Franco’s Spain: Dictatorship to Transition
Franco Dictatorship and Contemporary Spain
The Francoist state emerged during the Spanish Civil War, consolidating Franco’s personal power. After the war, Franco established a totalitarian system, banning liberal democracy and communism. All powers were concentrated in the Head of State, with a single party, FET y de las JONS.
The state institutions included a monarchy without a king, traditional Catholic social representation, the Leader as Head of State, and the National Defense Board. Franco was assisted by a Technical Board until 1938, when the first government was formed.
The new state structure included courts, with justice subordinated to the executive, and power transmitted through Civil Governors. The Vertical Unions aimed to create a legal facade with laws like the Labour Law, the 1942 Courts Act, the Charter of the Spanish, the 1945 Referendum Act, the Act of Succession of the Head of State, and the Law of Principles of the Movimiento Nacional.
The regime was ideologically cemented on:
- Anti-communism
- Identification with Catholicism, with absolute influence on education
- Traditionalism, derived from Carlist ideas
- Military symbols permeating daily life
The dictatorship favored the oligarchy and its financial hegemony. Franco’s regime had support from the middle class and rural groups, but less among laborers, the industrial proletariat, and urban middle classes.
Franco’s Phases
First Franco (1939-1959)
This period can be subdivided into:
- The forties: Characterized by post-war hardships, autarky, and international isolation (the Blue Period).
- The fifties: A transition to the second Franco, marked by the adoption of the Basic Principles of the Movement.
With the Cold War, Western countries changed their stance. Spain joined WHO in 1952 and UNESCO in 1953. The Concordat with the Holy See and the U.S. Covenant were signed in 1953. Spain was admitted to the UN in 1956 and the IMF three years later. Morocco gained independence in 1956, but Spain retained Sidi Ifni, Equatorial Guinea, and Western Sahara.
Second Franco
Technocratic Phase (1959-1969)
This phase began with the 1959 Stabilization Plan, leading to rapid modernization. The Organic Law of the State (1966) was passed, serving as a Francoist constitution.
Decomposition of the Regime (1969-1975)
Tensions grew between hardliners and those favoring openness. Franco delegated power to Carrero Blanco, who was assassinated in 1973.
Economic Policies
Economic autarky (1939-1958) was followed by the Stabilization Plan, which included cutting public spending and amnesty for flight capital. This ended Spain’s economic isolation but led to a decline in annual income and emigration.
Between 1962 and 1975, three development plans aimed to modernize Spain, benefiting banking and industrial groups. The 1960s saw spectacular industrial growth, often called the Spanish miracle. In 1970, Spain signed an Association Agreement with the Common Market, but the 1973 energy crisis impacted the economy.
Social Changes
The 1960s saw rapid economic growth, uncontrolled urbanization, and changes in social stratification. The Social Security Act came into force in 1963.
Opposition and Transition
The suppression of the Civil War and exile hampered opposition. The monarchy became a focal point for opposition. In 1958, the Popular Liberation Front emerged. Nationalist tensions led to the creation of ETA in 1959.
Labor disputes also challenged the regime. The Contubernio de Múnich in 1962 linked Spain’s entry into the Common Market with establishing a democratic system, leading to repression.
Protests came from the Church hierarchy, intellectuals, universities, workers, and the middle class. In 1969, Franco appointed Prince Juan Carlos as his successor.
Carrero Blanco’s assassination in 1973 led to Arias Navarro forming a government, aiming for limited openness. However, internal and external pressures continued.
Anti-Franco forces formed a Democratic Board in Paris in 1974. The PSOE, led by Felipe González, created the Democratic Convergence Platform. Influenced by Portugal’s Carnation Revolution, 80 military officers formed the Democratic Military Union.
Franco’s declining health and Morocco’s Green March highlighted the regime’s weakness. Franco died on November 20, 1975, leaving a country with the same political constraints it had endured for nearly 40 years.