Franco's Spain: Society and Politics (1939-1959)

Social Aspect: Repression and Control

The social division in Spain after the Civil War was a tragic reality. Approximately 300,000 Republicans were detained, many of whom were workers. Additionally, 7,000 schoolteachers were imprisoned for their political ideas; of these, about 6,000 were shot, and thousands more lost their jobs. In Madrid alone, in the weeks following the entry of Nationalist forces, there were approximately 50,000 arrests.

Between 200 and 300 people were shot daily in Madrid, 150 in Barcelona, and 80 in Seville, among other locations. In total, between April 1, 1939, and June 30, 1944, about 200,000 Republicans were executed; some had to wait years before their fate was decided. Those who were spared the death penalty had to endure the humiliation of their jailers. The last execution in the capital for involvement in the Civil War was that of Julián Grimau in 1963. In the Canary Islands, Juan García, known as 'the Speedometer,' was the last to be executed in 1959.

The victors quickly occupied all positions of responsibility. The Falange, which had always been a minority, had some 650,000 members by 1940.

In short, the Franco dictatorship was probably the most harsh and repressive regime in Europe at that time, according to Eduard Malefakis, a professor at Columbia University, USA. It was much harsher than the dictatorships of Hitler and Mussolini in peacetime, by a proportion of 10,000 to 1. The harshness of the regime continued until the end, though somewhat more mitigated by international pressure, as the last executions under Franco's regime took place in September 1975.

Political Landscape: Franco's Regime

Ideological Foundations of the Franco Regime

Fascism's Influence on Franco

Franco discarded the idea of a republic and the restoration of the monarchy. Given his poor ideological formation, which allowed him to try a new path, similar to Salazar in Portugal, he inclined towards fascism. He did so more by opportunism than conviction. Mussolini was at the height of his power and dominated the Fascist Party in Italy. Mussolini's fascist bombast and his desire to imitate the ancient Roman Empire were appealing to Franco.

While Mussolini, though only a head of government, adopted a new title, Duce, signifying more than a mere state leader, and Hitler, similarly, chose a unique title, Führer, not found in any constitution, Franco also ruled without a constitution and without being president or king. He held absolute political power and also adopted a new title from the political right: Caudillo.

The attempt to establish a purely fascist system failed because Franco's fascism was distinct. Every totalitarian dictatorship, by its nature, contains the seeds of its own failure, because Franco lacked the personal qualities of his models, and especially since the army in Spain had a more prominent role than the party.

Anti-Communism as Justification

Anti-communism, stemming from the end of the Civil War, was one of the primary reasons that justified the Franco regime's existence. Franco claimed to have waged war to prevent the triumph of a communist revolution that, he asserted, the Republicans were preparing.