Establishing Control in the Nationalist Zone 1938

• The system of government that emerged in 1939 was, in many ways, a continuation of a government that was established during the Civil War. It was originally announced by decree on 21st September 1936, which granted Franco full powers in the 'new state', as it declared Franco as the 'Head of Government of the Spanish State'.
• Between 1938 and 1957, Franco's government was based on corporatist ideas and Franco's desire for an 'organic democracy'. The government was made up of a series of committees (the cabinet and the Cortes), which played different roles.
• The cabinet was the most senior committee in government. It was made up of Franco's most senior ministers and it reflected the different groups that supported the regime, such as the Falange, devout Catholics, monarchists and senior figures from the military.
• From 1942, Franco revived the Cortes. The Cortes was appointed by Franco and his most senior advisers rather than being elected by the people. The Cortes was a consultative body, meaning it could offer advice to Franco, but it couldn't make laws and had no power independent of Franco.
• Franco claimed he wanted to replace multi-party democracy with an organic democracy, arguing that multi-party democracy led to conflict and civil war. Working with the Falange, Franco established a series of corporations, designed to represent the people in such a way as to unite them and serve the needs of the country.
• Spanish corporatism had the following features:

  • Franco's new state established a series of corporations representing different groups in Spanish society - such as the army, church, local areas and professional groups
  • The corporatist system represented rural and urban workers - Franco claimed labour corporations replaced trade unions
  • Members of corporations/syndicates were appointed t the Council of State - advised Franco on economic policy
• Spanish corporatism had the following features:

  • Employers and workers were organised into syndicates representing different economic areas - e.g. mining syndicates included representatives of mine workers and mine owners - workers/employers negotiated through the syndicate to set wage rates and working conditions - in theory, workers and employers were equal - in practice, gov ensured workers' wages were kept low - by 1957, 30 syndicates representing 30 different sectors of the economy - collectively, syndicates known as the National Syndical Organisation
• Spanish Corporatism had the following features:

  • The Ministry of Syndicates oversaw bargaining between workers and employers - in theory, designed to ensure negotiations reflected the interests of the nation - in practice, it enforced government control
  • Syndicates set production targets, price levels for goods etc
  • All workers = required to belong to the appropriate corporation - corporation organised social activities and community activities for workers
• In theory, the corporatist system was designed to reconcile workers and employers and reunite Spain after the civil war. However, in practice, it was used as a means of social control, which destroyed independent unions and placed the Spanish economy under sate control.
• Franco was a devout Catholic, meaning that from the regime's earliest days, he emphasised the importance of the church. The Clerical Laws, passed in the period March-April 1938, strengthened the relationship between Church and state.
• The Clerical Laws:

  • gave control of primary education to the Catholic Church
  • gave the Catholic Church the right to establish/run youth groups separate from the Falange
  • banned the practice of religions other than Christianity
  • restricted the rights of Protestant churches within Spain
• The Clerical Laws gave the Catholic Church a privileged position with Spanish society and a degree of independence from the government. In return, Church leaders gave the regime their full support. Church leaders didn't condemn the atrocities committed by Nationalist forces during the Civil War or Franco's policy of terror. The Church supported Franco's attempt to revive conservative, Catholic Spain as a society that emphasised family and heterosexual marriage. It also persuaded many Catholics to obey the 'new state'.