Franco’s Dictatorship: First Years and International Relations
The First Franco Era (1939-1945)
The first Franco era extends from Franco’s victory in the Civil War (April 1939) until the end of World War II (1945). During these years, he continued to shape the dictatorship that began during the war years. His primary model was Italian Fascism, but with strong conservative and Catholic elements, to accommodate the main political and social forces that supported him in the Civil War. The regime was indebted to Germany and Italy for the decisive support received during the Civil War. This led to an ambiguous and oscillating policy close to the Axis powers during World War II.
Characteristics of Franco’s Dictatorship:
- Concentration of power, restriction of rights and freedoms (a single party: Traditionalist Spanish Falange de las JONS)
- Allocation of maintaining internal order to the armed forces
- Control of information (through censorship)
- Systematic repression
- National-Catholicism
World War II erupted in September 1939, five months after Franco’s victory. The regime showed its sympathy for the Axis but did not openly enter the war.
Three Different Phases:
- At the beginning of the conflict, Franco declared neutrality, despite his proximity to the Axis countries.
- In June 1940 (after the fall of France and Italy’s entry into the war), he proclaimed pro-Axis non-belligerency.
- On October 23, he met with Hitler at Hendaye to discuss conditions for entering the war. Conditions included military and economic aid, plus the recovery of Gibraltar.
In 1942, he replaced Serrano. Franco’s proximity to the Axis powers and the fascist nature of his regime earned him international condemnation at the end of World War II. Isolation made the survival of the Franco regime difficult.
Economic Autarky and International Recognition
Economic autarky became a necessity. However, it was the new conditions set by the start of the Cold War that ensured the continuation of the dictatorship. In a few years, the regime re-established diplomatic relations, signed agreements with the U.S. and the Vatican, and entered international organizations. The culmination was membership in the UN in 1955. The opposition, after the terrible repression that followed the war, reorganized and diversified its methods of struggle against the dictatorship.
International Condemnation and Isolation (1945-1946)
In 1945-1946, the Franco regime was condemned by the victors of World War II. It was criticized for its fascist nature, the support it had received from Italy and Germany, and its Axis-friendly policy. The condemnation was made at the Potsdam Conference and reiterated in the UN, which called for the withdrawal of ambassadors. France even closed the border for two years. The policy of autarky Franco had initially emerged as a desirable form of self-sufficiency, but it became a vital necessity. Economic policy favored the industrial sector to the detriment of agriculture. The state intervened in the market, and rationing of staples was extreme. Rationing would last until the early 1950s.
The Regime’s Survival and External Recognition
The end of isolation was due more to the new international context of the Cold War than to the superficial changes introduced by Franco. The Western bloc, led by the U.S., found a strongly anti-communist regime convenient, even if it was a dictatorship. Spain was left out of Marshall Plan aid and NATO membership. However, after 1949, relations with the United States began to improve: loans were negotiated in December 1950, and an ambassador was appointed in Madrid.