Franco’s Spain: Understanding the Dictatorship (1939-1975)
Francoist Regime
At the end of the civil war in 1939, Franco imposed a totalitarian regime similar to those of Hitler and Mussolini in Germany and Italy. In contrast to Germany and Italy, his regime did not fall after World War II but continued until his death in 1975.
Ideological Foundations
- Fascism: Fascist ideology, represented by the Falange, advocated the concentration of power in a single person, Franco. He was given the title El Caudillo, and fascist symbols such as the fascist salute, paramilitary uniforms, and the emblem of the yoke and arrows were introduced.
- National Catholicism: The Catholic Church legitimized the Francoist regime by considering the civil war a crusade against Marxist atheism. The state declared Spain a Catholic country, made the practice and teaching of Catholicism compulsory, and gave special privileges to the church.
- Traditionalism: The historical model of Habsburg Imperial Spain was followed. Liberalism and the ideas of the Enlightenment that Spain had embraced in the past were considered the cause of Spain’s decadence.
- National Unity: The abolition of the statutes of autonomy took place, and the expression of decentralized nationalism was prohibited, such as languages or flags other than Spanish. Military parades, hymns, and the exaltation of the national flag were encouraged.
Internal Support
- Politically: Franco’s regime had the support of the Falange (the fascist party), the military establishment, the Catholic Church, and, initially, the monarchists, who supported Franco in the earlier years in the hope that he would re-establish the monarchy.
- Socially: The regime had the support of landowners and businessmen. As the economic situation improved, part of the middle and working classes also accepted the lack of freedom in exchange for improved living conditions.
The Evolution of the Regime
- 1939-1959: The foundations of the new regime were established, and dictatorship was imposed through strict laws and military control. Franco wanted Spain to survive without aid from abroad, and because of this, it was isolated from the international community until 1959.
- 1959-1975: Spain abandoned its policy of isolation and started to establish relations with other countries. The economic situation improved, but Spain did not adapt its political system to modern times, so opposition and dissent grew in the last years of the dictatorship.
Totalitarian Regime (1939-1942)
Franco was head of state and supreme commander of the army and also intervened in legislation. There was a single political organ, the Movimiento Nacional, composed of a single political party, Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS, a single vertical trade union, and the government public offices. As there was no constitution, the political system was regulated by Leyes Fundamentales. One of these laws, Fuero del Trabajo, regulated labor legislation with the creation of a Sindicato Vertical where employers and workers were grouped together according to the type of work.
Organic Democracy (1942 Onward)
In 1942, when it was anticipated that the totalitarian regimes in Europe would be defeated in World War II, Spain adopted a system that had the appearance of democracy but none of the democratic practices: organic democracy.
Ley de Cortes (1942) re-established the parliament, but its only function was as a consultative institution and to pass all the laws dictated by Franco; Fuero de los Españoles (1945) was a declaration of rights and duties; Ley de Sucesión (1947) described Spain as a kingdom but allowed Franco to rule until his death and to appoint a successor; Ley de Principios del Movimiento Nacional (1958) was a summary of Francoist laws.