The Power Structure of Franco’s Regime: The Families of the Movement
The Families of the Francoist Regime
Franco relied on the Falange and its partners among the ideological groups called the Families of the Regime.
1. The Falange: From Ideology to Loyalty
The Falange’s Transformation
- In 1939, the Falange was vastly different from what it had been during the Republic.
- Following the unification process of 1937, which removed figures like José Antonio and other deceased leaders, the new party swelled significantly, gaining “600,000 members in the months following the war.”
Loyalty Over Ideology
The initial claim to build a new corporate state had given way to an organization that was simply a pool of loyal leaders. Above any value, discipline and loyalty to Franco were the essential elements for promotion. While leaders maintained a certain ideological zeal, their prospects for hegemony were limited, as Franco would not allow anyone to ever overshadow him.
Influence and Decline
During the 1940s, especially in the early years of the Second World War when Franco’s chief lieutenant was Ramón Serrano Suñer, the Falange occupied about a third of senior management, departments, and ministries. After the defeat of the fascist powers, its influence declined, and the number of Falangists in successive Franco governments was subsequently reduced.
2. The Army: The Regime’s Military Pillar
The Army was one of the core Families of the regime. The possibility of holding positions of responsibility was heavily influenced by military rank and degree achieved.
Much of the military who held positions of responsibility in the scheme had been collaborators of Franco during the war:
- Jordana
- Varela
- Moscardó
- Muñoz Grandes
- Vigón
The man who remained the dictator’s most enduring and trustworthy collaborator was Luis Carrero Blanco.
Others, such as Queipo de Llano, Yagüe, or Kindelán, who were deemed too critical or independent, fell out of favor and ended up being set aside by Franco. Nevertheless, the presence of senior military officials was gradually reduced.
3. Influential Catholics and the Church
A third influential group consisted of Catholics. Many employees of Franco belonged to religious associations, which were permitted outside the Falange structure. The National Catholic Association of Propagandists (ACNP) was influential at first, and later institutions such as Opus Dei were always represented in government.
Some ministries, such as Education, were traditionally held by members of these groups. The Church provided, in addition to its ideological support, the direct involvement of bishops and prelates in the Francoist Cortes and the Council of the Realm.
Only in the wake of Vatican II, in 1962, was there a progressive distancing between the hierarchy and the dictatorship, which eventually led to serious conflicts in the 1970s. However, this did not prevent members of Opus Dei from remaining in power until the dictator’s death.
4. The Monarchists: Divided Loyalties
The monarchists comprised several trends, sometimes facing each other.
Carlist and Juanista Factions
The Carlist faction, extremely conservative, took a minor role, although Franco reserved the Justice portfolio for them for many years.
The rest largely supported the view that the dictatorship would give way, after the war, to the restoration of the monarchy. This restoration was championed from 1941 by Don Juan de Borbón, son of Alfonso XIII, who settled in Estoril and organized a small court of supporters.
Franco’s Stance
Franco’s attitude was disappointing for them because he refused to step down and maintained distance from Don Juan. Nevertheless, many monarchists continued to collaborate with the regime and occupy positions of power. They consistently held portfolios in the Franco government, and in some sectors, such as diplomacy, they held significant weight.