Francoist Spain: Economic Reform and Armed Resistance

The Stabilization Plan of 1959 and Economic Reform

The Stabilization Plan of 1959 put an end to autarky. It consisted of an economic recovery program through which prices and trade were liberalized, the peseta was devalued, and wages were frozen. Although there was an initial decline in purchasing power and rising unemployment, the economic recovery since 1961 allowed for substantial growth.

The Valley of the Fallen: Franco's Monument

The Valley of the Fallen was a personal project of Francisco Franco. It was raised as a tribute to all those killed in the battle; a total of 40,000 men were buried in its vaults, although only 20% were Republicans. The symbols used in the assembly and the arrangement of the main enclosures indicate that Franco envisioned the building as his own mausoleum.

The church, over 200 meters long, is part of a grand architectural ensemble whose central point is the altar covered with a dome. The imagery shows martyrs who died for the national cause, accompanied by Santa Teresa de Jesús, marching to glory in heaven. At its feet are the tombs of the founder of the Falange, José Antonio Primo de Rivera, and Francisco Franco.

The Maquis: Anti-Fascist Guerrilla Resistance

The Maquis, also known as the guerrillas or GE (Spanish Partisans), was the anti-fascist guerrilla resistance movement that began during the Spanish Civil War. The almost immediate outbreak of World War II surprised many Republican veterans in France, many of whom joined the French Resistance. Since 1944, with the German armies in retreat, many of these guerrillas refocused their struggle against fascism toward Spain.

Despite the failure of the invasion of the Aran Valley in that year, some columns were able to move toward the interior and link up with the groups that had remained in the mountains since 1939. The peak period for the guerrillas was between 1945 and 1947. From this year onward, repression under Franco intensified, gradually ending the units or groups. Many of its members were killed or arrested (which in many cases also resulted in death), while others escaped to France or Morocco.

In 1952, the evacuation of the last significant contingent took place. Since then, those still holding out in the bush refused to choose between exile or death, fighting almost exclusively for survival. The end of the Maquis is marked by the deaths of Ramón Vila in 1963 and José Castro in 1965.