Miguel Ángel del Arco Wins Spain's National History Prize for Book on Franco-Era Famine
Miguel Ángel del Arco Blanco, a professor at the University of Granada, has been awarded the 2026 Premio Nacional de Historia de España for his book, La hambruna española. This work contends that more than 200,000 Spaniards perished due to famine following the Civil War. The jury, led by Jesús González González, commended the book for challenging the regime's rationalizations for the suffering experienced in the postwar period. Del Arco attributes the famine to policies of autarky, corruption, and connections with Axis powers, dismissing the notions of war-related destruction and drought. He highlights that in 1940, industrial output was 20% lower than in 1935 and connects agricultural decline to diminished land and fertilizer usage. The award includes a prize of 30,000 euros, with jury members from various institutions.
Key facts
- Miguel Ángel del Arco Blanco received the 2026 Premio Nacional de Historia de España, worth 30,000 euros
- His book La hambruna española estimates the postwar famine killed more than 200,000 Spaniards
- The jury was chaired by Jesús González González of the Ministry of Culture
- Del Arco is a professor at the University of Granada and directs its Department of Contemporary History
- Spanish industrial production was 20% lower in 1940 than in 1935 and grew only 0.8 points between 1940 and 1945
- In 1941 only 40% of scheduled weekly agricultural freight was transported by rail
- Spain acquired 67.4 tonnes of gold between 1942 and 1945, some from Nazi-looted stocks
- Infant mortality reached 28.9% in 1941, the highest rate in twentieth-century Spain
Entities
Artists
- Miguel Ángel del Arco Blanco
- Jesús González González
- Fernando Marías
- Pedro Moleón
- José María Serrano
- María Dolores Álamo
- Vicente Liern
- Araceli López Serena
- Mayte Antona
- M.ª Dolores Elizalde
- Carme Molinero
- María Ángeles Lario
- Ana Valtierra Lacalle
- Joan Romero González
- Juan Francisco Fuentes
- Encarnación Lemus
- Ofelia Rey Castelao
- Antonio José Díaz Rodríguez
- Fernando del Rey Reguillo
- Anna Caballé
- Santiago Muñoz Machado
- Carmen Sanz Ayán
- Juan Francisco Fuentes Aragonés
- Fernando Marías Franco
- Pedro Moleón Gavilanes
- José María Serrano Sanz
- María Dolores Álamo Martell
- Vicente Liern Carrión
- María Teresa Antona López
- M.ª Dolores Elizalde Pérez-Grueso
- Carme Molinero Ruiz
- María Ángeles Lario González
- Ana María Valtierra Lacalle
Institutions
- Ministerio de Cultura
- Universidad de Granada
- Real Academia de la Historia
- Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
- Real Academia de Ciencias Morales y Políticas
- Real Academia de Jurisprudencia y Legislación
- Real Academia de Ciencias Económicas y Financieras
- Conferencia de Rectores de las Universidades Españolas
- Federación de Asociaciones de Periodistas de España
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
- Asociación de Historia Contemporánea
- Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales
- Instituto de Investigaciones Feministas de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid
- RENFE
- Marcial Pons
- Crítica
- Hoy Es Arte
- Editorial Crítica
- CRUE
- FAPE
- CSIC
- AHC
- CEPC
- Journal of Contemporary History
- European History Quarterly
- Contemporary European History
- International Journal of Iberian Studies
- Ayer
- Historia Agraria
- Historia Social
- Revista de Arte - Logopress
Locations
- Spain
- Granada
- Bilbao
- País Vasco
- Cataluña
- Barcelona
- Germany