Franco’s Spain: Characteristics, Ideology, and Social Support

Posted on Mar 9, 2025 in History

The Foundations of Franquism

Lack of Constitution: The state was governed by a series of Fundamental Laws.
Limited Rights and Freedoms: Scarce recognition of individual rights and freedoms.
Single Union: Vertical Union, uniting owners and workers, organized by sectors or corporations.
Single Party: Movimiento Nacional, based on Falange, led by Franco, including male and female sections, and encompassing groups opposed to the Republic.
Control of Powers: Franco held the positions of Chief of State, Government, Party, and Army. The Cortes existed only for advisory purposes, and Franco had to approve all laws.

European Fascism: Influenced by Mussolini’s Italian fascism.
Cult of Personality: Cult of the leader.
Paramilitary Structure: Paramilitary structure alongside the army.
Single Party: Only one political party allowed.
Collaboration with the Church: Close ties and support from the Catholic Church.
Self-Sufficiency: Policies aimed at national self-sufficiency.
Pro-Natalist Policies: Policies encouraging population growth.
Secondary Role of Women: Traditional gender roles with women in a subordinate position.

Political Party: Franco took control of Falange, renaming it FET y de las JONS, and eventually Movimiento Nacional.
Army: Essential for victory in the Spanish Civil War and heavily represented in government, especially in the early stages.
National Catholicism: The Church justified the dictatorship and received economic support and control over education.

Workers’ Fuero (1938): Established labor relations and the basis for the new economic order, including the Compulsory Unitarian Union under Falange control.
Courts Constitutive Law (1942): Proposed participation of the country in the government, creating a Procuradores Chamber and Courts, but both were confessional and had limited advisory rights.
Spaniards’ Fuero: Presented as a declaration of rights to improve the regime’s image internationally, but it established an authoritarian, confessional system with limited rights.
Referendum Law (1945): Allowed Spaniards to be consulted on state matters and Franco’s decisions through plebiscites.
Succession to the Head of State (1949): Defined Spain as a kingdom, with Franco as Head of State for life, retaining the right to choose his successor.
Principles of the National Movement (1958): Institutionalized the Falange doctrine and the single-party system.
Organic Law of the State (1966): Introduced some functional elements, such as the separation of the Head of State and Head of Government positions, implemented in 1973.

The Army: A pillar of the regime, with many military personnel occupying important political positions.
Catholic Church: Considered Franco to be inspired by Christian doctrines and widened its power through control over schools, compulsory religious education, control of customs (religious weddings, divorce forbidden, censorship), economic support, and restoration of properties. Later, some within the Church favored a democratic transition.
Falangists: Lost influence after the Axis defeat in 1945 but favored Catholic groups like Accion Catolica and Opus Dei.
Monarchists: Carlists and Bourbons initially backed Franco, but Don Juan’s followers separated when Franco renounced restoring the monarchy.
Middle Classes: Primarily the bourgeoisie (business and finance), big landowners, and financial elites.