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África: revista de tropas coloniales
The journal "África", published by the Instituto de Estudios Africanos (IDEA), was a pivotal platform for disseminating research and knowledge about Spanish colonial territories in Africa, particularly during Franco's dictatorship. Launched in 1946, the journal aimed to legitimize and support Spain's colonial endeavors through scientific and scholarly articles. "África" featured contributions from various disciplines such as anthropology, ethnology, geography, history, and medicine, reflecting the institute’s objective to create a comprehensive understanding of the colonies from multiple angles. By including works from prominent scholars, colonial officials, missionaries, and generals, the journal sought to produce a 'total knowledge' framework that presented Spanish colonialism as a benevolent and civilizing mission.
The visual elements in "África" were crucial for engaging both intellectual and emotional responses from its readers. Photographs, maps, and illustrations were used extensively to depict the natural landscapes, cultural practices, and economic activities in the colonies, thereby reinforcing the narrative of Spanish progress and benevolence. The journal also served as a tool for the metropolitan audience, persuading them of the importance and benefits of the colonial project, and fostering a sense of national pride and support for Spain's imperial ambitions.
Through its scholarly rigor and strategic use of visual aids, "África" played an essential role in shaping public perceptions and sustaining ideological support for Spanish colonial policies. It exemplified how scientific and academic publications were harnessed to serve the broader imperial objectives of the Francoist regime, contributing to the systematic governance and exploitation of colonial populations and resources in Equatorial Guinea and other African territories under Spanish control.
The Digital Archive with full access to the numbers of the journal Africa published by Instituto de Estudios Africanos (IDEA) is available through the repository of the Biblioteca Tomás Navarro: http://simurg.csic.es/view/990001022570204201/africa-revista-de-tropas-coloniales -
The Instituto de Estudios Africanos (IDEA) in the Spanish Guinea
The Instituto de Estudios Africanos (IDEA), founded in 1945, was a Spanish institution dedicated to the study and promotion of African cultures, histories, and geographies, primarily to support and legitimize Spain's colonial ambitions in Africa, particularly in Equatorial Guinea. Active until the end of the colonial regime, IDEA conducted and published extensive research portraying Spanish colonialism as a civilizing mission. The IDEA brought together scientists from different disciplines and fields—such as geology, ethnology, archaeology, medicine, history, and law—and other colonial ‘experts’ such as missionaries or generals, seasonally commissioned for specific scientific expeditions.
The institute was run by a combination of academics, colonial administrators, and policymakers who were aligned with Francoist ideologies. Notable figures included scholars such as historian and Africanist Julio Caro Baroja, who contributed to the ethnographic and cultural studies promoted by IDEA. The institution played a significant role in creating and disseminating knowledge that supported the colonial narrative, influencing both colonial policy and public perception in Spain regarding its African territories.
In summary, the institute’s aim was to create ‘total knowledge’ about the colonies from a ‘plurality of angles.’ Visual elements were crucial for audiences’ intellectual and emotional activation regarding their 'expository science'. This institute served as a hub for scholars and officials who produced extensive studies on African societies, resources, and environments, framing them within a narrative of Spanish benevolence and developmentalism. The institute's publications and activities were crucial in maintaining the ideological support for colonial rule within Spain, portraying the colonial project as a scientific and civilizing endeavor. -
The Production of Colonial Science during Francoism
Modern science played a central role in the consolidation and maintenance of Spanish colonial rule, particularly under Francisco Franco's dictatorship. According to Cécile Stephanie Stehrenberger, In the early twentieth century, scientific and technological advancements, such as geographical and biomedical knowledge, became crucial tools for establishing Spanish authority in Equatorial Guinea (239). This trend intensified during Franco's regime, which systematically mobilized scientific knowledge to govern and exploit colonial populations and resources. Knowledge production and dissemination were closely intertwined, involving a dynamic interaction between scientists and various 'publics,' including colonial officials, business owners, and settlers in Equatorial Guinea. This engagement was not limited to the colonies; metropolitan audiences in Spain were also targeted to garner support for the colonial project.
Institutions such as the Instituto de Estudios Africanos (Institute of African Studies) played a pivotal role in this endeavor. Founded in 1945, the institute was instrumental in generating and disseminating knowledge about Africa, thereby legitimizing and promoting Spain's colonial ambitions. It conducted extensive research in anthropology, geography, and history, producing studies that reinforced the narrative of Spanish benevolence and civilizing mission in Africa. Similarly, Hermic Films, a production company, created documentaries that showcased the supposed progress and benefits of Spanish colonialism.
These efforts were aimed at both informing and persuading various audiences of the legitimacy and necessity of the colonial enterprise. By presenting a scientifically grounded and visually appealing narrative, these institutions helped to sustain metropolitan support for colonial policies and justify the exploitation of African populations and resources. Stehrenberger's work highlights how science and technology were not merely tools of colonial rule but integral to the ideological apparatus that sustained Franco's dictatorship and its imperial ambitions.
Consequently, the following items included in the second half of the first collection explore in depth the scientific and technological sources adopted by this later stage of the imperial enterprise in Equatorial Guinea, whose institutions operated until the very ending of the colonial regime in the country.