The Final Years of the Franco Dictatorship in Spain

The Crisis of the Dictatorship

In June 1973, Luis Carrero Blanco was appointed prime minister, becoming the key figure in maintaining the union of all political factions and ensuring the continuity of Franco's regime after the dictator's death. These plans were canceled in December of that year when Carrero Blanco was assassinated by ETA in a bombing in Madrid. In January 1974, a new government was formed, headed by Carlos Arias Navarro, whose administration fell into paralysis considering the serious illness of Franco.

Social Unrest and Political Protest

In 1973, there was a dramatic growth in social unrest and political protest. Student and labor protests increased significantly through strikes and demonstrations, while opposition groups triggered the creation of unitary bodies to demand the democratization of the country and prevent the continuation of the Franco regime.

The Sahara Conflict and the Green March

Franco's illness worsened throughout 1974 and 1975. As the dictator could no longer perform his duties, the government faced a new destabilizing focus: the Sahara conflict. This territory, rich in phosphate, was coveted by neighboring Algeria, Mauritania, and especially Morocco.

In 1973, the Sahrawi Polisario Front created a nationalist movement fighting for independence. Spain initially decided to accept decolonization and allow a self-determination referendum in the territory. However, in October 1975, King Hassan II of Morocco—who had U.S. support to halt the possible expansion of socialist Algeria—organized the Green March, a peaceful invasion of the territory that mobilized tens of thousands of civilians.

The Madrid Agreement and the Death of Franco

Faced with the danger of a war with Morocco, Spain decided to give up. On November 14, 1975, the Madrid Agreement was signed, which involved the delivery of the Sahara to Morocco and Mauritania. Spain's withdrawal began a conflict that remains unresolved at present between the Polisario Front, which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and Morocco.

Francisco Franco died on November 20, 1975, leaving behind an anachronistic regime in deep crisis. The claim that the dictator left the future of Spain "tied up and well tied" ended up being an illusion.