Miguel Ángel del Arco Blanco wins Spanish National History Prize

Historian Miguel Ángel del Arco Blanco has been awarded the 2026 Spanish National History Prize for his work, ‘La hambruna española: victoria y muerte en la posguerra’ (The Spanish Famine: Victory and Death in the Post-War). The award, granted by the Ministry of Culture, includes a prize of 30,000 euros.

The jury recognized the book for its rigorous historical research and its ability to provide a renewed perspective on the famine experienced during the early years of the Franco regime. The study aims to demystify arguments used by the dictatorship to justify the ‘years of hunger’ (1939–1952), such as war disasters, international isolation, or drought.

According to the jury, the work describes a devastating catastrophe that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, driven by a stagnant economic model and dictatorial dynamics. The research is considered fundamental for understanding the effects of autarky and how hunger was utilized as a mechanism of domination and punishment against the defeated population.