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Francisco Franco was born in El Ferrol, Spain on December 4 th 1892. He was the second son of a father who was a naval paymaster and a devout catholic mother. Franco s father was eccentric, wasteful and somewhat dissolute (Trythall, pg 1). Franco was destined for a career as a naval office but reduction of admissions forced him to choose the army. At age fourteen he gained admission to Spain s premiere military institution, the Infantry Academy at Toledo. By age twenty he was promoted to first lieutenant in an elite regiment of native Moroccan Calvert.
Franco quickly rose through military ranks. He developed a lifelong reputation as an invincible fighter (encarta-Esenwein). In 1915 he became the youngest captain in the Spanish army. By age thirty four, he was Europe s youngest general since Napoleon I. In 1931 Spain s second republic was formed, after ruler Primo de Rivera s hold on power had come to an abrupt end. The founding of the second republic enraged conservatives, including Franco who was a stanch traditionalist and loyal defender or the Spanish crown (Esenwein, pg. 4).
The new republic shut down the Academia General Militar in Zaragoza which Franco had headed since it opened in 1928. At first Franco didn t involve himself in any antigovernment activities. He had been taught to respect authority and accepted the new regime with perfect discipline. Conservative forces gained control of the republic 1933, Franco was restored to active command. In 1934 he was promoted to major general.
He was appointed to chief of staff, one of the highest positions in the Spanish Army, in 1935. Although in 1936, the government shifted back to the republic and Franco grew very frustrated. He then aligned himself with a group of right wing military conspirators who were becoming anxious to overthrow the government. In 1937 Franco abolished all political parties except the rebel Falange. He became its head and assumed the title El Caudillo. During the Civil War, Franco was commander in chief.
He was a careful and systematic leader (Trythall pg 2). He suffered only a few temporary defeats as his forces advanced slowly but steadily. Franco won a complete victory on April 1, 1939. Although Franco had visions of restoring Spanish glory after the Civil War, he was really the leader of an exhausted country still divided internally and impoverished by a long and costly war. (Trythall 3) Only five months later, World War II broke out. Franco was shocked by Hitler s unprovoked Assault and avoided involvement in the war. Evidence indicates that if Hitler had ever been in a position to win a total victory, Franco would have been willing to enter the war on Germany s side (Trythall).
Franco s government remained relatively sympathetic to Hitler carefully avoiding direct military commitment. Franco switched his favor from side to side, depending on who seemed to be winning (Compton's). The most difficult period of Franco s regime began after World War II. His government was discontinued by the newly formed United Nations. Spain was also excluded from diplomatic sanctions imposed by the UN. This gave Franco s opposition in Spain and exiles more reason for opposing him.
Within his country however, as many people supported him as opposed him. Spain became an outcast by the international community and was politically and economically isolated for the next few years. Because of this, Franco followed his own blueprint for Spain s reconstruction. He believed Spain could achieve complete economic self sufficiency by means of a thorough state intervention program (Esenweinpg. 9). Throughout the 1940 s and 1950 s, Franco created institutions and policy that sealed off Spain s economy from the rest of Europe. The country sunk increasingly in debt, Spanish workers were among the most hard-pressed elements of society (Esenweinpg 9).
The government suppressed wages to control costs and workers had little to resort to. Franco resisted foreign and domestic pressure to democratize Spain. He didn t want to legitimatize his rule. A series of Organic Laws of the State were passed between 1938 and 1967. These so called laws defined Franco s power to control every aspect of Spanish politics, economy and society. In 1947 the Law of Succession was passed in which Spain was declared a monarchy and Franco was named chief of state for life.
He was also given the right to choose his successor. During the 1950 s Spain entered a new era with western democracies. Western nations began to view his pro-catholic, anti-Communist regime in a more positive way. Franco made a treaty with the United States in 1953, known as the Pacts of Madrid. This provided the US with access to several military and naval bases in Spain in return for military and economic assistance. This agreement later cause Spain to be officially admitted into the United Nations.
Spain s reuniting back into the international community helped secure Franco s dictatorship. Although he maintained control of his society by suppressing all signs of regionalism, liberal politics and left wing trade unionism (Trythall pg 11). Towards the end of the 1950 s, major holes in Franco s system began to appear. A large growing circle of opposing groups challenged his rule.
The Spanish economy was at the point of bankruptcy. Rising prices, falling wages and a low standard of living signaled Franco s failure with his policies. A Stabilization Plan in 1959 was a response to these urgent problems. This plan opened up Spain to competition and limited government control. For Spain the 1960 s were and economic turnaround. It brought growing prosperity to middle class supporters and seemed to breath new life into his rule (Esenweinpg 11).
With liberalization of the government, relaxation of some police powers, and economic development, Franco s image changed completely during the 1960 s. Although he was still under much pressure to lead Spain in a more democratic direction. Franco issued an Organic law in 1967 that limited powers and functions of his position and of his successor. Even after this his popularity continued to decline because of his slow, delayed actions to modernize his regime (Crozier). In July 1969 at age 76 Franco named Don Juan Carlos de Boston his successor. Franco died in November 1975 after years of suffering from Parkinson s disease and other illnesses.
Franco left a mixed legacy. His dictatorship ended the political argument and social problems that troubled Spain throughout the early 20 th century. He also helped to lay the beginnings for Spain s economic modernization. But his human rights record was a different story. He created a political system that denied individual rights and freedoms to most Spaniards. Whether he be remembered as a hero or a villain, he is without a doubt one of the most interesting political figures of the twentieth century.
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