Ignacio Olagüe facts for kids

Ignacio Olagüe Videla (born February 12, 1903 – died March 10, 1974) was a Spanish scientist who studied ancient life and a historian. He was from a Basque family.

Biography

Ignacio Olagüe was born in San Sebastián, Spain. He studied law at the Universities of Valladolid and Madrid. From 1924 to 1936, he worked at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid. There, he studied fossils and ancient life forms.

Olagüe was interested in politics. He joined a political group called the JONS movement. In 1929, he helped start the first film club in Madrid. Later, in the 1950s, he traveled and published books in France. He also became the vice president of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations. Ignacio Olagüe passed away in 1974 in Xàtiva, a town in Spain.

The Islamic Revolution in the West

Olagüe wrote a famous book called The Islamic Revolution in the West. It was first published in France in 1969. Its original title meant Arabs Never Invaded Spain. In this book, Olagüe shared some very different ideas about history.

He argued that Arabs did not invade Spain in the year 711. He believed it was impossible because they had not yet fully taken control of nearby North Africa. Instead, Olagüe thought the events of 711 were small fights. He said these fights were part of a civil war in Spain. This war was between different groups of Goths. Some Goths were Catholic, led by Roderic. Other Goths followed a different Christian belief called Arianism. Many Spanish people at the time also had different religious views.

Olagüe's book became very popular with some groups. This included some Spanish Muslims and Andalusian nationalist groups.

What Experts Thought

Many history experts did not agree with Olagüe's ideas. They pointed out problems with his book.

• Early Critics: Historians like Pedro Martínez Montávez, Pierre Guichard, and Dolors Bramon quickly saw issues. Guichard and Bramon believed Olagüe wanted to make it seem like there was less "foreign" influence in Spanish history. They felt he was trying to create a story of a "Spanish Islam" that didn't come from outside.
• Later Views: In 2008, historian Maribel Fierro said that Olagüe's political ideas from his time still influenced how history is discussed today.
• Why the Book Stayed Popular: Historian Eduardo Manzano Moreno [es] noted something interesting. He said that while many unusual historical theories are forgotten, Olagüe's idea gained new attention. This was partly because it spread and was discussed on the internet. He observed that some people online like ideas that question common knowledge.
• "Historiographical Fraud": In 2014, Alejandro García Sanjuán [es] wrote a detailed critique. He said Olagüe's theory was a "historiographical fraud." This means he believed it was a misleading way of looking at history. He argued that Olagüe manipulated or twisted historical facts.

See also

In Spanish: Ignacio Olagüe para niños