Francoism in Spain: A Historical Analysis (1939-1975)

Posted on Dec 21, 2024 in History

1. Introduction

On April 1, 1939, a new stage began for the political, economic, and social life in Spain. Franco devoted himself to erasing all traces of the existing Republican society.

Features:

  • Military influence
  • The longest period in the history of Spain
  • Born without a clear idea of state

Three ideological stages:

  1. Blue stage: Predominance of the Falangist ideology
  2. Stage of isolation: Traditional Catholicism
  3. Stage of economic development and liberalism: The 1970s marked the beginning of the decline after Franco’s death, initiating the democratic transition.

2. Ideological Foundations

Franco’s dictatorship was a personal dictatorship. There was no single political party, but rather a number of political families. Franco’s ideology was not clearly defined but was based on military life and Catholic traditionalism.

His power always manifested itself in three areas: military, civil, and ecclesiastical.

2.1 Principles of Franco’s Ideology

  1. National patriotism: The main contribution of military ideology: “Spain, one, great, and free.”
  2. National unionism: Initially, Francoism opted for the Italian model provided by the Falange.
  3. National Catholicism: Defense of religion and morality as something intrinsic to Catholic Spain.

2.2 Principles Rejected by Franco’s Ideology

Antiliberalism:

  • Addressing the weakness of a liberal state by offering a strong state
  • Secularism versus a religious state
  • A liberal progressive professional status versus a traditional one

Anti-Marxism:

Reaction against the labor movement and the concept of class struggle. As an alternative, the corporate state and vertical unionism were proposed. Assimilation to fascism was more in the forms, such as the flag and pictures of the leader.

2.3 The Regime’s Political Families

  1. Catholics and traditional Catholics: Opus Dei
  2. Falangists: Two families emerged: the “bunker” and the “aperturistas” (reformists).
  3. The military: The army was always controlled and subject to the government.
  4. Monarchists: Carlists and Don Juan’s supporters. Carlists were almost always present in the councils of ministers due to their traditional and Catholic ideology. Don Juan’s supporters sought national reconciliation after the Civil War and restoration.
  5. The pure “Franquistas”: Important groups of Catholics, headed by Carrero Blanco in 1963, with absolute loyalty to the leader.

3. The Social Bases

Franco had the support of the vast majority, especially during the autarky period until 1948. The opposition disappeared physically. Franco attempted and achieved the depoliticization of the majority of Spaniards. In the 1970s, opposition to the dictatorship came from a sector of students, workers, and the Church. From the 1960s, the emerging middle class supported the regime. Francoist society was a hierarchical society, with the highest echelons occupied by the Church and the state, followed by the oligarchy. The broad base was occupied by workers and peasants.

4. Institutions

On July 24, 1936, the National Defense Board was created. Its first task was the appointment of the head of the military command, which was Franco. On September 29, 1936, he was appointed Generalissimo of the armies and head of government and state.

  • April 1937: Unification of the right-wing Falange, merging with traditionalists and the JONS (Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista) into the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS.
  • The appointment of the cabinet in January 1938: Portfolios were distributed among the different political families. After the war, the second government of Franco was formed.

4.1 The Three Pillars of the Regime

  1. The Army
  2. The Church
  3. The Movement (FET y de las JONS)

4.2 Basic Laws of the Regime

  1. Labor Law (1938): Regulated labor relations and prohibited the right to strike.
  2. Head of State Law (1939): Granted broad governmental powers to Franco. After the Civil War, Franco had more power than any previous ruler, and his regime was the most centralized in Spanish history.
  3. Law of Political Responsibilities (1939)
  4. Cortes Act (1942): An attempt to institutionalize the regime by creating a traditional Spanish institution (the Cortes).
  5. Charter of the Spanish People (1945): Allowed the Head of State to submit issues to a referendum.
  6. Law of Succession (1947): Declared Spain a social and representative Catholic state, establishing it as a kingdom.
  7. Fundamental Principles of the Movement (1958)
  8. Organic Law of the State (1967): Appointment of Juan Carlos de Borbón as Prince of Spain in 1969.