Franco’s Regime: Pillars, Autarky, and Opposition
Pillars of Franco’s Regime
Military
The military played an outstanding role, actively participating in power. Many ministers and governors had military careers.
Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS
The Falange was the single party of the regime, responsible for providing its ideological bases, controlling the media, and providing personnel for the administration. It created mass organizations for social support:
- Youth Front: Training and indoctrination of youth.
- Female Section: Training of women.
- Sindicato Español Universitario (SEU): Political control of the university.
- Central Nacional Sindicalista (CNS): A single union that brought together employers and workers.
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church played an outstanding role in legitimizing and supporting the regime. In exchange, the Church gained almost total control of education and ensured that Catholic values and morals prevailed throughout Spanish society.
Social Support
Different social attitudes towards Francoism can be categorized as support, passivity, and rejection.
- From the outset, the regime had the support of the social and economic elites, who regained the political, social, and economic power they had lost during the Second Republic.
- It also had the support of small and medium landowners in central and northern Spain, and some middle-class support.
- Many from the working class were considered losers of the Civil War, but repression and misery led to political passivity and silence.
Rationing and the Black Market
Rationing led to state control of the market. Agricultural producers were required to deliver their production to the authorities at fixed prices. The result was a shortage of supplies and rationing of food and basic necessities, with ration cards lasting until 1952. The official prices were below the real value of the products, leading producers to hide their production and sell it on the black market, where they could earn three or four times more.
Autarky
Autarky was the economic policy objective of the regime, aiming for Spain to be economically self-sufficient, producing almost everything it needed and avoiding imports. This involved economic and political isolation, and state intervention instead of a free market. There were three areas of action:
- Trade Regulations: The state controlled imports and exports, limiting them to maximize foreign exchange. This led to a shortage of consumer goods and a decline in industrial production.
- Industrial Development: The Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI) was created in 1941 to promote industry.
- Agricultural Sector Control
Internal Opposition (1939-1951)
1939-1944: Reorganization
After the defeat in the Civil War, the opposition reorganized under difficult conditions due to repression. Examples include the National Front of Catalonia and the Socialist Movement of Catalonia.
Maquis: Communist or anarchist guerrilla groups carried out armed actions against the regime. They aimed to wear down the regime. The invasion of the Aran Valley in 1944 is a notable example.
1944-1947
The opposition expected Franco’s fall due to international pressure. The opposition remained united, overlooking their differences. The Maquis continued their attacks.
1948-1951
The demoralization of the opposition became evident as the regime consolidated. Notable events: From the late 1940s, worker protest movements began. In Catalonia, the Tram Strike of March 1951 stands out.
Cause: A rise in ticket prices in a context of misery, rationing, and the black market.
Development: Spontaneous protest where people refused to ride the trams, puzzling the regime.
Consequences: The regime canceled the price increase and dismissed the Civil Governor and the Mayor of Barcelona.
Significance: A symbolic political action against Francoism, carried out by a generation that had experienced the Second Republic and the Civil War.