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Leaflet launched over Barcelona on the eve of the Francoist occupation on January 26, 1939, urging Barcelona residents not to leave the city or their homes (01.1939)

Date
1939
Archive
National Archive of Catalonia
Document type
Textual
Reference code
ANC1-756-T-95
Link to the online document
Description

The flyer thrown over Barcelona on the eve of the entry of Francoist troops on January 26, 1939 exhorted the population not to leave the city or their homes. This document is a direct testimony of the psychological strategy of the regime to control the population before the military occupation. With a paternalistic and intimidating tone, the text sought to prevent the mass exodus and facilitate the establishment of Franco’s order. It is also a sample of how propaganda was used to prepare the ground for repression, and how the written word could become a weapon of conquest. This document connects with other psychological warfare strategies used in Europe during the 20th century.