Francoism's Foundation: Repression, Falange, and Totalitarian Spain (1939–1945)
The Totalitarian Regime: Spain Under Franco (1939–1945)
The early years of the Franco regime followed the Spanish Civil War. Some 3,000 children separated during the conflict were still unaccounted for in 1937. Many of those who stayed in France fought against the Germans in World War II, often ending up in Nazi concentration camps after the fall of the neighboring country.
Widespread Repression and Purges
The exercise of power during the early years of Franco's regime was accompanied by strong repressive action. The repression sought to impose a collective lesson on those who had opposed the uprising or questioned the new order, aiming to cancel any form of resistance. It was based on measures enacted during the Civil War, notably the Law on Suppression of Freemasonry and Communism and the State Security Act.
Key statistics regarding the repression (1939–1945):
- It is estimated that between 35,000 and 50,000 people were executed.
- Nearly 300,000 people were imprisoned.
- Numerous Spanish officials, especially teachers, were purged.
Repression was very present in everyday life, and the defeated lived in an atmosphere of great uncertainty. In Catalonia and the Basque Country, repression also targeted key elements of local cultures, banning the public use of Catalan and Basque.
Formalizing Supreme Power (1939)
The enormous power Franco accumulated during the Civil War was formalized by a law on August 8, 1939. This law enforced his legislative powers and attributed to him the supreme authority to enact general rules of law with virtually no conditioning. The totalitarian regime, whose foundations were already laid, developed in the context of the Second World War.
The Rise and Influence of the Falange
On August 9, 1939, Franco formed his second government, which was dominated by the military but also included Catholics and some Carlists. The dominance of Germany in the European scene led to the rise of the Falange. Ramón Serrano Suñer, Franco's brother-in-law, became a key figure in the new situation.
Until 1942, Falange achieved the most power in its history and promoted a typically fascist program:
- Required entrepreneurs, technicians, and workers to join vertical syndicates.
- Established youth and women's associations: the University Students' Union (SEU), the Youth Front, and the Women's Section.
- Maintained a huge press and propaganda apparatus.
- Held mass rallies and enforced the regime's official greeting.
On July 17, 1942, Franco issued the Law on Courts (Fuero de los Juzgados), the second of the Basic Laws (the first, the Labor Charter, was approved in 1938).
Meanwhile, other factions within the regime increasingly opposed Falangist projects. Franco was hesitant to institutionalize a completely totalitarian regime, especially as World War II began taking an unfavorable direction for the Axis powers.
In 1945, Don Juan signed the Manifesto of Lausanne, condemning the regime and proposing a monarchy of an undefined profile.