Franco Dictatorship in Spain (1939-1975): History, Politics, and Society

Posted on Nov 9, 2024 in History

Franco’s Regime in Spain (1939-1975)

Franco’s System: Features and Foundations

Franco’s Political System

Francisco Franco’s regime, established after the Spanish Civil War in April 1939, was a dictatorship marked by concentrated power and suppressed freedoms. Key characteristics include:

  • Absence of a formal constitution, replaced by a series of Fundamental Laws.
  • A single, state-controlled labor union: the Trade Union Organization.
  • A single political party: the Falange and the National Movement.
  • Franco’s control over all branches of government.
  • A conservative and anti-democratic ideology.

Stages of the Franco Dictatorship

The Franco regime can be broadly divided into four stages:

  • 1939-1949: International isolation, declining economic output, harsh living conditions, and intense ideological and political repression.
  • 1950-1959: Reduced international isolation, improved living conditions.
  • 1960-1972: Robust economic growth and modernization of economic and social structures.
  • 1973-1975: The Franco crisis, leading to his death and the end of the regime.

Social and Political Foundations

The Franco dictatorship’s longevity was due to the support of key social groups:

  • Monarchists (Carlists and Bourbons)
  • The Catholic Church
  • Falangists
  • The Army

Overview of the Franco Regime

The Franco regime, formally established in 1939, lasted until Franco’s death in 1975. Its defining features included:

  • A single-party system.
  • Rejection of parliamentary democracy, replaced by “organic democracy” where the popular will was theoretically represented through family, municipality, and the union. In practice, the government controlled these representations.
  • Suppression of freedom of association, expression, and assembly.
  • Concentration of power in Franco.

Economic policy initially focused on self-sufficiency, later shifting towards capitalist principles in the 1960s. Foreign policy evolved from supporting the Axis powers during World War II to an alliance with the U.S. in the early 1950s. In its later years, economic development led to a slight opening of the regime, while opposition grew, particularly from labor and student movements.

The Franco Regime, 1939-1955

This period was characterized by:

  • A stark division between victors and losers of the Civil War.
  • Political repression and exile of thousands.
  • Hardship and international isolation.

The Democratic Six-Year Period (1868-1874) in Spain

Overview

The Democratic Six-Year Period (1868-1874) was a turbulent but pivotal era in modern Spanish history. The September 1868 revolution, a liberal uprising, aimed to establish a democratic regime. Despite its ultimate failure, the period produced Spain’s first democratic constitution in the 19th century.

This era saw rapid changes: the overthrow of Queen Isabella II, a Provisional Government, a democratic monarchy, and the First Republic. It was marked by political and social challenges, including:

  • The Carlist Wars
  • Colonial conflicts (especially the Cuban War)
  • Land reform issues
  • The “social question” (labor unrest and social inequality)
  • Problems of centralization
  • The Cantonalist uprising

The Glorious September 1868

Causes of the Revolution

Several factors contributed to the 1868 revolution:

  • The international financial crisis of 1866, which ended Spain’s economic prosperity and led to bankruptcies.
  • An agricultural crisis in 1867-1868, causing food shortages and hardship.
  • Political discontent with the moderate regime’s corruption and its efforts to maintain power through force.
  • Opposition parties (Progressive Liberals and the Democratic Union) being unable to gain power legally, leading them to support a military coup.

The Revolution Unfolds

The revolution began with a military pronouncement led by Admiral Topete and Generals Prim and Serrano. It gained momentum through civilian revolutionary committees that formed throughout Spain, advocating for political democracy (universal suffrage, freedoms of expression, assembly, association, and religion) and social reforms (land confiscation, abolition of certain taxes).

The revolution culminated in the Battle of Alcolea, forcing Queen Isabella II into exile. Power was then divided between the revolutionary committees (with Democrats and Republicans) and the Provisional Government (Unionists and Progressives).

The Provisional Government

The Provisional Government, led by Prim and Serrano, dissolved the revolutionary committees and assumed power. A key issue was determining the form of government – monarchy or republic – to be decided by a Constituent Assembly.

Elections held in 1869, the first with universal male suffrage, gave a majority to the anti-Bourbon coalition (Unionists, Progressives, and Democrats) who favored a democratic monarchy. Prim (Progressive) became head of government, and Serrano (Unionist) was declared regent.

The Constitution of 1869

Spain’s first democratic constitution, the Constitution of 1869, established:

  • A constitutional monarchy based on national sovereignty.
  • A comprehensive bill of rights and freedoms, including rights of association, assembly, trial by jury, universal male suffrage (over 25 years old), and freedom of religion.
  • Separation of powers and decentralization.
  • A bicameral parliament (Congress and Senate) with full legislative power.
  • An executive branch where the king reigns but does not govern, with ministers responsible to parliament.
  • An independent and democratized judiciary.

A major challenge for the new government was finding a suitable king, as Isabella II, her heir (Alfonso XII), and the Carlist pretender were not viable options.

Opposition to the Progressive Government

The Provisional Government faced several challenges:

  • Discontent from Republicans who wanted a republic, and from Carlists who opposed the government.
  • An agricultural crisis that triggered peasant rebellions, leading to disillusionment with political parties and the rise of anarchist influence among peasants.
  • Urban unrest due to food shortages and protests against taxes, leading to strikes.
  • The ongoing Six-Year War in Cuba (1868-1878), where the government’s failure to address Cuban independence demands fueled a secessionist movement.

Amadeo’s Monarchy (1871-1873)

Amadeus of Savoy was elected king by the Constituent Assembly, but his reign was far from smooth. Prim’s assassination in 1870 removed a key supporter, and Amadeus faced opposition from various groups:

  • The Catholic Church (due to religious freedoms)
  • The nobility (due to land confiscations)
  • The industrial and financial bourgeoisie (due to the issue of slavery in Cuba)

Carlism gained strength, leading to the Third Carlist War (1872-1876). Amadeo I faced political instability, with three elections and numerous government changes in just 36 months. He eventually abdicated in February 1873.

The First Republic (February 1873 – January 1874)

Following Amadeo’s abdication, the First Republic was proclaimed. The first Republican government, led by Figueras, was a coalition of radicals and federal republicans. However, the Republic faced internal and external challenges:

  • Opposition from radical Republicans and monarchists on the right.
  • Opposition from hard-line federalists who wanted an immediate federal republic, even through revolution.
  • The Cantonalist uprising, where some regions (like Catalonia) attempted to declare autonomy within a federal republic.
  • Social unrest, including peasant uprisings in Andalusia.
  • The ongoing Carlist Wars and the Cuban War.
  • Limited international recognition (only from the U.S.).

The Constituent Cortes, elected in June 1873, was dominated by federal Republicans. The Constitution of 1873 declared separation of church and state, civil marriage, a federal structure with 17 states (including Cuba and Puerto Rico), and upheld similar rights as the 1869 constitution.

However, the constitution was never fully implemented due to the Cantonalist uprising, social conflicts, the Carlist Wars, and the Cuban War. The Republic faced a series of short-lived governments and increasing instability.

Towards the Restoration

The army, under Serrano, attempted to restore order and end the wars, but the Carlist War continued until 1876, and the Cuban War until 1878. The Bourbon restoration gained momentum, with Alfonso XII (son of Isabella II) being proclaimed king in December 1874. This marked the end of the tumultuous Democratic Six-Year Period and the beginning of the Bourbon Restoration.