Franco's Dictatorship in Spain (1939-1975): Politics, Economy and Society
Frankism: a military dictatorship
The Francoist scheme of Francisco Franco (1939-1975) was the first authoritarian dictatorship in Spain, characterised by the persecution of opposition, the rejection of communism and liberal democracy, and the defence of traditionalism. It was established after the end of the Spanish Civil War.
Totalitarian political scheme
The former general was head of state (Caudillo of Spain). He concentrated all powers in his person as Generalissimo of the armed forces. The regime allowed only one party, the FET y de las JONS, and a vertical trade union system, the Sindicato Nacional, and the Cortes.
The new scheme aimed to re-establish the centralised Spanish state that had been dismantled by the Republic. In 1936 it abolished the Statute of Catalonia, and in the years before, the Basque provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa had also lost their autonomy.
Fundamental laws of the regime
- The Labour Charter (1938)
- The constitutive law of the Spanish Cortes (1942)
- The Spanish Forum law (1945)
- The Referendum law (1945)
- The Succession law (1947)
Social support of Francoism
The regime relied on the great bourgeoisie, the army and the Catholic Church.
Foreign relations
During 1939 the regime received support from the fascist powers (Germany, Italy and the Blue Division sent to the Soviet Union). From 1945 it faced international isolation. The UN condemned the Francoist regime in 1946, and relations were normalised with the Vatican in 1953 and with the United States thereafter.
War effects:
In 1939 all of Spain was devastated by the war. It created the first demographic emergency. Agricultural and industrial zones, as well as communications, were destroyed, causing enormous losses. The population suffered from a lack of food and the rise in prices, a situation that persisted through the post-war years of hardship before any euphoria or enrichment.
The regime opened the way to the first major state intervention in the production and distribution of goods. The scheme aspired to economic autarky. Industry was organised through the National Industry Institute (INI) and was sustained by a protectionist policy. Autarky eventually led to a disaster that exhausted the economy.
Economic growth of the period (1959-1973):
A new direction emerged: the reorientation of the scheme was driven by the government of some technocrat ministers linked to Opus Dei, who sought technical criteria and modernising measures. The Falange lost protagonism and was displaced by the National Movement.
New laws were also passed: the Law of Fundamental Principles of the National Movement (1958) and the Organic Law of the State (1966), which defined what was called organic democracy.
Stabilization Plan (1959):
From 1957 many governments abandoned the autarkic model and adopted the Stabilization Plan (1959). Its objective was to move from a closed economy with strong state control to an economy linked to international circuits, with a larger role for private initiative. The Development Plans (1964-1975) were also launched.
Demographic changes:
One of the most important components was strong demographic growth. The most important factor in demographic growth was the arrival of immigrants from rural areas of the peninsula (1950-1975). In Spain, the phenomenon of the rural exodus affected many people, who moved to the cities.
Improvement in the standard of living:
Mechanisation of farm work and industrialisation led to a drastic decline in agricultural populations and a remarkable growth of the urban population, giving rise to the so-called consumer society.
Educational and social reforms:
The Law of Social Security Bases (1963), the Press Law (1966), the Law of Religious Freedom (1967) and the General Education Law (1970) were among the main reforms of the period.