Javier Tusell facts for kids

Javier Tusell Gómez (born August 26, 1945, in Barcelona; died February 8, 2005, in Barcelona) was a Spanish historian, writer, and politician. He was a professor of modern history at the National University of Distance Education (UNED).

Biography

Early Life and Education

Javier Tusell's family moved to Madrid when he was very young. He studied history and political science at Complutense University. There, he learned from José María Jover. During his time at university, he joined groups that were against the Francoist government. These groups included the "Union of Democratic Students" and the "Union of Young Christian Democrats."

Becoming a Professor

Javier Tusell became a teacher after earning his doctorate degree in 1966. He started as an assistant professor at his old university. In 1975, he became a professor of modern history at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Two years later, he got a professorship at the University of Valencia. In 1981, he became a professor at UNED. He held this job for most of his life.

A Career in Politics

Javier Tusell was interested in politics. In 1975, he joined a new party called the Democratic People's Federation. After this party ended in 1977, he joined the Christian Democratic Party (UCD).

In 1979, Spain had its first local elections after the Franco dictatorship. Tusell was elected as a councilor (like an alderman) in Madrid for the UCD party. From 1979 to 1982, he also worked at the Ministry of Culture. He was the director general for "Artistic Heritage, Archives, and Museums."

The Guernica Painting

During his time at the Ministry of Culture, Tusell helped bring a very famous painting back to Spain. This was Guernica by Pablo Picasso. The painting was at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Tusell worked with Picasso's family to bring it home.

When Guernica was finally displayed at the Museo del Prado in Spain, it was a big moment. It showed that Spain was truly becoming a democracy again.

Even though this was a big success, Tusell was later dismissed from his job. This happened because of disagreements with the Minister of Culture, Soledad Becerril. She felt he might have gone beyond his authority. Many famous artists, like Joan Miró and Antoni Tàpies, protested his dismissal.

Later Life and Work

After a short time with another political party, Javier Tusell left politics. He went back to teaching at UNED. In 1999, the Council of Ministers (Spain's government cabinet) chose him to represent them at the Fundación Colección Thyssen-Bornemisza, which is a museum foundation.

Besides teaching and writing books, he also wrote for many newspapers. These included El Mundo, El País, La Vanguardia, and Diario 16. He also contributed to the radio network SER.

In early 2002, Javier Tusell was diagnosed with leukemia. He passed away three years later, in 2005. He was married to historian Genoveva García Queipo de Llano. They had two children.

Books He Wrote

Javier Tusell wrote many important books, mostly about Spanish history and politics. Here are some of them:

In English

• Spain: From Dictatorship to Democracy (translated by Rosemary Clark), John Wiley & Sons, 2011 ISBN: 978-1-4443-4272-7

In Spanish

• Franco y los católicos: la política interior española entre 1945 y 1957 (Franco and the Catholics: Spanish Internal Politics between 1945 and 1957), Alianza, 1984 ISBN: 978-84-206-2413-6
• Franco y Mussolini. La política española durante la segunda guerra mundial (Franco and Mussolini. Spanish Politics during World War II) (co-authored with his wife), Peninsula, 2006 ISBN: 978-84-83077-24-5
• La dictadura de Franco (The Dictatorship of Franco), Alianza, 1989 ISBN: 978-84-206-0310-0
• Carrero. La eminencia gris del régimen de Franco (Carrero. The Grey Eminence of the Franco Regime), Temas de Hoy, 1993 ISBN: 978-84-7880-347-7
• Juan Carlos I. La restauración de la monarquía (Juan Carlos I. The Restoration of the Monarchy), Temas de Hoy, 1995 ISBN: 978-84-7880-589-1
• Alfonso XIII. El rey polémico (Alfonso XIII. The Controversial King), (co-authored with his wife), Penguin-Random House Español, 2012 ISBN: 978-84-306-0879-9
• Tiempo de incertidumbre: Carlos Arias Navarro entre el franquismo y la transición (1973-1976) (Time of Uncertainty: Carlos Arias Navarro between Francoism and the Transition), Critica, 2003 ISBN: 978-84-8432-476-8
• El aznarato: el gobierno del Partido Popular 1996–2003 (The Aznar Era: The Popular Party Government 1996–2003), Penguin-Random House Español, 2012 ISBN: 978-84-03-01269-1

See also

In Spanish: Javier Tusell para niños