Franco’s Final Years: Opposition and the End of Dictatorship
Since 1970, following corruption scandals, subsequent governments grew increasingly weaker. Franco’s aging sparked debate about the dictatorship’s continuation. A split occurred within the regime between the *aperturistas*, who favored reforming the system towards a parliamentary model, and the *inmovilistas*, who opposed any change. A new terrorist organization, the Revolutionary Anti-Fascist and Patriot Front (FRAP), carried out its first attack in Madrid. Franco then separated the Head of State and Government for the first time, appointing Carrero Blanco as Prime Minister. This appointment aimed to tackle protests and prepare for the future under the Head of State. However, the new government had little time to act. On December 20, 1973, the trial of ten leaders of the underground union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) was set to begin. Demonstrations and protests were expected, organized by the opposition. That morning, Carrero Blanco died in a meticulously planned ETA attack. This was a blow to Franco, who lost his trusted man at a time of increasing physical and moral weakness.
After the attack, the *inmovilistas* secured the appointment of their candidate, Arias Navarro, to form a government. A serious confrontation with the Church ensued when, in 1974, the Bishop of Bilbao defended the Basque Country’s distinct identity in a homily. The government threatened to expel the bishop, and the Vatican responded by threatening to excommunicate Franco. Franco ultimately ordered Arias Navarro to yield, but the break with the Church was complete. In July 1974, Franco was hospitalized, and for a few days, he ceded his powers to Prince Juan Carlos. He recovered, but his physical decline was evident. By the summer of 1975, events moved rapidly. Several ETA and FRAP members were tried, and twelve were sentenced to death. These sentences were reported across Europe, and demonstrations against the death penalty were convened in all European capitals. The government did not change its position, and in September, five death row inmates were executed, provoking a wave of international protests. At this time, Franco fell seriously ill. The conflict in Spanish Sahara erupted. The King of Morocco threatened Spain with a popular invasion if the Spanish government did not cede the territory. This forced Prince Juan Carlos, who had again assumed the reins of state due to Franco’s illness, to travel to the Sahara. Ultimately, the Spanish government handed over Spanish Sahara to Morocco and Mauritania, violating a UN mandate that entrusted Spain with the territory’s custody until independence. Two days later, on November 20, 1975, Franco died after a month and a half of serious illness.
Opposition to the Franco Regime
Although the Spanish government had made progress economically, the Franco regime showed no sign of changing its tight political control and total restriction of freedoms. The consequences were immediate:
- Evolution of Anti-Franco Opposition:
- 1940s: The main opposition came from Republican veterans of the Civil War, the *maquis*. They lacked effective organization and did not pose a serious threat. Worker demonstrations and strikes also occurred, demanding improved working conditions. Another source of opposition was the Republican government in exile.
- 1950s: Opposition came from Communists, and the first university protests emerged.
- 1960s: The “Munich Contubernium” saw anti-Franco forces oppose Spain’s entry into the EEC until democratic reforms were implemented. Catalan and Basque nationalism resurged. A division of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) led to the formation of ETA, which used violence to achieve its goals. University protests continued.
- Final Years of Franco: University student protests increased. The government closed some schools and used repressive measures to quell the protests. Workers opposed the regime due to the ban on unions, with UGT and CCOO leading this struggle. A sector of the Catholic Church evolved towards a more tolerant, modern, and democratic view, ending its collaboration with the Franco regime and distancing itself from it.