The Spanish Guerrilla 1808-1814 as a model for people’s wars and resistance movements

Heuser, B. (2016) The Spanish Guerrilla 1808-1814 as a model for people’s wars and resistance movements. In: Garcia Hernan, E. and Skowron, R. (eds.) From Ireland to Poland: Northern Europe, Spain and the Early Modern World. Historia de España y su proyección internacional. Albatros, Madrid, pp. 207-222. ISBN 9788472743175

Abstract/Summary

Transforming the meaning of the term 'guerrilla' which had once meant feud or private warfare, and then irregular war conducted by special forces on behalf of a state or government, the Spanish Guerrilla (part of the Peninsular War) against Napoleon became the model to be emulated by insurgency movements across the world. Even though the term itself continued to be used, even in Spanish, for special operations, in henceforth became imbued with an ideological dimension, which is how it would be used especially in the 20th century.