So I’ve got this ‘essay’ due in few weeks for my Hispanic Civilisation paper. And what we’ve got to do is write 1000 words on a Spanish figure.
Thats it. They can be real or literary, from any point in Spain’s history.
And the reason I feel the need to concern the good folks at the Straight Dope, is that I’ve no idea who to do.
The way I figure it, 1000 words is too small to do anyone particularly well known(like Christopher Columbus), but I have no knowledge of Spanish historical figures with which to pick a slightly more obscure person. I’d like to write on someone less famous because I’m lazy. Less famous=less books, which means I spend less time trying to butcher my essay down to an acceptable length.
Given as Dopers in general are a knowlegable sort, I’m sure there’s someone who can point me in the right direction?
How about Sancho the Strong, King of Navarra? There’s a statue of him in Pamplona (I think, might be Bilbao) that stands 7’ tall, beleived to be life-sized. Also, the history of the Foral Code of the Basque kingdoms makes for some interesting reading.
Well, the obvious one who had the most impact on Spanish history in the 20th century is Francisco Franco.
But an obscure one is Huber Matos, a spanish national who fought with Castro against Batista, was a highly placed officer in Cuba’s revolutionary government, then joined an uprising against Castro and was imprisoned for 20 years. He was released in the past 10 years or so, and has since been trying to get back into Castro’s good graces.
I’d recommend Admiral Pascual Cervera (“I’d rather have honor and no ships than ships and no honor”… and was duly obliged ) but you’d really need to be into Naval History to get him.
or José Francisco de San Martin (interesting figure instead of participating in post colonial goverment he chose exile before having fight his own countrymen)
Eva Peron is very popular.
Don Quixote, or his creator Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (Interesting guy, lost a hand in Lepanto)
Ferdinand and Isabelle of Castille and Leon (otherwise known as the Catholic Kings) or perhaps their grandson Emperor Charles I (of spain) and V (of germany)
A composer? Isaac Albeniz is an interesting guy.
Hernan Cortes, Francisco Pizarro, Pedro de Valvidia, Cabeza de Vaca (spanish conquerors are always popular)
Another fictional spanish figure, little known outside Argentina, is Martin Fierro he is the model of all Gauchos, Jose Hernandez wrote the book (it’s a poem actually) in the 19 century.
Carlos Gardel? greatest tango singer and composer.
Diego Armando Maradona, perhaps the greates football player in history. Or Juan Manuel Fangio one of the best car racers in history.
Of course many are not spanish at all, but your question was a tricky one. There is no such thing as spanish civilazation. Your choice.
Thaks for all the suggestions. KarlGrenze, the paper is called An Introduction to Hispanic Civilisation, and later in the semester I’ve another essay due in on a Spanish American figure. It’s a required paper for anyone wanting to major in Spanish, which is why I’m taking it.
The strange thing is a lot of what I’m learning is a little at odds with other stuff I’ve learnt, or possibly the other way round. For example, I took a paper on Global History last year, and one of the topics we covered was colonsation, focusing on South America. And what we learned was how smallpox was pretty much essential to the colonisation of SA.
And then, doing the same ttopic in Hisp Civ, no mention of smallpox! Lots about horses, and local helpful tribes, and artilery (sp), but nothing about disease.
) but you’d really need to be into Naval History to get him.
