We explain that it was Franco and what were the background of the dictatorial government. In addition, its ideological, social and political foundations.
It is known as “first Francoism” to the first stage of the Francisco Franco dictatorial Government in Spain. This period began with the end of the Spanish Civil War and the consequent taking of Spanish power by the dictator in 1939. He ended with the establishment of a new economic plan, which would begin the next stage, known as “second Francoism.”
The first stage of the Francoist government was characterized by the institutionalization of the dictatorial regime, the postwar economic crisis, repression, economic autarchy and international isolation.
Background of Franco
In 1936, different sectors of the Spanish population supported a coup d'etat carried out by members of the Spanish Army, against the government known as the Second Spanish Republic. The rebels managed to take some cities and, given the resistance of the government, a civil war began.
During the war, the areas controlled by the rebels were under the government of the fascist right party, called FET of the JONS (Spanish Falange Traditionalist of the National Trade Union National Offensive Boards), led by General Franco.
In 1939, the rebels managed to impose themselves on the Republican government. Since then and until his death, dictator Francisco Franco ruled Spain through a totalitarian regime.
Among the main features of Franco are:
- Concentration of political power in Franco . The “unwavering adhesion” to leader was the key element of the entire political building of Franco.
- Anticomunism . The cold war Among the US and the USSR since 1945, caused the Franco regime to further reinforce the anti -communist ideology to be accepted in the western world.
- Antiparliamentarism and anti -liberalism . Francoism was always contrary to political freedoms.
- National Catholicism . The Church was the great legitimacy of the Franco dictatorship. In return, social life and education dominated. A strict Catholic morality in the public and privately imposed itself in the country.
- Defense of the “Unit of the Homeland”. Francoism denied any political autonomy of the regions and encouraged Spanish as the only Spanish language. The prohibition of the other peninsular languages was strict during the first period of Franco.
- Traditionalism . The idea of Spain that defended the dictatorship was based on often adulterated historical roots.
- Militarism . The military apparatus was given special importance. The parades, uniforms, hymns and flags transmitted nationalist ideas.
- Fascist features . The use of symbols and uniforms, the exaltation of the figure of the leader and violence as a political means were some features that Franco shared with other fascist regimes. Some more compromising external aspects (such as fascist greeting) were attenuated after the defeat of Hitler and Mussolini in 1945.
Institutionalization of the dictatorial regime
During its first stage of government, Franco established the legal regime on which dictatorial power was organized.
The dictator, who concentrated all the power, assumed the Constituent function . Gradually the regime was approving various organic laws, which configured what is known as the FUNDAMENTAL LAWS OF MOVEMENT:
- Job of work (1938). Prohibited unions. Following the fascist model, the union organization was configured as the Single union controlled by the phalanx.
- Constitutive Law of the Cortes (1942). It established the creation of cuts, chosen by indirect suffrage organized around various corporations: the family, the municipality, and the union. In practice, the elected representatives were those who wanted the regime.
- Jurisdiction of the Spaniards (1945). It established the theoretical declaration of rights and duties, according to the traditionalist and Catholic mentality. It did not mean any real recognition of political or social rights.
- National Referendum Law (1945). It allowed the head of the State to convene plebiscitos so that the people, in a framework of absence of freedom, endorse a law.
- Law of Succession to the State Headquarters (1946). Spain was declared “Kingdom” and Franco attributed the power to propose its future successor. This law constituted a great disappointment for the monarchists, who believed that Franco would bring back the throne of the Bourbons.
Economy during the first Francoism
Postwar autarchy
At the end of the civil war in 1939, the Spanish economy was in crisis. Spain had been temporarily decimated; Hunger and the extreme need were the daily reality of a large part of the population.
On the other hand, the international context was marked by the increase in tensions that, that same year, led to the outbreak of World War II, in front of which Spain remained neutral.
The solution given by the Franco regime to the economic hardship was marked by the model created in Mussolini's Italy and consolidated in Hitler's Germany: Autarchy, an economic policy based on the search for economic self -sufficiency and state intervention .
He State interventionism extended by much of the national economy. The State set agricultural prices and forced the peasants to deliver the surpluses of their crops . The National Institute of Industry (INI) was created in 1941 to control the Spanish industry and established a rigid control of foreign trade.
On the other hand, in the context of shortage and state intervention, the black market was consolidated, known as the Estraperlo. In turn, the economy was crossed by corruption on import and export licenses, and on the administration of supplies to the State.
Economic restructuring
The obvious failure of the autarkic model led to the fact that since the beginning of the fifties there was a turn in economic policy.
In 1952, the rationing of food was ended and the partial liberalization of trade and the circulation of goods began. These measures generated an economic expansion.
The Cold War and the consequent change in American international policy led to the fact that since 1951 American economic aid began to arrive. Although it was inferior to that received by the beneficiary countries of the Marshall Plan, this help allowed import imports, which were essential for industrial development.
In 1954, the income per inhabitant of 1935 was exceeded. However, the incipient development brought a strong prices inflation. The need for structural reforms In the economy it was evident.
Finally, Franco allowed the entry into the government in 1957 of a group of Technocrats In economics, administration and state management. . These new ministers designed the definitive turn in economic policy: the 1959 stabilization plan, with which the “second Francoism” begins.
Internal policy during the first Francoism
Postwar period
The forties is known as “the years of hunger” and was characterized by:
- The rationing of food.
- The extension of the black market.
- Generalized corruption between bureaucrats or relatives of the State.
The 1939 political responsibilities Law was the legal tool used for the hard repression that reached the end of the war. The number of political prisoners was so great that they had to enable concentration camps throughout the country. The executions were counted by tens of thousands.
Post -war repression led to a climate of generalized terror among much of the population especially in cities, industrial areas and the south of the country.
Internal political conflicts of the 50s
After the terror and paralysis of the country during the forties, in the fifties the first opposition protests appeared.
In 1956, various incidents took place in the University of Madrid between anti -Franco students and members of the SEU. The boycott of trams in Barcelona, in 1951, showed the first workers' protests.
However, this opposition reactivation had a very weak incidence. The most politically important thing was the access to the government of several Opus Dei ministers to the Government, in 1957. This incorporation was the prelude to the 1959 economic reform that brought the liberalization of the economy and the development of the sixties.
Political immobility was enshrined in 1958 with the approval of the Law of Principles of the National Movement, in which the old ideological principles of the regime simply summed up.
The end of international isolation was clearly exposed with the visit of US President Eisenhower to Spain in 1959. The hug between the general who had intervened in a key way in Hitler's defeat and the dictator who had been ally of the Führer showed how the cold war had changed international politics.
Foreign policy during the first Francoism
Alliance with fascist powers
On April 7, 1939, recently finished the civil war, Franco made public his adhesion to the Antikomintern pact, the anti -communist agreement that associated Nazi Germany, fascist Italy and Japan.
In October 1940, after the German invasion of France, it took place An interview between Franco and Hitler to negotiate Spain's entrance to war . Hitler did not accept Franco's ambitious pretensions over the French Morocco and the incorporation into the war of an exhausted country was not of great interest to the axis. However, to show their support for fascist powers, Spain sent a troop of volunteers, known as the Blue Division , To fight next to the Nazi troops in the Russian Front .
The defeats of the axis made a cautious turn in its international policy as of 1942 and began to seek conciliation with allied countries. The dismissal of his brother -in -law Súñer (who was too linked to German politics for the new times) shows this change in attitude.
International isolation and internal changes
Franco's dictatorship was considered an ally of the freshly defeated fascist powers. Therefore, in 1946 the United Nations General Assembly voted against the entry of Spain into this institution.
This international conviction followed years of economic and political isolation, although USA. Despite this, Spain did not receive any help from the Marshal Plan, nor was it admitted to NATO.
In this context, the Franco dictatorship tried to improve its international image. For that, it began to reduce the prominence of the phalangists and all the symbols that will remember the powers of the axis. At the same time, Catholics obtained greater presence in the dictatorship. The support of the Holy See was essential to get out of international isolation.
End of isolation: the agreement with the United States
With the beginning of the Cold War, the hostility towards the USSR caused a turn in the American international position. In 1950, the UN recommended the End of diplomatic isolation of Spain.
In 1953 the bilateral agreements with the United States were signed, which allowed the installation of US military bases in Spain in Torrejón de Ardoz, Zaragoza, Morón and Rota. In return, Spain received American financial assistance.
Also in 1953 the concordat between Spain and the Holy See was signed, which formally established the link between the Spanish State and the Catholic Church. Franco obtained the privilege of intervening in the appointment of bishops and the Church obtained economic rewards, competence in civil matters and direct control over the Spanish education system.
References
- Juliá, S., García Delgado, JL, Jiménez, JC, and Fusi, JP (2007). Dictatorship. In 20th century Spain. MARCIAL PONS EDITIONS HISTORY.
- Martorell, M. and Juliá, S. (2012). The dictatorship of General Franco. In Manual of Political and Social History of Spain (1808-2011). RBA books.
- Villacañas Berlanga, JL (2014) Franco. In History of political power in Spain. RBA books.
