The Rise and Fall of Franco’s Dictatorship in Spain

Posted on May 21, 2024 in Training and Employment Advise

What is the Third World?

A large number of countries that emerged after decolonization, along with some Latin American countries, became known collectively as the Third World. They form a group of nations that are not aligned with either the Communist bloc or the capitalist world.

Characteristics of the Third World:

  • Poverty and social inequality.
  • High population growth (demographic explosion).
  • High external debt.
  • Predominance of the primary sector and slow industrial development.
  • Low productivity in agriculture does not meet the nutritional needs.
  • Political instability.

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)

The Spanish Civil War saw Republicans fighting against Nationalists. The Nationalist rebels, led by Francisco Franco, won the war in 1939.

Reasons for Franco’s Ascent:

  • The death of other army leaders, such as Sanjurjo and Mola, in two plane accidents.
  • Commanding the Army of Africa.
  • The advance towards Madrid after the airlift thanks to Nazi planes.
  • He channeled aid from Germany and Italy.

Description of Franco:

Franco was short in stature and had a military bearing. He was formed in the Moroccan War and was known to be shy, insensitive, distrustful, prudent, conservative, Catholic, and obsessed with communism and Freemasonry, a sect formed by an economic elite that sought to control Spain.

Franco’s Dictatorship (1939-1975)

Following his military victory, Franco established a dictatorship in Spain that lasted from 1939 to 1975.

Features of the Dictatorship:

  • Franco assumed all powers: head of state, head of government, and leading general.
  • There was no constitution, only a set of laws known as the Fundamental Laws.
  • FET y de las JONS was the only legal party.
  • Rights and liberties were abolished.
  • All expressions of regional nationalism were banned, and the Basque and Catalan Statutes of Autonomy were annulled.
  • Franco’s dictatorship was brutally repressive, with many Republican supporters executed, imprisoned, or sentenced to hard labor.

Supporters of Francoism:

  • The army.
  • The Catholic Church.
  • Landowners and businesses: The rural bourgeoisie benefited from the abolition of agrarian reform, and the industrial bourgeoisie benefited from the absence of trade unions.

The Postwar Period

The Blue Division:

Spain did not officially enter World War II. Franco met Hitler in Hendaye on the Spanish-French border to negotiate Spain’s participation. Ultimately, they did not reach an agreement, but Franco created the Blue Division, consisting of 45,000 soldiers, to support the Nazis on the Eastern Front.

Concentration Camps:

During the first decades of the dictatorship, more than 200 concentration and forced labor camps were opened. The aim was to “cleanse Spain” of Republicans, dissidents, politicians, the indigent, independentistas, Moroccans, homosexuals, Jews, gypsies, and common prisoners.

Education by the Catholic Church:

Education was segregated by gender, and Catholicism was the official state religion, with other religions forbidden.

Autarchy:

The regime implemented a policy of economic self-sufficiency. This policy failed, and the Spanish economy could not meet the needs of the population for food, clothing, and fuel. The “estraperlo” (black market) emerged, where products such as tobacco, alcohol, sugar, and rice were sold. There was also product rationing using “cartillas de razonamiento de productos básicos.”

Sección Femenina:

The Sección Femenina, made up of women, was responsible for social work. Its leader was Pilar Primo de Rivera, who believed that women should not be in the public sphere but should stay at home, taking care of the family and doing housework.

The Ifni War (Western Sahara-Morocco):

In 1956, in the context of decolonization, Morocco achieved independence for most of its territories. A year later, an undeclared war between Spain and France against Morocco took place between 1957 and 1958 in the Spanish territories of Ifni and Spanish Sahara. Spain lost the colony of Sidi Ifni.

Desarrollismo: The Modernization of the Economy in the 1960s

Rapid economic growth between 1960 and 1973 was caused by a combination of factors:

  • Tourism expanded massively and became one of the country’s main economic activities (sun and beach).
  • Industry and the service sector also grew.
  • Agriculture was mechanized, leading to an increase in production and a fall in labor costs.
  • Foreign investment was attracted to Spain by its low salaries and taxes.

Consequences of Economic Development:

  • Creation of a consumer society in Spain and the rise of the middle class.
  • A new mentality with three related consequences:
    1. Loss of influence of Catholic doctrine in society.
    2. New habits of social and sexual relationships.
    3. Influence of fashions and customs from other countries.
  • Symbols of development and pillars of motorization: the Seat 600, pop music and disco, television, and advertising.

Pacts with the USA:

The Pact of Madrid between Franco and Eisenhower allowed the USA to build air and naval military bases in Spain (Rota-Cádiz and Zaragoza) in exchange for economic assistance (fuel and milk).

The End of Dictatorship (1968-1975)

In 1969 Franco made Juan Carlos de Barbon his successor ,which indicated a resturation of the Spanish monarchy.

There was on increasing number of organised

Opposition groups to the Franco’s regime such us the communist party, the PSOE, trade unions

Cccos→ comisions obreras, student movement in university’s, developted in univarsitys that made demonstrations and ETA

ETA → Euskadi Ta Akatasuma (País Vasco y Libertad)

Main objective: Independence of euskal herrie (basque Country, Navarra and several province of Francia)

Ways of Achieving their objectives: The murder, the kidnapping (secuestros) , the terrorism and the economic extortion

Behind their attacks: Around 1.000 deaths, more than 3.000 injured, in 1973 ETA killed in a car terrorist attack to Carrero Blanco (the president of the government and the man who has going to replace Franco after his deathand their “biggest mistake” was in a hypercor in Barcelona, with 21 a baths and 45 injured. 1975 muere franco, proclamacion del rey Juan Carlos l.

Transición: Tras la muerte del general Franco, Juan Carlos I fue proclamado rey de España y asumió la jefatura del Estado. (14) En el discurso de su proclamación, el monarca manifestó su deseo de instaurar en España un sistema democrático. Le sucedió en la presidencia del Gobierno Adolfo Suárez, (13) que llevó a cabo una serie de reformas que abrieron el camino hacia la implantación del sistema democrático en España.Este proceso se desarrolló en una situación muy tensa: grave crisis económica, atentados terroristas (ETA, GRAPO), y malestar en el ejército.

Primeras elecciones y política de consenso

Las elecciones de 1977 dieron la victoria a la Unión de Centro Democrático (UCD), liderada por Adolfo Suárez)