Franco’s Regime: International Relations and State Structure
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND EVOLUTION OF RÈGIMAl beginning of World War II (September 39)
Franco showed their support for the powers that had helped during the Civil War, but was not able materials involved a war, so Franco declared Spain’s neutrality.
The German victory over France (June 1940) led to the passage of the non-neutrality bel.Ligerància (economic and diplomatic support to the powers of the axis), which then emerge as victors of the war. Germany and Italy were probed the possibilities of integration in the Spanish conflict (interview with Franco at Hendaye Hitler, with Mussolini in Bordighera 1940 and 1941). Franco raised a series of territorial and economic compensation (recovery of Gibraltar and expand colonies in Africa) that made the German dictator who thought the price was too high.
Spain collaborated with strategic materials and supplies, sending the Blue Division to fight alongside Germany in the USSR and 10,500 Spaniards to work in Germany. In October 1943 the war began to be clearly unfavorable to the fascist powers, the U.S. And British governments were pressuring France to distance themselves from the Axis (Withdrawal and dissolution of the Blue Division and return to the status strict neutrality. With the defeat of Germany (1945) Franco took distances of fascism began to present regime as one Catholic, conservative and anticommunist.
The end of World War II brought Franco to a stage of isolation and rejection of the international over the years 1945 and 1946. (United Nations recommended the withdrawal of ambassadors from Madrid,
France closed border with Spain). Spain was not able to benefit from the program of U.S. Aid to Europe, anomena’t the Marshall Plan, and was excluded from the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO)
, established in April 1949.A from 1947, the beginning of the Cold War significantly altered the international situation The United States refused to impose new sanctions on Spain and pushed the UN to ratify the condemnation of the previous year. In 1950, a new resolution to revoke the agreement for withdrawal of ambassadors of Spain. In 1951 France decided to redesign dei government characterized by a predominance of
National Catholicism. In 1953, Franco won the ultimate recognition of the international regime with the signing of agreements with the United States (of defensive and economic) and the concordat with the Holy See.
The Americans were obtained from Spain the right to establish and use military facilities
Spain (Torrejon, Moron, Zaragoza and Rota), in return, Spain received Military lic and economic and technical aid (465 million dollars in four years). In the mid 1950s, the admission of Spain in the international context had a break in the Franco regime, but many internal problems remained unresolved. The situation economy was very difficult production increased slowly and the standard of living in Spain was much lower than other European countries. For the commodity shortages and hunger, between 1956 and 1958 produced a wave of protests and workers the first movements of dissentcollege. Thus, in 1957, Franco proceeded to remodel Cexecutiu the line began in 1951, departing out of the Falange and promoting the Catholic sector, a proposal by Carrero Blanco entered the so-called technocrats as ministers who were men from the Catholic Opus Dei organization, most of whom had not participated in the Civil War, staged the next stage the Franco regime, characterized by a strong economic growth in the 1960s.
NEW STRUCTURE ESTATL’establiment basic policies of certain laws that organize the state legally Franco was a long process. In January 1938 began the real work of building and institutionalizing the system. The first feature of the new State was the construction of power in the person of Franco was the head of state, head of the Party and Generalissimo of the three armies, was also head of government, enjoyed exceptional powers to enact laws emergency, was also established in Outside Work.
In 1945 the Franco regime was to enact new laws to ingratiate himself with the allies, was to establish the exclusion of Spanish, who tried to pretend that citizens enjoy certain political freedoms, and the national referendum law.
In 1947, the law of succession,
Franco allowed appoint his successor in title of King. ” The year 1958 was enacted arr of “Principles of National Movement”, which established the National Movement as the single partit.Per construction of the new State was inspired by the
Italian corporatist state, which organized popular participation in from three basic units: the family, the municipality and the union.
It was called democracy organic system, representative democracy clearly avoided. The popular representation in state institutions was regulated from the constitutive Act of the Parliament (1942). All representatives, called deputies were appointed by power. It was a corporate representative for thirds:
the union, and the bodies of local administration. From the new Organic Act of 1966, came third family called deputies elected by the heads of families. These Courts are just a body for cooperation with the head of state, who controlled the legislature and had the right to veto laws. On the territorial government power are transmitted by means of civil governors of provinces, moreover, were heads of provincial movements. He also instituted a military governor, was the return of the military structure captains general suppressed during the Republic. Local councils, mayors elected directly by Eran civil governor. Another power of the state unions were vertical.
The Act of
1940, unit labor built into a single union employers and workers. The state dictated working conditions without any possibility of collective bargaining, nor to strike.
The result: extreme working conditions, low wages, very high corporate profits.