Spain: The 20th Century in Color

Episode Synopsis

The 1950s begin with a country barely emerging from poverty and international isolation. The end of World War II and the arrival of the Cold War against communism present a unique opportunity to forge new alliances with the United States and the Vatican. The dictatorship remains repressive and the Catholic Church continues to shape Spanish morality. How to dress, how to dance, how to study or what to read will continue to be territory controlled by the church, which is in charge of maintaining a conservative and traditional country. Spaniards are still poor, but they can buy again. This is the decade when Real Madrid wins 5 European Cups, but it is also the decade when Elena Francis's advice column continues to mark the path of repression for women, always in service of their husbands and families. The 1950s see the birth of the labor movement and the first university students who were not in the war and want a future.