Francoism: Pillars of the Dictatorship in Spain
Ideological and Social Foundations, and Institutions of Franco’s Regime
Since the beginning of the dictatorship in 1939, the Franco regime attracted political, social, and ideological support, on which it settled.
Ideological Fundamentals
Concentration of political power in Franco: The dictatorship became personal, with Franco as Chief of State, Prime Minister, leader of the movement, and head of the Spanish Phalanx JONS.
- Anticommunism, antisocialism, and antianarchism: The Cold War further strengthened this aspect of the regime.
- Anti-Masonic: Masonry was considered the culprit of the advent of liberalism in the 19th century.
- National Catholicism: The Church was the great legitimizer of the dictatorship. In exchange, it dominated social life and education. A strict Catholic morality won the country.
- National syndicalism: Union control of labor and politics.
- Centralism and Homeland Defense: Denial of any political autonomy of regions and promotion of Castilian Spanish as the only language, prohibiting others.
- Traditionalism: The idea of Spain was based on historical roots.
- Militarism: Social dominance of the military.
- Fascist features: Symbols and uniforms. The external aspects were disappearing after the death of Hitler and Mussolini in 1945.
- Antiparliamentarism and antiliberalism: Suppression of freedoms and legal guarantees.
- Organic Democracy: Political representation did not accrue to the individual but to social units through the nomination and election of candidates.
Social Bases
Called “families of the regime.”
- Oligarchy of landowners, industry, and finance (nobility and gentry): Recovered their property and social hegemony. They held positions of responsibility and were the major economic beneficiaries of the scheme.
- Rural middle classes: In the North and Castile, they were under strong influence of the Catholic religion.
- Urban middle classes and workers: Initially, they did not endorse the dictatorship. The situation changed in the 1970s. Adaptation to international circumstances and economic development made the regime more concessive, with more social tolerance and respect among the middle and working classes.
Institutions
Its political system was based on a strict prohibition of political parties. It employed brutal repression of supporters of the Republic. The National Movement was the only party. There were different political families, but all were subordinate to the caudillo.
- Falange: Very important in the early years, it took a secondary role after 1945. It occupied bureaucratic positions, controlled unions, the women’s section, the youth front, and monopolized the teaching of physical education and the formation of the national spirit.
- Army: Anticommunist, a supporter of the unit, it enjoyed prestige and political power as victors in the “Crusade” and the ruling class, but was subordinate to Franco.
- Church: Many cadres and leaders of the dictatorship came from religious institutions like the National Catholic Association of Propagandists and Opus Dei.
- Monarchists: After the war, the Carlists were disappearing. Despite Franco’s refusal to relinquish leadership to Don Juan de Bourbon, many monarchists collaborated with the dictatorship.
Vocabulary
- Fascism: Doctrine and political movement of a nationalist and totalitarian character created by Mussolini in Italy.
- Requeté: Carlist fighting unit that fought in the Carlist Wars in the 19th century. This name was also given to Carlist armed groups, organized into thirds, that participated in the Civil War with General Franco.
- Vertical union: Official union of the Franco regime in which both workers and employers were included in the same organization.
- Democracy: Political regime characterized by the fact that all citizens can hold office and participate in the choice of those who exercise power.
- Opus Dei: An association of Catholic faithful seeking personal sanctification of its members. It was very important in Spain in the 1960s.
- Concordat: Agreements between the government of a country and the Holy See on ecclesiastical affairs.
- Basic Law of Agrarian Reform: Aimed to achieve a fairer distribution of land ownership and increase agricultural and livestock production.
- Column: 100-200 volunteer militiamen arranged in a line to dislocate or engage the enemy.
- Trench: A ditch dug in the ground where soldiers take cover from enemy fire.