Franco’s Regime: Ideological Foundations and Laws
Ideological Foundations of Franco’s Regime
After the Spanish Civil War, Francisco Franco created a new state based on a personal dictatorship in which his power was unquestionable. Ideologically, it was based on a conservative, Catholic, and unitary state, banishing liberalism, democracy, independence, and communism. In this totalitarian regime, all powers were concentrated in the figure of the Head of State, Franco, who was also Prime Minister and Chief of the Armed Forces. In imitation of the Fascist
Read MoreThe Rise of Nazism and the Totalitarian Regime in Germany
The Rise of Nazism to Power
The difficult economic situation resulting from the crisis of 1929 offered a new opportunity for the Nazis, as increased social unrest favored radical speech. In the 1932 elections, the Nazis won 196 seats and the Communists 100. The conservative forces, alarmed by Communist influence, preferred to reach an agreement with Hitler. In 1933, Hitler was named chancellor in a coalition government. The reasons for the electoral success of the Nazis are to be found in the support
Read MoreThe Stuart and Hanoverian Dynasties: 17th and 18th Century Britain
The Stuart Period
The Stuarts: Charles I, the English Civil Wars, Oliver Cromwell, Restoration
Tudors to Stuarts: Elizabeth I established the Church of England, Protestant in religion but Catholic in ceremony. Protestants were divided between High Church and ‘Puritan’ stripped-down versions. Elizabeth’s heir was James VI of Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots but raised Protestant. His mother fled Scotland when he was one year old.
Tudors to Stuarts in Scotland
In Scotland, the King was not the
Read MoreSpanish Succession War & 18th Century Bourbon Reforms
The War of Spanish Succession and the Treaty of Utrecht
After the death of Charles II in 1700, the last of the Spanish Habsburgs, without an heir, two possible candidates emerged for the throne: Louis XIV of France and Charles of Austria. Louis XIV, as the primary claimant in the inheritance of Charles II, passed the crown to his grandson, Philip of Bourbon, who was crowned Philip V in 1701. This year marked the beginning of the War of Spanish Succession, which lasted until 1714 and had two facets.
Read MoreFrancoism in Spain: Dictatorship, Stages, and Social Impact
Franco’s Regime (1939-1975)
The political system that emerged from the Spanish Civil War is characterized by the concentration of power in the hands of General Francisco Franco. Two key characteristics influenced Franco’s psychological profile:
- Messianism: The belief that only he had the answers.
- Military Spirit
Features of Francoism
- Dictatorial political regime characterized by persecution and political repression of any form of association or opposition.
- Centralized and unitary nature; it suppressed
Nazi Ideology, World War II, and the Holocaust
Nazi Beliefs
- Authoritarianism: Decisions should be made by a leader with almost absolute power.
- Totalitarianism: They believed it was the government’s duty not just to devise policy but to shape, coordinate, and regulate society for the betterment of the nation. A totalitarian government must have the authority to control the press and unions, restrict civil liberties and freedoms, manage education, and employ propaganda.
- Nationalism: It was concerned only with Germany and German interests. The Nazis