Franco’s Spain: Ideology, Rule, and Social Control
I. IDEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS AND SOCIAL ASPECTS OF FRANCO’S REGIME
Franco called the regime established after the Civil War the Franco regime. From 1939 to 1975, it was a dictatorial regime that underwent changes. From beginning to end, it was a true dictatorship, with Franco holding all power, believing he only had to answer “before God and before history.” Historians debate whether to call it fascist, totalitarian, authoritarian, or something else. It was an amalgam of totalitarian state, military dictatorship, fascist state, and absolute monarchy without a king.
Franco blamed liberalism for Spain’s ills and tried to revive traditional forms of rule. He was haunted by the threat of Freemasonry and Communism, perceived as Spain’s enemies. He abolished the 1931 Constitution, individual and collective rights, political parties, trade unions, autonomy statutes, and any nationalistic expression, including language use.
1.1 Ideological Ingredients
1) Falange: Franco was never a convinced Falangist but found it useful. After the death of its founder, José Antonio Primo de Rivera, Franco used the party as he pleased. Falange ministers never had great influence. José Antonio’s doctrine was diluted and used to maintain the ideals of the 1936 National Uprising and control public opinion.
2) National Catholicism: From the war’s start, a radical national-Catholic mentality was adopted. Franco saw himself [1] as chosen by God to save Spain. “Franco, Caudillo of Spain by the grace of God.” Franco gave the Church control of education. Two secular organizations emerged: the National Catholic Association of Propagandists (ACNP) and Opus Dei.
3) Military: Justification came from winning the war. The state of war lasted until 1948, though from 1964, “peace” replaced “victory.” The military mentality reflected an authoritarian regime. Military officers held key ministries. The army was Spain’s core. Only the military was criticized by some monarchists and during African decolonization.
4) Spanish Nationalism: A product of Falange and traditionalist thinking, it served as social glue against Catalan and Basque autonomy demands. Spain’s historical unity was presented as “unity of universal destiny,” a simplistic theory.
5) National Syndicalism: Franco opposed communism and capitalism, promoting national syndicalism, a rhetoric hiding his lack of economic knowledge and liberal principles on ownership, labor control, and political fascism.
6) Organic Democracy: Rejected the party system as illiberal, creating the Traditionalist Spanish Falange and the National Syndicalist Offensive boards, similar to one-party fascism, known as the National Movement with compulsory membership. Organic democracy didn’t involve voting on conflicting ideas; politics was organized by society’s natural units: family, union, and county, with an indirect voting system.
1.2 Franco’s Power Structure
1) Francisco Franco: Head of State, party leader, Spain’s leader, Generalissimo of the armies. In January 1938, Franco formed his first government with Falange, monarchists, military, and technical members. He was Head of State, Party, Government, National Council President, and appointed the Policy Board President. He had special law-making powers.
2) National Movement: The only party, FET de las JONS.
3) Vertical Union (later Union Organization): Led by a Secretary-General. Based on fascism, it integrated employers and employees into a single industry union. The state controlled the system, and membership was compulsory. The Spanish Trade Union Organisation (OSE) had a national territorial structure, a sector for all producers, and a union for aid works.
4) The Courts: The “highest organ of Spanish people’s participation in state work,” were merely advisory. Representatives, or “attorneys,” were appointed by ministers, National Movement members, trade union organization members, and “prosecutors born” due to their positions (mayors, university presidents, church representatives, trade unions). This served to portray “organic democracy.”
5) Civil Governors: In each province. No concept of autonomous regions.
6) Captaincy General: In the military.
1.3 Fundamental Laws
- Labour Law (1938): Inspired by Mussolini, outlining labor law, wages, jurisdiction, business organization, ownership, labor, and social security.
- Constitution of Courts Act (1942): Advisory only. Amended by the Organic Law of the State. Representatives from trade unions, professional bodies, and the National Council. Restricted suffrage.
- Fuero of the Spanish (July 17, 1945): Closest to a constitution, describing the regime as “national Catholicism,” duties, rights, and formal recognition of individual liberties.
- Referendum Act (1945): Universal suffrage for Basic Laws modifications (except the Law on Principles of the Movement).
- Law of Succession to the Head of State (1947): Submitted to a national referendum. The Head of State reserved the right to appoint his successor. Spain was defined as a kingdom, but Franco would be head of state for life with extraordinary powers.
- Law on the Principles of the Movement (1958): Followed by the Charter of the Spanish in 1967 and the Organic Law of the State in 1967, adapting the regime to the Cold War.
1.4 “Families” of the Regime
Franco never fully relied on any single supporting group, balancing civil, military, and ecclesiastical factions. This diversity was reflected in different “families.” Some were corporate groups like the Army or Church, others political like the Falange, and pressure groups like Opus Dei or the “technocrats” of the sixties. Monarchists initially supported the July 18 revolt, but the heir, Don Juan de Borbón, challenged Franco’s leadership with the Lausanne manifesto (1945). Carlists didn’t pose serious problems. The Law of Succession was contested by Don Juan as illegal because it proposed his son as heir, educated in Spain under National Movement principles.
1.5 Social Bases
Franco was supported by groups backing the military uprising: large landowners, industrialists, financiers, small bourgeoisie, and the Catholic peasantry of northern and central Spain. Social support increased through patronage (cronyism).
Voluntary accommodation to Franco grew in the sixties due to relative prosperity after the war. Economic growth created a large middle class that accepted political constraints for welfare. A new working class identified progress with Franco’s economic performance, becoming apolitical, “grateful stomachs.”
The small bourgeoisie, enriched by industrial protectionism in Catalonia and the Basque Country, were also content, as were young entrepreneurs and those promoted through public administration.
The regime’s longevity was aided by the lack of political awareness and cultural frustration maintained through propaganda and an authoritarian, repressive education system, perpetuating the “sociological Franco.”
1.6 Social Control: Ideological Puritanism
Franco imposed regression in daily life and culture. Society was directed paternalistically. All public and private life was led by the state and the National Movement, highlighting Franco’s figure. Women lost the vote and were confined to the home and the female section of FET de las JONS, with mandatory social service.
Indoctrination began in schools and organizations like the Youth Front, with compulsory camps. The Church and Falange were responsible. Schools introduced National Spirit Training. Religious practices became public events: novenas, processions, certificates of good conduct. Social relations like dances, movies, and entertainment were restricted as sinful. Schools sang Cara al Sol (Falange hymn). Traditional values like authority, discipline, obedience, and rural life were promoted.
Censorship of books, newspapers, films, and cultural works impoverished the country’s cultural and intellectual development.
2. BLUE STAGE. Postwar
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First stage In appointed Franco three governments and performance was near axis Rome Berlin Tokyo. The portfolios were distributed among the various families of political influence: the army, Catholics (education), the traditionalists (justice), phalanx (agriculture, labor, unions, and Undersecretary of the Movement) and conservatives (Finance, public works, industry and trade). The Defense Ministry is divided into three armies. The monarchists were outside the regime for its support of Don Juan.
Social policy was regulated by the Labour Law enacted during the war. The state assumed the task of ensuring that the Spanish, the country, bread and justice. You can control wages, and provided that the remuneration. But wages lost purchasing power to inflation. The welfare state becomes paternalistic (ie the business stores). The social character is taken from the national syndicalism of the phalanx. Abolish unions and trade unions are created vertical and binding only integrated into every branch of production all the elements. For his part, assured the job stability, although the companies do not upgrade and there was no strike (it was a crime of sedition). Social Security was created in 1943 by José Antonio Girón Falangist (Compulsory Health Insurance
Of course repealed the law of divorce and all the social progress of women and the criminalization of sexual attitudes “atypical.”
During World War II Germany was winning and Spain remained neutral, but became a no-war positions (not involved in military actions, but does support one side), both by the pressures of these countries’ aspirations Franco expansion, especially the Falange and its imperialist projection (Serano Suner, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Germanophile). You risked by sending the Blue Division in Russia, supporting the German army.
He turned to neutral after the interview of Franco and Hitler at Hendaye (Hitler considered excessive claims of Spain) as the Allies began to win. A new meeting between Franco and Mussolini in Bordighera (Italy) finished with apsiraciones to go to war. The regime was propaganda that had prevented Franco Spain into the war. Serrano Suner was replaced, the Blue Division were repatriated and tried in the laws insist on his character and forget anti-fascist dye. However, the victorious powers rejected the Franco regime. Was not included in the Marshall Plan
The international situation forced Franco to change their government, moving a little to the Falange and enhancing the Catholic sector to Martin Artajo for Foreign Affairs. Fascist symbolism was abandoned (raised arm salute), but Franco reacted neglecting international condemnation as a Jewish-Masonic conspiracy Marxist. Was supported only by Portugal (Salazar) and Peron in Argentina.