An innovative mix of anthropology and history, this book is the first-ever study of Carlism to set the movement in both its national and local contexts, looking at both the machinations of its urban elites and the attitudes of the rural supporters. MacClancy reveals the key roles of discourse, symbols, rituals within the life of Carlism, and how they were used by different factions as the party shifted across the political spectrum. He also draws out the significant legacies of Carlism to contemporary Basque nationalisms. Based on over a decade’s fieldwork in Navarre and research in a host of hitherto-unused archives, The Decline of Carlism is an important contribution to the understanding of both the modern Basque Country and modern Spain.
