The Franco Dictatorship: Comprehensive Study Notes

UNIT 5. THE FRANCO DICTATORSHIP

1. Characteristics of the Franco Dictatorship

  • Totalitarian and Militaristic Political System
      - Established by Francisco Franco post-Civil War; characterized as a fascist military dictatorship.
      - Rejected principles of liberal democracy, founded on militarism, conservative Catholicism, and Spanish unity.
      - Personal Dictatorship of Franco:
        - Concentration of power in Franco's hands (Caudillo of Spain, Supreme Commander of the Army).
        - Suppression of the Cortes; no elections; legislation by decree.
        - Appointment of successor at Franco's discretion.
        - Prohibition of political parties and unions; only pro-regime entities allowed.
        - Persecution of regime opponents; executions to deter opposition movements.
  • Support from Traditional Social Groups:
      - Backed by groups who had lost privileges under the Republic, seeking to dismantle republican reforms.
      - Key Supporters:
        - The Army: Maintained regime continuity; commanders held political/business positions.
        - The Falange: Single party controlling social aspects; party members in government roles.
        - The Catholic Church: Influenced social ideology (national Catholicism), restored budget; reestablished clergy privileges via the Concordat of 1953; abolished divorce; prioritized religious education.
        - Landowning and industrial bourgeoisie regained economic power, overturning Republican reforms.
  • Duration:
      - Lasted from 1939 until 1975; adapted over decades to international contexts and socio-economic changes.

2. Political Stages of Francoism

  1. Falangist Rule and Support for Fascism (1939-1945)
       - State organization inspired by Italian fascism.
       - Support for Axis powers during WWII.
       - Economic autarky, suffering hardship.
  2. National Catholic Dominance and Relations with the US (1945-1957)
       - Falange marginalized from power.
       - Received recognition from international organizations and formed pacts with the US and the Vatican.
  3. Technocratic Dominance and Economic Development (1957-1969)
       - Government became technocratic, opening the economy to Europe.
       - Initiated economic development and social changes.
  4. Crisis and Decline of the Regime (1969-1975)
       - Political stagnation; economic crisis; social unrest.
       - Assassination of government president (Carrero Blanco) and Franco's declining health.

3. The Repression of the Defeated

  • Undertook persecution of all who supported the Republic post-war.
  • Estimated 50,000 executed for political reasons; 270,719 political prisoners in 1940 (including 23,232 women); poor conditions in internment camps led to deaths.

4. Life in the Post-war Period (1939-1945)

  • Destruction and Poverty:
      - Civil War resulted in nearly one million deaths (500,000 victims, 400,000 exiled).
      - Economy collapsed; transport networks destroyed.
      - Severe shortages of essentials: food, medicine, electricity, fuel leading to rampant poverty.
  • Fascist Inspirations:
      - Totalitarian regime mirrored fascist models with a single party (Falange Española) and union (Organización Sindical Española).
      - Dismantled republican institutions and democratic freedoms (abolished 1931 Constitution).
      - Created a centralist state; autonomy provisions for regions abolished; repression laws were enacted.
      - Thousands imprisoned; justice system dominated by government.
  • Retroactive Justice:
      - Law of Political Responsibilities enabled judgment for actions before its enactment, deeming loyalists as rebellious.

5. Franco's Support for the Axis Powers

  • In 1939, Spain aligned with Axis powers, sending the División Azul (Blue Division) to assist in Germany’s Eastern Front.
  • As the war shifted post-1943, Spain withdrew support and assumed neutrality; dissolved División Azul.
  • Following Axis defeat, Franco faced potential demands for relinquishing power due to parallels with fallen regimes.

6. Economic Policies: Autarky, Poverty, and Rationing

  • Economic Isolation:
      - Policies motivated by isolation and boycotts aimed at self-sufficiency (autarky), heavily controlling production and distribution.
      - Established state enterprises like Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI) to stimulate industrial growth; protective tariffs against foreign imports.
  • Rationing System and Black Market:
      - Food rationed via cards, leading to black market formation; high prices and low wages entrenched starvation and poverty.

7. Traditional Society and Rigid Control

  • Return to Tradition:
      - Reaction against republican modernization; cultural, social norms imposed; extensive control of daily life; a cult of Franco established.
  • Imposition of Traditional Morals:
      - Catholic Church's resurgence in society; traditional marriage norms enforced (civil marriage/divorce prohibited); punitive measures against abortion, cohabitation and homosexuality.
      - Social norms mandated specific dress codes and gender separation in public.

8. Censorship and Indoctrination

  • Rigid Censorship:
      - Censorship enforced on scripts, books, press, ensuring compliance with regime principles.
  • Education as Indoctrination:
      - Church DOMINATED education; included compulsory subjects like religion and Falangist doctrine.
      - Gendered education impacts with decreased educational opportunities for women.

9. The Submissive Housewife

  • Patriarchal Society:
      - Model underscoring male superiority; women legally represented by husbands, losing property rights and unable to work without consent; divorce rights repealed.
      - Cultural stigmas against married women working; prevalent wage gaps and job dismissals upon marriage were the norm.

10. Changes from 1945-1957

  • International Isolation Post-WWII:
      - Hostility from Western democracies following defeat of fascist powers; condemned by the UN; faced economic costs due to exclusion from Marshall Plan.
  • Regime Reorientation:
      - Need for economic and political reorientation acknowledged due to failed autarky, leading to the exclusion of radical Falangists; shifted image towards a national-Catholic regime.
      - Cold War Context:
        - Shift in US attitudes prioritized anti-communist alliances over democratization pressures on Francoism; facilitated international acceptance via pacts with the US (military bases in exchange for support).

11. Economic Development (1957-1969)

  • Technocratic Governments:
      - Technocrats introduced; focus on economic growth foundational for political stability; termed 'organic democracy' against liberal democracy ideas.
  • Promoting Economic Reform:
      - Initiated Stabilisation Plan (1959) to integrate into international capitalism; received international loans following reforms; pre-1960s economic boom initiated.
  • Economic Boom of the 1960s:
      - High GDP growth rates; significant industrial production increases; services (especially tourism) booming, although regional disparities in growth were evident.

12. Social Modernization Post-1960

  • Migration Trends:
      - Economic growth led to urban migration and a booming population (25.8 million in 1940 to 33.8 million in 1970).
      - Internal migration towards industrialized cities; influx to cities created new neighborhoods missing basic infrastructure.
  • Improved Living Conditions:
      - Economic growth manifested in consumer behaviors (ownership of appliances, vehicles); shift toward urban consumption society.
  • Social Changes:
      - Influx of tourism altered public perception; emerging trends showed declining Church influence, rising working-class presence of women.

13. Opposition to the Regime

  • Persecution of Opponents:
      - Over 200,000 Republicans incarcerated; many exiled post-war under fear of reprisals.
  • Emergence of Resistance:
      - Internal resistance slow to reorganize; armed groups (maquis) operated in rural areas.
      - Opposition parties reorganized in secrecy; early public dissent seen in minor strikes by workers.

14. The Final Years of Francoism (1969-1975)

  • Increased Repression and Economic Instability:
      - Scandals exposed government cruelties leading to regime changes—starting with vice president Carrero Blanco; criticism to intensify during economic recession.
  • Figures in Opposition:
      - Emergence of unified opposition groups and organized protests demanding democratization peaked towards Franco's death; major opposition groups formed by leftist parties and catalan movements.
  • Military and Political Crisis:
      - Franco's illness and the ensuing political dynamics (assassination of Carrero Blanco, rising social unrest) culminate in his death on November 20, 1975.
      - Final controversies surrounded the Sahara conflict and debates regarding regime continuance versus reform among leadership factions.