Franco's Spain: Authoritarianism, Pillars, and Control (1939-1975)

1.1. Franco's Regime Features

The Franco regime established a state legitimized solely by the Civil War, characterized by extreme authoritarianism. Its key features were:

• Totalitarianism: The Franco dictatorship, inspired by German and Italian fascist models, abolished the 1931 Constitution, eliminating individual and collective rights. It shut down Parliament, banned political parties and trade unions, permitting only a single party and official union.
• Leadership: Franco, titled Caudillo of Spain, was Head of State and, for many years, also the president of the government. He was Generalissimo of the armies and leader of the national party.
• Unitary and Centralist State: The regime abolished autonomy statutes and promoted a unified Spanish identity, suppressing Catalan, Basque, and Galician regionalism.
• Suppression of Opposition: Persecution of Republican sympathizers began immediately and continued systematically throughout the regime.
• Media Control: The media was subjected to rigorous censorship and used as a propaganda tool for Franco's regime.

1.2. Pillars of the Regime

The three institutional pillars of the Franco dictatorship were the military, the single party, and the Catholic Church.

Military

The Army was the foremost supporter of the regime, actively participating in governance. Many ministers and provincial governors were career military officers.

Single Party

The single party, Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS (FET de las JONS), provided the regime's ideological basis, controlled the media, and filled many administrative positions. It formed mass organizations like the Frente de Juventudes (youth front), Sección Femenina (women's section), Sindicato Español Universitario (SEU - university syndicate), and Central Nacional Sindicalista (CNS - national syndicalist central) to control and indoctrinate various social groups.

Catholic Church

The Catholic Church played a crucial role in legitimizing and building the Franco regime, which was defined as a Catholic confessional state. In return for its support, the Church received substantial public funding, controlled much of the educational system, and exerted dominance over moral values in Spanish society.