UN Resolution on Franco’s Spain: Exclusion from Membership
Historical Context and Authorship
This historical text is a primary source of legal and political content. Authorship is attributed to the General Assembly of the United Nations, a supranational institution created at the end of World War II to foster peace and international relations, similar to the League of Nations, albeit more successfully. The United Nations (UN) is an international association that unites the world’s governments. It was founded on October 24, 1945, in San Francisco at the end of the Second World War with the signing of the Charter of the United Nations. The Charter’s objectives were to:
- Save humanity from war
- Reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights
- Create conditions under which justice and international law can be maintained
- Promote social progress
The main countries that promoted the establishment of the UN were France, the USA, and the UK. According to its Charter, the UN seeks “peace and international security,” to “establish a new world order, to cooperate in solving the political, social, economic, and cultural aspects of humanity, and establish an international legal order.” The UN Security Council is empowered to adopt resolutions binding on its Member States. This resolution has a general purpose, issued to all members of the United Nations, and a particular destination: the regime of General Franco. Its chronology places it at the end of 1946, a year after the Allied victory in World War II.
Main Idea: Spain’s Exclusion from the UN
The main idea of this text is the denial of Spain’s entry into the UN due to several conditions that the author, the UN General Assembly, outlines throughout the document. The General Assembly finds that Franco’s fascist government:
- Was imposed by force.
- Does not represent the Spanish people.
- Makes Spain’s integration into the UN impossible.
Historical Background: Spain During and After WWII
The text is inscribed in the historical moment after the end of the Second World War. At the beginning of World War II, Franco declared neutrality. However, after the fall of France, Spain became a non-belligerent, initiating talks with Mussolini and Hitler for a possible entry into the war, but without determining the date. Ultimately, Spain did not enter the war. Despite repeated protests by the Allies, Franco provided significant aid to the Axis powers during the United Nations’ long struggle against Hitler and Mussolini. For example, from 1941 to 1945, the Blue Division of infantry, the Spanish Legion volunteers, and the Air Squadron Salvador fought against Soviet Russia on the Eastern European front. In the summer of 1940, Spain seized Tangier, violating the city’s international status. Furthermore, Spain’s maintenance of a large army in the settled area of Morocco led to the detention of a considerable group of Allied troops in North Africa. In 1943, anticipating a possible Allied victory, Spain returned to neutrality.
The year 1945 was marked by Spain’s diplomatic isolation, ratified by the UN. Indeed, between 1945 and 1947, the Franco regime faced hostility from almost all countries in the world.
Consequences of the Resolution
The consequences of this document were significant for the Franco regime. Since its publication, Spain was subject to international isolation, a unanimous condemnation by UN members, which significantly affected the country politically, economically, and socially. This resolution opened a period of great hardship in post-war Spain, with serious consequences for Spanish society. Spain did not reach the per capita income it had in 1931 until almost the end of the 1950s. This condemnation led to the country’s isolation, preventing it from qualifying for American aid for European reconstruction and imposing an autarkic economic system that became a complete failure.