivir estas experiencias y cuando la llama de la República Española empezaba a extinguirse, decidió empezar a escribir de un modo serio y bien documentado sobre la Guerra Civil y la posterior dictadura. Así con una firma republicana en el exilio, Ruedo Ibérico, escribió sus primeras obras a mediados de los sesenta y empezaron a vender y a repartirse en Francia y clandestinamente en España. Southworth esperaba una reacción del régimen y no tardó el llegar.
Después de la gran guerra, de una Europa que fue devastada por la guerra y las políticas totalitaristas tomaron en control, los distintos países empezaron a implementar políticas liberales y de cooperación por el desarrollo. Sin embargo, en España, después de la Guerra Civil, se dieron unas políticas de represión y control sobre la población brutales. El régimen de Franco era el ultimo reducto del fascismo en Europa y para sobrevivir tuvo que sacarse de la manga una historia que convenciera a todo el mundo. Southworth, criticó abiertamente el régimen de Franco y desmontó todo el aparato propagandístico y la imagen que Franco quería dar al mundo.Como ya mencionamos, sus obras fueron directamente censuradas en Francoland (Nombre con el que a veces, Southworth se refería a la España bajo el régimen de Franco), ya que, hablaban de temas tan complicados para Franco, como la "Masacre de Badajoz", el "Bombardeo de Guernica"... y otras medias verdades que el régimen ocultó y/o cambió lo ocurrido completamente. El autor hablaba claramente y sin tapujos, y no le faltaban argumentos para ello, ya que, fue uno de los hombres mejor documentados sobre la Guerra Civil de su época. En su biblioteca personal se encontraban miles de libros, recortes de prensa, posters... sobre esta época; colección que, en parte, el autor vendió a la Universidad de California, y otra parte la adquirió después de su fallecimiento el Museo de la Paz de Gernika. Aunque la mayor parte esta localizada, autores como Paul Preston creen que parte de la colección del autor esta diseminada por medio mundo.
Además de su gigantesca colección bibliográfica Southworth se movía en el ámbito académico y de prensa con gran soltura y cambio de residencia en varias ocasiones. Así, intercambiaba correspondencia con un gran numero de personas que le ayudaron a llevar a cabo su trabajo, Álvarez del Vayo, Hugh Thomas, Brunett Bolloten... A destacar es la relación de gran amistad que tuvo con Jay Allen, periodista, que fue corresponsal de guerra en la Guerra Civil y del que consiguió mucha información de primera mano sobre la guerra. Como ejemplo, podemos tomar su segundo libro, antifalange, en el que analizó la estructura de la falange española a través de su jefe durante la Guerra Civil, Manuel Hedilla, quien fue destituido de su cargo por conspiración y colaboró con Southworth para escribir su libro.
Las publicaciones de Southworth finalmente hicieron que el régimen creara un gabinete exclusivo para combatir la contra-propaganda que lanzaba el autor sobre el régimen. Así, colocaron a un gran ilustrado como Ricardo de la Cierva, para renovar la historiografía de la guerra y contradecir sistemáticamente el trabajo de Southworth. Ante esto, el autor, simplemente se convenció mas de su causa antifranquista.Finalmente el autor dejó como legado tres grandes obras, El mito de la cruzada de Franco, Antifalange y La destrucción de Guernica y una cuarta que se editaría tras su muerte, El lavado de cerebro de Francisco Franco: conspiración y guerra civil. Así y como su gran colección de obras y aportación a la historiografía de la Guerra Civil, en una época en la que muy pocos trabajaron en ella.
Con su legado y su "Mito", se convirtió en mito.
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Herbert Rutledge Southworth (1908-1999) was a pain in the neck for the Franco goverment on all his career.Hated by many and admired by a few, he dedicated his own life delegitimitizing the lies or half-truths, that formed around the subject of the Spanish Civil War in a unique and critical way.
After leaving university, he gained interest and he started working in the U.S. press, touching subjects of the Spanish Civil War. At the outbreak of the Second World War, teh U.S. army hired him for working on propaganda topics against the Nazi Germany and in 1943 was sent to Algeria to work in the psychological warfare office. Later, was sent to Marruecos to cover Franco's military dictatorship.
After, living this experiences and when the Spanish Republican flame start to extinct, he decide to start writing in a very serious and well-documented way about the Spanish Civil War and posterior dictatorship. In this way, he started writting his first works in the mid-sixties with Ruedo Ibérico, a republican publisher in the exile. His works began selling and distributing in France and clandestinely into Spain. Southworth expected a reaction of the Spanish Goverment and it did not take a long.
After the Great War, with a Europe that was devastated by war and totalitarian control policies, european countries began to implement liberal policies for cooperation and development. However, in a Spain after the Civil War, a policy of repression and brutal control over the population was applied. The Franco regime, was the last stronghold of fascism in Europe and to survive, he had to conjure up a story to convince everyone. Southworth, openly criticized the Franco regime and dismantled all the propaganda apparatus and the clean image that Franco wanted to give the world.
As mentioned, his works were directly censored in Francoland (Name which sometimes Southworth was referring to Spain under the Franco regime), because of they speak about complicated issues to Franco, such as, the "Slaughter of Badajoz", The "Bombing of Guernica" and other half-truths that the regime concealed and/or completely changed what happened. The author spoke clearly and openly, and did not lacked arguments for it, because it was one of the best documented mens on the Spanish Civil War of his time. In his personal library were a thousands of books, press clippings, posters... of this time. The author sold a part of his collection to the University of California, and the other part was acquired after his death by the Peace Museum of Gernika. Although most of it is located, authors like Paul Preston believe that a little part of the author's collection is spread all through the world.
Besides his gigantic library collection, Southworth moved in academia and the press with great ease and change of residence several times. So, exchanged letters with a large number of people who helped him carry out his work, Álvarez del Vayo, Hugh Thomas, Brunett Bolloten... A highlight is the friendship he had with Jay Allen, a journalist, who was a war correspondent in the Spanish Civil War and he got a lot of first-hand information about the war. As an example, we can take the his second book, Antifalange, that analyzed the structure of the Spanish phalanx, through his head during the Civil War, Manuel Hedilla, who was removed from office for conspiracy during this time, and he collaborated with Southworth to write his book in the mid-sixties.
Southworth's publications made Franco's regime create an exclusive cabinet to combat the counter-propaganda that author launched on it. So, they placed a large illustrated as Ricardo de la Cierva, to renew the historiography of war and to work systematically contradicting Southworth. Given this, the author, simply became more of its against cause Franco.
Finally the author bequeathed three major works, The Myth of Franco's crusade, Antifalange and Destruction of Guernica and a fourth that would be published after his death, Brainwashing of Francisco Franco: conspiracy and civil war. As well as its large collection of books and his contribution to the historiography of the Spanish Civil War at a time when very few worked on it.
After leaving university, he gained interest and he started working in the U.S. press, touching subjects of the Spanish Civil War. At the outbreak of the Second World War, teh U.S. army hired him for working on propaganda topics against the Nazi Germany and in 1943 was sent to Algeria to work in the psychological warfare office. Later, was sent to Marruecos to cover Franco's military dictatorship.After, living this experiences and when the Spanish Republican flame start to extinct, he decide to start writing in a very serious and well-documented way about the Spanish Civil War and posterior dictatorship. In this way, he started writting his first works in the mid-sixties with Ruedo Ibérico, a republican publisher in the exile. His works began selling and distributing in France and clandestinely into Spain. Southworth expected a reaction of the Spanish Goverment and it did not take a long.
As mentioned, his works were directly censored in Francoland (Name which sometimes Southworth was referring to Spain under the Franco regime), because of they speak about complicated issues to Franco, such as, the "Slaughter of Badajoz", The "Bombing of Guernica" and other half-truths that the regime concealed and/or completely changed what happened. The author spoke clearly and openly, and did not lacked arguments for it, because it was one of the best documented mens on the Spanish Civil War of his time. In his personal library were a thousands of books, press clippings, posters... of this time. The author sold a part of his collection to the University of California, and the other part was acquired after his death by the Peace Museum of Gernika. Although most of it is located, authors like Paul Preston believe that a little part of the author's collection is spread all through the world.
Besides his gigantic library collection, Southworth moved in academia and the press with great ease and change of residence several times. So, exchanged letters with a large number of people who helped him carry out his work, Álvarez del Vayo, Hugh Thomas, Brunett Bolloten... A highlight is the friendship he had with Jay Allen, a journalist, who was a war correspondent in the Spanish Civil War and he got a lot of first-hand information about the war. As an example, we can take the his second book, Antifalange, that analyzed the structure of the Spanish phalanx, through his head during the Civil War, Manuel Hedilla, who was removed from office for conspiracy during this time, and he collaborated with Southworth to write his book in the mid-sixties.Southworth's publications made Franco's regime create an exclusive cabinet to combat the counter-propaganda that author launched on it. So, they placed a large illustrated as Ricardo de la Cierva, to renew the historiography of war and to work systematically contradicting Southworth. Given this, the author, simply became more of its against cause Franco.
Finally the author bequeathed three major works, The Myth of Franco's crusade, Antifalange and Destruction of Guernica and a fourth that would be published after his death, Brainwashing of Francisco Franco: conspiracy and civil war. As well as its large collection of books and his contribution to the historiography of the Spanish Civil War at a time when very few worked on it.
With its legacy and its "Mito", he became myth.
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