Franco's Dictatorship: Political Structure and Early Years

Item 9: Franco's Regime Consolidation

On April 1, 1939, Franco issued his final military report, signaling the end of the war but not peace. This initiated a long dictatorship that concluded with Franco's death in 1975. The period from the war's end until the late 1950s was characterized by domestic politics dictated by the regime born from the Civil War, economic autarky, and an economic proposal marked by gaps and the needs of Spanish society. This era also involved isolationism, as Spain submitted to the scheme to appease the victorious powers of World War II.

Political Aspects and Regime Objectives

A basic objective regarding the political aspects was the dismantling of all work accomplished by the Second Republic. In the effort to "regenerate Spain," the Constitution of 1931 was abolished, eliminating individual and collective rights and establishing police, social, and ideological control over Spanish society. Political parties and trade unions were banned, and the autonomy statutes for Catalonia and the Basque Country disappeared, prohibiting all manifestations of nationalism.

Concentration of Power

A gradual concentration of power occurred, placing a single leader—endowed with the title of Supreme Leader and Chief of the Armed Forces—at the head of the party and government. Franco controlled the Head of State, the Head of Government, the single party, the Armed Forces, and the legislature.

The political model relied on the existence of a single party. Franco based his power on three pillars: civil, military, and ecclesiastical, operating through influential groups or "families." Some were corporate groups, such as the Army or the Catholic Church, while others were political, like the Falange, the Monarchists, or Traditionalism.

• The Falange: Held important political positions initially, but gradually moved closer to losing influence. Its primitive fascist-like ideals transformed into blind loyalty to the Leader. It formed the backbone of the system and never challenged Franco's authority.

Early Repression and Resistance

The early years were marked by particularly harsh repression against the vanquished, which had already begun during the Civil War. Despite fierce opposition, the maquis guerrilla group continued military actions against the regime.

Legal Basis of the Franco Regime

Starting in 1942, the Franco regime began creating its legal framework to project an image of legality through the establishment of the "Fundamental Laws." In that year, the Cortes (Parliament) was formed via the Constitutive Act, comprising senior members of the Falange, trade union leaders, and 45 members appointed by the Spanish Jurisdiction. Other key legislation included a sort of Bill of Rights and the Law on National Referendum.

Franco's Ultimate Authority

Despite these laws, Franco retained the power to enact legislation. The most significant was the Act of Succession, which declared Spain a kingdom but also guaranteed Franco's lifelong leadership, granting him the power to elect his successor.