Nationalist Unification and Early Francoist Spain: 1936-1939
The Unification of Nationalist Forces
The next step was the unification of the political groups and parties that supported the military uprising: CEDA, Carlist monarchists, and Falangists. As it became clear that the war would be long, Franco concentrated on consolidating power. The Carlists, grouped in the Traditionalist Communion led by Manuel Fal Conde (who was later ousted by Franco), and the Spanish Falange de las JONS, whose leader José Antonio Primo de Rivera had been shot by Republicans, were key players. In December 1936, Franco proceeded with the militarization of armed volunteers from both parties.
In April 1937, he promulgated the Decree of Unification, which merged the Falange and Carlists into one political party: the Traditionalist Spanish Falange and of the Boards of the National Syndicalist Offensive (FET de las JONS). Franco became the head of this single party. The Carlists and Falangists who rejected the unification were severely punished with exile or imprisonment.
On July 1, after the fall of Bilbao, Franco received support from the Church. Forty-eight bishops issued the Collective Charter of the Spanish Episcopate, a document supporting the military uprising and defending the faith against what they perceived as atheistic communism in the Republic.
The First Government of Burgos
The next step was the establishment of Franco’s first government, composed of ministers, following the disappearance of the Technical Board in January 1938. Franco was the head of state and head of government, taking power over the army, the party, the government, and the administration. He became known as the “Leader of Spain,” and the new state began to legislate on many issues.
The main task of the new government was the development of reactionary legislation. This included measures such as state control of the media, suppression of political pluralism, legalization of capital punishment, restoration of Catholicism as the official religion, clericalization of public life, and the abolition of all secular actions of the Republic.
In the social field, the Labor Law was adopted in March 1938. Inspired by Italian Fascism, the Church’s social doctrine, and some principles of the Falange, it considered strikes and collective claims as acts of rebellion. Industrial tribunals were established to resolve industrial disputes, and the government issued interventionist measures on the price of cereals.
The Political Accountability Act of February 1939 empowered joint courts (formed by the army, the judiciary, and representatives of the Falange) to apply penalties to persons linked to leftist parties.
Asturias in the Civil War
The uprising of July 1936 was met in Asturias with strong resistance from the working class and an army division led by Colonel Aranda, who led uprisings in Oviedo and Gijón. Asturias was divided into two areas, each trying to reorganize their daily lives.
- The Republican zone implemented administrative measures through organs of the provisional government, such as the Provincial Committee and the Interprovincial Sovereign Council of Asturias and León.
- The “National” zone, highly organized militarily, was supported by the Falangists.
Franco’s victory would come in late 1937. Republicans who failed to flee were captured, and a terrible repression of the vanquished ensued, extending into the postwar period.