Franco’s Spain: Ideological Roots and International Relations
Ideological Foundations and Social Supports
The Spain of 1939 was a devastated nation. The new state was marked by the persecution of any opposition. The Franco regime came to recognition by Western countries, especially the U.S., in the context of the post-World War II Cold War. Cultural and ideological movements triggered opposition against the dictatorship.
Franco’s government was personalist, manifested in images, symbols, and acts of exaltation of the Caudillo, inspired by fascism. He did not have a clear idea about the political organization of the new state. As a military man, his sense of order, hierarchy, and vision made his performance traditionalist. Key features of his ideology included anti-communism, anti-parliamentarism, nationalism, traditionalism, rejection of regional nationalisms, and militarism. Political parties were banned, except for the Falange, which began to be called the National Movement. Franco had the support of different groups, the “families” of the regime: Falangists, the military, monarchists, and Catholics. The social bases of the regime consisted of the landed oligarchy, the industrial and financial middle class, and small and medium rural entrepreneurs.
The opposition to the dictatorship was diminished by the harsh repression that took place over the years. The economic welfare of the 1960s led a sector of the working class to accept and even support the Franco regime.
Political Developments and the International Environment
After the war, Franco emphasized his power through the adoption of decrees that allowed him to govern without limitation. In the early years, he adopted the Fundamental Laws of the State, the Organic Laws. The postwar situation was that of a shattered country where much of the population lived in poverty. To alleviate hunger, ration cards were created, and an interventionist economic policy was developed. The regime defended the fascist economic model of autarky.
The black market allowed some industries to survive the lack of goods, creating great wealth among the oligarchy, which took up most of the agricultural and industrial resources to sell at prices not regulated in the black market. Political repression continued for years. Thousands were imprisoned or subjected to forced labor. Between thirty and fifty thousand death sentences were carried out under the Law of Political Responsibility of 1939. Repression was particularly hard in some areas of Andalusia, Madrid, and the Asturian coalfields. The “cleansing” in teaching and administration delayed the country’s recovery.
The political evolution of the system adapted to the international situation. In October 1940, Franco met with Hitler in Hendaye. Support for the Axis took the form of sending volunteers to fight against communism, the Blue Division.
Since 1942, the manifestations of a fascist character were lightened. After the war, with the victory of the Allies, the UN condemned the Franco regime. This meant the withdrawal of Western ambassadors and the political and economic isolation of Spain. From then on, efforts were made to improve the image of the dictatorship abroad. The number of Falangist ministers was reduced, the government was surrounded by members of the Church, and talks began with the monarchists (manifesto in Lausanne).
In 1948, the context of the Cold War allowed the lifting of restrictions on the Franco regime, which led to the restoration of relations with Western countries. In 1950, the UN recommended the entry of Spain into international organizations. In 1953, agreements were signed with the U.S., by which Spain installed five U.S. military bases and began to receive financial assistance that would allow an end to the shortages of the previous decade. A concordat was signed with the Vatican. In 1956, Morocco became independent, and the process of decolonization began. It was a decade of international isolation.
Exile
After the war, many Spanish people went into exile. Their first destination was France, but because of World War II, much of the population went to America (mainly Mexico), where the government of the Republic in exile settled. Many Communists left for the USSR and joined the Red Army. International recognition of the Franco regime undermined the hopes of the Republican government, which, from within Spain, opposed the dictatorship.