Spanish Civil War: Franco’s Victory & Regime (1937-1975)
Item 10: The Final Phase of the Spanish Civil War
4.1. The State of Fronts (End of 1937)
By the end of 1937, Franco’s Nationalist forces dominated much of Spain. Franco’s military superiority was becoming undeniable. Favoring a protracted war of attrition and punishment of the enemy, Franco initially aimed to capture Madrid. However, setbacks led him to concentrate on the Aragon front, which had remained largely static since the war’s beginning. Franco planned an eastward offensive, opening a vast front of approximately 300km.
4.2. The Battle of the Ebro
Franco’s conquest of Teruel prompted the Republican government to create a regular army, the Eastern Army, to control the militias. Franco responded with a major offensive intended to isolate Catalonia and attack Valencia from the north. His troops entered and conquered Lerida in Catalonia, where Franco abolished the Statute of Catalonia. In response, the Republican army launched a surprise attack, attempting to break the Nationalist advance. This surprised the rebel troops, many of whom were taken prisoner or forced to retreat. Franco reacted by opening the floodgates of the Ebro River, cutting off the Republican army. This battle was the most significant of the war, causing heavy casualties and ultimately shattering the Republican army’s resilience.
4.3. The Occupation and the Withdrawal from Catalonia
With Catalonia permanently weakened, Franco’s army launched a simultaneous attack across the region. The advance was rapid and unstoppable. The advance of Franco’s troops triggered a mass exodus of approximately 360,000 refugees fleeing towards the French border. Most were interned by the French state in makeshift camps on beaches. Catalonia lost nearly 5% of its population. Following the final assault on Catalonia and Madrid, Franco issued his last war communiqué, announcing victory and the end of the war.
Item 11: The War and the Construction of Franco’s State
1.1. The Dictatorial Regime
Generalissimo Franco was designated head of the National Land, Sea, and Air Forces and head of the government of Spain. Franco stood at the apex of absolute power, mirroring the Fascist systems of Mussolini and Hitler in Europe. He compelled all civilian groups that had supported him to integrate into a single party (merging the Falange Española Tradicionalista and the Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista, or FET y de las JONS). There was no division of powers. His political regime was characterized by the *Fuero de los Españoles*, a document theoretically outlining the rights of subjects of the State. The Law of Succession to the Head of State was also created, declaring Spain a kingdom that would eventually restore the monarchy in the person chosen by Franco.
1.2. The Role of the Catholic Church
During the Civil War, the Church fully identified with Franco’s side. This allowed Catholicism to become the only official religion of the state, with the Church participating in all spheres of social life and culture. The close relationship between political power and the Church led to the doctrine of National Catholicism, presented as the only authentic expression of traditional Spanish political life. The state granted prominence to Church teachings, making Catholic religious instruction compulsory in all schools.
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Franco’s victory marked the end of the Spanish Civil War and the beginning of a new political phase: the Franco regime. This dictatorship, lasting nearly 40 years, saw the army, the Church, and the Falange play crucial roles under Franco’s absolute command. The population lived in fear, subject to strict controls by the authorities. Catalonia, in particular, suffered persecution of its language and culture. Two major phases can be distinguished:
- 1939-1959: Characterized by international isolation and post-war hardship, with the regime struggling to consolidate its power.
- 1960-1975: A period of significant economic growth, spurred by the broader European economic expansion.
The end of this period saw Franco’s regime enter a final crisis.