Spain During the Franco Regime: A Historical Overview
Spain During the Franco Regime
The First Years of the Regime
Taxation Under Franco
The main instrument used to impose Franco’s regime was undoubtedly repression. This repression was a mainstay of society. The regime supported the business and landowning oligarchy. Around Franco’s indisputable authority moved families and lobbyists who supported the regime: the army, the Falange, the monarchists, and the church.
Franco’s Ideological Foundations
Franco’s regime was characterized by the concentration of power in Franco himself. What was called Francoism was in fact an ideological mixture of components such as: The theoretical doctrine of the Falange, which incorporated symbols of European fascism, traditionalism, military fortitude, and National-Catholicism.
Fundamental Laws
Franco’s regime was a dictatorship and therefore did not have a constitution. Its absence was filled with fundamental laws that established a state-based model: The creation of courts, popular referendums as the only form of expression, the banning of free trade unions, the establishment of vertical unions, and Franco’s lifetime appointment as head of state.
International Relations in the Forties
When World War II began, Spain was exhausted and ruined by three years of civil war. It was unable to help the Axis powers despite the gratitude owed to them for their help. In October 1940, Hitler and Franco met in Hendaye to discuss the possibility of Spain’s involvement in the war, although this did not happen. Franco’s regime did not remain completely neutral but did not fully participate. The defeat of Germany and Italy in 1945 put Franco’s dictatorship in a difficult position. At the Potsdam Conference, it was decided that Spain should not be admitted to the UN. The rejection of the regime also meant that the country could not benefit from the Marshall Plan.
The Fifties: Isolation and Change
Autarky and its Consequences
Isolated internationally, with a ruined country, Franco took refuge in autarky, following the economic model of European fascism in the interwar period. While the regime’s propaganda encouraged the purchase of domestic products, the state initiated a policy of economic interventionism. The INI was created for industrial development and control. The consequences of autarky were high inflation, a black market, and the impoverishment of the Spanish people.
External Recognition and the End of Isolation
In the early fifties, the Cold War dominated the international scene. The confrontation between the two superpowers resulted in an anti-communist bloc and changed the U.S. opinion of Franco. In 1953, agreements were signed between Spain and the U.S. which involved the acceptance of the Franco regime by the superpower, and Spain was admitted to the UN.
Stabilization Plan
U.S. aid helped to end rationing in the early fifties. Industry also benefited from supplies and U.S. patents that had been inaccessible in previous years. The Falange lost power, replaced mostly by young people from Opus Dei. Pragmatic technocrats applied their expertise to economic policy decisions. Laureano López Rodó was the mastermind of the 1959 Stabilization Plan, which implemented an austerity policy. The first effects of the stabilization plan were negative for the working classes. Among the measures was the banning of overtime, which had previously enabled many families to survive. That same year, U.S. President Eisenhower visited Spain. A jubilant Franco chaired the reception. The visit meant the final consolidation of his dictatorship.
Development and Growth During the Sixties and Seventies
Development Plans
In the sixties, Franco’s regime began a developmental stage that led to strong economic growth. The engine of growth was the development plans that were implemented from 1964 onwards. These included: The creation of development zones, the mechanization of agriculture, the promotion of consumption, a hydraulic plan, improved transport, and the attraction of tourism. Development plans and a favorable international situation allowed for a high rate of growth in the seventies. This growth was accompanied by an improvement in living standards.
Negative Effects of Growth
Not all the effects of the development plans were positive. Among the negative effects were: Regional disparities, social inequalities, inadequate services, and emigration.
Spain, Land of Immigrants
During the sixties, millions of Spaniards changed their place of residence driven by economic needs. There were two types of migration: Rural-urban migration and emigration abroad.
Political System Adjustments
Franco never made significant changes to his way of exercising power. However, his new international position led to a makeover of the regime, including: The creation of the Court of Public Order, the Social Security Law, the Press Law, the Organic Law of the State, and the Law of Succession.
Opposition to the Franco Regime
The Forties: Repression and Exile
Post-war repression was so violent that it crushed any opposition. The term “red”, which the victors had coined during the Civil War, served simply to prosecute anyone suspected of not sympathizing with the new regime. The opposition in exile was confident in the victory of the Allies in World War II, believing that this would lead to Franco’s downfall. A Republican government was formed in exile but soon weakened.
The Fifties: Demoralization
The Hispano-American agreements and Spain’s admission to the UN dashed hopes that democracies would help end the regime. The death of Stalin in 1953 and the de-Stalinization process initiated in the USSR led to a change of strategy for the Communist Party of Spain, which had to accept democratic rules. The opposition focused on raising awareness among the working class and inciting strikes. There was a university strike in 1956.
The Sixties: The New Opposition
The social and economic transformation of the sixties resulted in the strengthening of the opposition: Labor unrest manifested itself in a large number of strikes, there was an increase in the number of university students, opposition political forces met at the Congress of the European Movement in Munich in 1962, and cracks appeared in the Catholic Church, shaking its alliance with the regime.
The Crisis of Francoism
The Last Years of the Dictatorship
In 1970, Franco’s health was a serious concern for his collaborators. He had appointed Prince Juan Carlos as his successor. The positions of Head of State and Prime Minister had been separated, but Franco held both. Finally, in 1973, the Generalissimo appointed Carrero Blanco as Prime Minister, guaranteeing continuity for Francoism. Carrero Blanco died on December 20, 1973, and Franco appointed Arias Navarro as President of the Government.
External Factors of the Crisis
Several factors converged in the crisis of Francoism: The economic crisis of 1973, the deteriorating image of the regime, the Carnation Revolution in Portugal, and the Green March in Morocco.
Division Within Francoism
The dictator’s imminent demise caused nervousness among the Francoists, who were divided into: Hardliners and Franco supporters who favored a gradual opening. The latter expected a softening of the regime.
Strengthening of the Opposition
Opposition forces were defining their positions before the coming change. The new leaders took over the decision-making power from the great figures of the exile who had led since the Civil War. The concentration of political groups in search of greater efficiency led to the formation of the Democratic Junta around the PCE and the Democratic Convergence Platform around the PSOE. The last years of the dictatorship saw an escalation of terrorism. Public order was disrupted by workers’ strikes and student demonstrations. State violence continued to operate harshly until Franco’s death on November 20, 1975.
on November 20, 1975.