Francoist Spain also had its paranoid secret service, the BPS (Political-Social Brigade, 1941-1978), which was infiltrated everywhere, and worked basically with spies, delation and a wide repertory of torture methods. Hence, the hopes of the opposition came to nothing. Several historians believe that during the Spanish Civil War, General Francisco Franco’s goal was to turn Spain into a totalitarian state like Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, which he largely succeeded in doing. Although some were equipped with facilities such as individual cells, bathrooms and showers, and even, in the case of Ventas, a library, these facilities were infrequently … By 1955, when Spain was admitted to the UN, Franco’s regime appeared secure. His government saw a fierce struggle between reformists, led by Manuel Fraga and the new foreign minister, José Maria de Areilza, who wished to “open” the regime by limited democratization from above, and the “bunker” mentality of nostalgic Francoists. Franco was born at the coastal city and naval centre of El Ferrol in Galicia (northwestern Spain). Even before the glamour of those international events had faded, Spain entered a difficult period. This crisis was remedied by the technocrats of Opus Dei (a conservative Roman Catholic lay organization), a number of whose members were appointed to the cabinet in February 1957. Franco’s regime committed a series of violent human rights abuses against the Spanish people, which included the establishment of concentration camps and the use of forced labor and executions, mostly against political and ideological enemies, causing an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 deaths in more than 190 concentration camps. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Franco’s sympathies in World War II lay with Germany and Italy, to whom he gave moral and material support. The national income fell back to the levels of 1900, as industrial production and agricultural output stagnated and real wages dramatically fell. The Spanish State was authoritarian: non-government trade unions and all political opponents across the political spectrum were either suppressed or controlled by all means, including police repression. Although the new prosperity brought a novel degree of social mobility and satisfied the enlarged middle class, the workers’ movement revived. He was a professor who for years had been dreaming of starting a studies abroad program in the Basque town of Oñati, and it was finally going to happen. For a significant part of the population, life was relatively good, especially after 1959, when the country experienced a very significant economic boom. Fees, Evelyn Wyoming. Intending to overthrow the republic, Franco followed other generals in attempting a failed coup that precipitated the Spanish Civil War. With the death of the other generals, Franco quickly became his faction’s only leader. The regime maintained a division between the victors and the vanquished of the Civil War, with the vanquished excluded from public life. Throughout Franco’s rule, his authoritarian regime was based on the emergency war powers granted him as head of state and of the government by his fellow generals in 1936. and the socialist UGT staged a general strike. Known for his iron political nerve, Franco saw himself as the one designated to save Spain from the chaos and instability visited upon the country by the evils of parliamentary democracy and political parties, which he blamed for destroying the unity of Spain. Francisco Franco: El Caudillo Francisco Franco (December 4, 1892 – November 20, 1975) was a Spanish general who ruled over Spain as a dictator for 36 years from 1939 until his death. 2 (August 2011): 401- 14. It was furthermore troubled by frictions created by the demands of Euskadi and Catalonia for greater autonomy. Opposition to the regime took the form of student unrest, strikes, and the unsuccessful efforts of the Communist Party to forge a united front and challenge the regime (1958, 1959). In its second term, the government’s economic policies continued to provoke the hostility of the trade unions—unemployment ran at nearly 20 percent—and on December 14, 1988, the CC.OO. Leaving half a million dead, the war was eventually won by Franco in 1939. Spain’s entry into the war on the Axis side was prevented largely by, as was much later revealed, British Secret Intelligence Service (MI-6) efforts that included up to $200 million in bribes for Spanish officials to keep the regime from getting involved. Hitler refused. One potential reason is that, as the genre ceased to be a living art form, it lost its ability to portray the pueblo in a realistic, dynamic, and sympathetic way. Given brutal repression and a controlled and censored press, sullen discontent could take no organized form. A radical party in 1975 committed to the replacement of capitalism, the PSOE subsequently abandoned Marxism and accepted a market economy. With the infusion of American capital, Spain's economy revived, and living standards began to improve. Carlos Arias Navarro, the former minister of the interior, was selected as the new premier. Falangism is widely considered a fascist ideology. Francoist Spain (España franquista) or the Franco regime (Régimen de Franco), formally known as the Spanish State (Estado Español), is the period of Spanish history between 1939, when Francisco Franco took control of Spain after the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War establishing a dictatorship, and 1975, when Franco died and Prince Juan Carlos was crowned King of Spain. Ultimately, the Falange lost power in the National Movement, the sole legal political organization; its attempts to create a Falangist one-party state were defeated in 1956, though tensions between the Falange and the conservative elements persisted. But the success of the government’s economic policies (inflation fell and growth was resumed) and the popularity of González enabled the socialists in the election of June 1986 to retain their majority (184 seats), whereas Fraga’s conservative Popular Coalition (105 seats) failed to make any gains and fell apart. A Fascist movement founded in Spain in 1933 and the one legal party in Spain under the regime of Franco. Franco and other military leaders staged a failed coup that led to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, which lasted from 1936-1939. The government lost some support on the left with the creation of the United Left (Izquierda Unida; IU), the core of which was remnants of the PCE, and the right capitalized on law-and-order issues, focusing on the fight against terrorism, disorder on the streets, the rise in crime, and the development of a serious drug problem. Surprisingly, the Socialists remained the largest party in the Cortes, though without an absolute majority; they were forced to rely upon the support of Catalan and Basque nationalists. It supports criminalization of strikes by employees and lockouts by employers as illegal acts. In Francoist Spain, if I understand correctly, the Roman Catholic Church had significant authority over many religious aspects of life, including marriage. Spain also was to make its contribution to collective defense outside the integrated military command of NATO. The moderate opposition’s attempt in 1962 to force a democratic opening in order to enter the European Economic Community (EEC) was dismissed by the regime as treason. In 1947, he declared Spain a monarchy with himself as regent. More important for Franco was the support of the church, which was given control over education. Falangism emphasized the need for authority, hierarchy, and order in society. For a detailed account of these events and of the history of the Falange in the early months of the Civil War, see S. G. Payne, Fascism in Spain, 1923–1977 (Madison, WI, 1999), 239–79. This is how I remember it: One night at dinner when I was six, Dad announced that we were going to Spain for a year. In the 1960s elements in the regime were increasingly troubled by its lack of “institutionalization” and the problem of the succession, as Franco was in failing health and there was no designated successor. Bullfighting and flamenco were promoted as national traditions, while those traditions not considered Spanish were suppressed. To justify this radical departure from the PSOE’s traditional neutralism, membership in NATO was submitted to a referendum and made dependent on a partial withdrawal of U.S. forces stationed in Spain under the 1953 agreements. González’s fourth term got off to a rocky start. In Fear and Progress, Antonio Cazorla Sánchez has produced a first-class survey of life in the years of the Franco regime (1939–75).His compelling narrative is supported by insightful analysis into the nature of the regime and a welcome abundance of source material including oral history interviews and government documents. Franco proclaimed himself Head of State and Government under the title El Caudillo, a term similar to Il Duce (Italian) for Benito Mussolini and Der Führer (German) for Adolf Hitler. The 1938 Fuero del Trabajo law imposed upon women the role of housewife, by preventing them from participating in the workforce after they married so as to "liberate married women from the workshops and factories". permeated Spain’s social systems. Their work with injured soldiers and orphaned children, along with their promotion of better sanitation, nutrition,education, athletics and physical fitness, domestic arts, and more modern child-rearing practices set them as an important and influential organization in Spanish society in the early post Civil War period in Spain. The Falange’s original manifesto, the “Twenty-Seven Points,” declared Falangism to support the unity of Spain and the elimination of regional separatism; established a dictatorship led by the Falange; used violence to regenerate Spain; promoted the revival and development of the Spanish Empire; and championed a social revolution to create a national syndicalist economy to mutually organize and control economic activity, agrarian reform, industrial expansion, and respect for private property with the exception of nationalizing credit facilities to prevent capitalist usury. Franco strove to establish a fascist dictatorship similar to that of Germany and Italy, but in the end did not join the Axis in WWII. The government severely repressed ETA’s terrorist activity in the Basque provinces, executing five terrorists in September 1975 despite international protests. A woman was to be loving to her parents and brothers and faithful to her husband, and reside with her family. The new government made its main concern the battle against inflation and the modernization of industry. The stabilization plan was followed by a development plan in 1963, which was based on French indicative planning—i.e., the setting of targets for the public sector and encouragement of the private sector. When in 1943 it appeared that the Allies would win the war, Franco reaffirmed Spain’s nominal neutrality without gaining their benevolence. The Burgos trials of Basque terrorists in 1970 discredited the regime abroad, and the following year the Assembly of Catalonia united the opposition with a demand for democratic institutions and the restoration of the Autonomy Statute of 1932. However, the government’s policies were fiercely resisted by the Falange, who claimed that the policies were a surrender to neocapitalism. Spain underwent massive social and ideological changes after the end of the Civil War in 1939. More serious was the bankruptcy of autarky, evident in inflation, a growing deficit in the balance of payments, and strikes. The policy had devastating effects, and the economy stagnated. Spain traditionally paid close attention to events in France and was often influenced by them. Footnote 99 As in Francoist territory during the war, in Republican Spain contextual transformations shaped the perpetration, experience, and prosecution of rape. Spain was never Fascist. Falangism is anti-communist, anti-capitalist, anti-democratic, and anti-liberal, although under Franco, the Falange abandoned its original anti-capitalist tendencies, declaring the ideology to be fully compatible with capitalism. Francisco Franco: A photo of Francisco Franco in 1964. Most of what I'll describe is … The Civil War had ravaged the Spanish economy. Franco’s Spain was a dictatorship, we all know that. Confronted by terrorism and economic recession, the UCD disintegrated into the factions of its “barons.” After heavy defeats in local elections and fearing a possible military coup, Suárez resigned in January 1981. Under the leadership of Francisco Franco, many of the radical elements of Falangism considered fascist were diluted, and it largely became an authoritarian, conservative ideology connected with Francoist Spain. The election of October 1982 marked the final break with the Francoist legacy, returning the PSOE under its leader, Felipe González, whose government was the first in which none of the members had served under Francoism. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Gender & History 23, no. All hopes of a limited liberalization of the regime by its reformist wing were blocked by conservative elements, with the exception of Manuel Fraga’s Press Law of 1966, which gave the press greater freedom and influence. The devaluation of the European currencies forced Franco to implement a stabilization plan in 1959, which provided a fierce dose of orthodox finance. Its longue-durée approach to the emergence of the Movida Madrileña is refreshing, and its analysis of the Spanish youth’s role in the transition to democracy invigorating. Another scandal, involving missing security documents, led to the resignation of two ministers, including the deputy prime minister, Narcís Serra. Sections of the church were sympathetic to claims for greater social justice and responsive to the recommendations of the Second Vatican Council. You have to keep in mind that Franco's regime lasted 39 years (1936-1975), so the circumstances changed a lot from decade to decade. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francoist_Spain, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Franco, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Franco#/media/File:Francisco_Franco_en_1964.jpg, https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-worldhistory/. González’s policies were resisted by the unions (the socialist UGT and the CC.OO. The murderers went unpunished and Franco died in his bed. In 1953 an agreement with the United States gave Franco considerable financial aid in return for the establishment of four U.S. military bases in Spain; in the same year a concordat with the Vatican gave Spain added diplomatic respectability. Only black marketeers could enjoy an evident affluence. The PSOE won a solid majority (202 seats), while the UCD was annihilated, winning only 12 seats. Nevertheless, Franco demanded France’s North African colonies in compensation for military cooperation against the Western Allies, on whom Spain was dependent for food and oil imports. Arias Navarro, incapable of making the democratic transition supported by the king, was replaced in July 1976 by Adolfo Suárez González, a former Francoist minister. Following Spain’s success in hosting football’s (soccer’s) World Cup a decade earlier, the country again achieved international prominence in 1992, when it hosted the Expo ’92 world’s fair in Sevilla and the Olympic Games in Barcelona. The left was further alienated by the government’s decision to continue NATO membership, despite the party’s official opposition to membership during the 1982 election. Franco emerged victorious and established a one-party military dictatorship, naming himself the leader under the name. After the late 50s francoism started to open to the world and societal reform started to happen, albeit quite slowly at first. Economic recovery was made difficult by the destruction during the Civil War (especially of railway rolling stock and communications in general), a loss of skilled labour, a series of bad droughts, and a shortage of foreign exchange and the restriction on imports of capital goods imposed by World War II and its aftermath. The diplomatic ostracism imposed by the UN was skillfully turned into a means of rallying support for the regime in the name of national unity. The realities of Francoist Spain and the rhetoric of the SF, however, were contrasted one another. Official propaganda confined women’s roles to family care and motherhood. He was taking about 80 students over. Why did zarzuela come to be seen, in contemporary Spain, as a remnant of Francoist musical life? From 1939 to 1946, there was a monthly allowance of 30 pesetas for families with two children. All cultural activities were subject to censorship, and many were forbidden entirely, often in an erratic manner. As in Germany and Italy, fascism gained prominence in Spain during the interwar period, especially from the 1930s through World War II. Suárez persuaded the Francoist right in the Cortes to pass the Law for Political Reform (November 1976), which paved the way for democratic elections. Opponents of Franco’s changes to the party include former Falange leader Manuel Hedilla. Francisco Franco (December 4, 1892 – November 20, 1975) was a Spanish general who ruled over Spain as a dictator for 36 years from 1939 until his death. Making Women Matter: Spain’s Long Road Toward Gender Equality. The consistent points in Francoism included authoritarianism, nationalism, national Catholicism, militarism, conservatism, anti-communism, and anti-liberalism. Some aspects evolved over time: When Franco took power (1939, after the Civil War) repression was brutal, and … The government won the referendum of March 12, 1986—a triumph for González rather than evidence of understanding of or enthusiasm for NATO. On Wikipedia, I read: Civil marriages that had taken place in Republican Spain were declared null … "Women, Fascism and Work in Francoist Spain: The Law for Political, Professional and Labour Rights." Economic nationalism, protectionism, and the state intervention characteristic of autarky were abandoned in favour of a market economy and the opening of Spain to international trade and much-needed foreign investment. Although the bishops generally felt that the church should support the regime, they were increasingly aware of the long-term dangers of such an alliance. In the elections of June 1977, Suárez’s party, a coalition of centrist groups called the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD), emerged as the strongest party, winning 165 seats in the Cortes, closely followed by the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), who captured 118 seats. The Fuero de los Españoles (1945), guaranteeing personal freedoms (provided no attack was made on the regime), was a cosmetic device that failed to establish Franco’s democratic credentials with the Allies. Francoism professed a strong devotion to militarism, hypermasculinity, and the traditional role of women in society. Until his death in 1975, dictator Francisco Franco idealized conservative Catholic values and cemented the family as … He established a military dictatorship, which he defined as a totalitarian state. They had a Fascist Party called La Falange, founded by Jose Antonia Primo de Rivera. The first decade of his government saw harsh repression by military tribunals, political purges, and … The Spanish Constitution of 1978 re-established a constitutional monarchy as the form of government for Spain after the end of the Francoist regime and the restoration of democracy by Adolfo Suárez in 1975. However, in December Carrero Blanco was assassinated by ETA. In foreign policy, all the major parties, with the exception of the United Left, supported the government’s decision to offer logistical support to the United States and its allies in 1991 in the Persian Gulf War; however, massive demonstrations against the war revealed widespread neutralist sentiments. Summarize the rise of the Franco regime in Spain. However the role of women changed dramatically after his death in 1975. The coup attempt failed, however, because of King Juan Carlos’s resolute support of the democratic constitution. 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