Franco Regime: Establishment, Institutions, and Ideology (1939-1975)
Establishment and Institutionalization of the Franco Regime
The Rise of Franco’s Dictatorship
Following the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War, the Franco dictatorship was established. During the war’s final years, intensive legislative work nullified Republican laws and established the ideological foundations and institutions that characterized Franco’s domestic policy.
Ideological Principles of the Totalitarian State
Three key principles shaped the totalitarian state’s ideology:
- National-Catholicism: The state declared itself confessional and abolished all secular legislation from the Republic.
- National-Syndicalism: Inspired by Italian fascism, the Falange provided Franco with anti-liberal, anti-Marxist, and undemocratic principles. The corporate state was controlled by a single party, the “National Movement,” and a single union.
- National Patriotism: A unitarian and traditionalist vision of Spain prioritized the defense of the nation’s integrity, with the motto “One, Great, and Free.”
Institutions of the Franco Regime
Franco himself held supreme power as Head of State, Head of Government, Generalissimo, and Head of the National Movement. Other key institutions included the Council of Ministers, the General Secretariat of the Movement, the Cortes (legislature), and the National Defense Board. A series of Fundamental Laws, lacking a formal constitution, shaped the regime’s ideology.
Key Fundamental Laws
- Law of Trade Union Unity (1940): Established the vertical trade union, the CNS (Central National Unionist), controlled by the Falange and encompassing both employers and workers. This complemented the “Fuero of Labor.”
- Constitutive Act of the Cortes (1942): Created the Cortes as the organ of popular participation, but with Franco retaining legislative initiative.
- Fuero of the Spaniards (1945): A declaration of rights that were not guaranteed in practice, alongside duties such as loyalty to Franco and obedience to the laws.
Other laws included the Law of Succession (providing for a monarchy), the Law of the Principles of the National Movement, and the Organic Law of the State (a summary of earlier Fundamental Laws).
Support and Consolidation of Power
Franco sought support from the Church (after abolishing secular legislation), the Army (allowing them to occupy top positions), and the National Movement (with Falangist members in key roles).
Conspiracies and Opposition
In the post-war years, several conspiracies against Franco emerged within the Army, driven by ideological differences, corruption, and opposition from some Church members, sectors of the regime, and the aristocracy.