franco's regime

• how did Franco organise the government so it was completely loyal to him?

  • one party state
  • Fet de la JONS (merger of Falange , monarchists and other nationalists) was only legal entity
  • Cabinet made up senior ministers , right wing groups that supported his regime
  • Cortes was appointed by Franco - couldn't appoint laws or hold Franco accountable
• how did Franco control society using coporations and syndicates?

  • employees and workers were organised under syndicates e.g the Mining Syndicate that included mine workers and owners
  • overseen by Ministry of Syndicates - controlled wages , conditions in interest of nation
  • National Syndicate Organisation - replaced Trade Unions
  • 1957 - 30 syndicates representing 30 economic sectors
• how did Franco gain the support of the Catholic Church and other elite groups within society?

  • passed Clerical laws in 1938 - strengthened relationship between church and nationalists
  • laws gave Church control over primary education , right to establish youth groups , other religions banned - regime got full support
  • won over Elites by ending land and industrial reforms , abolishing workers rights
• how did Franco ensure support from workers under his regime?

  • set up OSE , workers and employees merged into one big co-operation. Guaranteed basic pay , control working people and create illusion of unity
• how did Franco ensure support from Church under his regime?

  • clerical laws gave them back power in education , right to establish youth groups and ban all other religions
• how did Franco ensure support from landowners under his regime?

  • reversed land reforms under Second Republic , returned land back to owners
• how did Franco ensure support from monarchists under his regime?

  • 1947 - Law of Leadership Succession , he would eventually choose monarchy to please carlists + monarchists but would so in his own terms.
  • Spain needed a strong leader instead
• how did Franco ensure support from the Falange under the regime?

  • Falange = become only political party in Spain
  • members were granted high ranking positions in cabinet , running the economy and media - allowed to spread fascist ideology
• methods of control : Laws

  • Law of Political Responsibilities - gave Franco legal basis to carry on campaign and terror , could criminalise anyone in radical political activities since 1934.
  • expanded army to enforce this - mid 1940s - 1/2 of state budget spent on forces , courts given power to arrest - 1/2 million arrested
  • Law for Repression of Banditry and Terrorism 1947 - harsh penalties for anyone suspected of aiding terrorists - Civil Guard targeted those to do with Maqisards to destroy networks. 1936 - 1941 : Guardsmen rose by 20%
• methods of control : purge

  • purges of teachers , journalists and artists carried out because they had power of influence to create opposition
  • Commission's were established to gather information on people e.g political beliefs , church attendance - info could authorise suspension or exile suspected to be anti-Franco
• methods of control : concentration camps , prisons


  • set up camps in 1937
  • 1940 - 500,000 people
  • 'unrecoverables' put to death
  • severe overcrowding - 270,000 in prison made for 20,000
  • torture and food shortages common
• methods of control : identity documents

  • mid 40s = killings declined as regime became more secure
  • 1944 - national identity document introduced and issued for former prisioners - recorded past crimes , easy for surveillance
  • 1951 - compulsory for EVERYONE
• methods of control : informers

  • neighbours often informed on neighbours
  • state could exert more control of individual due to denouncement and use of NID cards
  • denunciations received by police = key factor for success of Franco's repression
• methods of control : censorship

  Press Law of April 1938 - established censorship , all publications require government authorisation

  • gov could shut down immoral newspapers , appoint editors of newspapers , prevent publication of books e.g Casino Royale (1953) due to sex scenes
  • newspaper circulation - 500,000 (1945) to 2,500,000 (1967)
  • newspapers controlled , source of propaganda
• methods of control : role of Church


  • under Franco , had independence
  • supportered Franco due to fear of anti-Catholic violence from Republicans
  • clergy helped him spread control through preaching
  • promoted monogamous hetero family by family allowances directly to male head of house
  • unity of nation = weekly acts of worship , shared Catholic views
• methods of control : propaganda


  • propaganda department produced short films glorifying his achievements , focusing on how Franco saved them from communism - reminded them of Republican horrors
  • state-controlled news 'No-Dos' = spread gov propaganda
  • Nationalist propaganda = entertainment , newspapers = key method , historical dramas focused on past , Hollywood films censored and dubbed
  • 1947 - Spain had more cinema seats per head in population other than USA - films were form of escapism
• methods of control : cult of personality

  • used media to create idealised heroic version of himself with religious undertones - seen as great leader with great military ability
  • rooted in folklore and myths ingrained in public - created own folklore in poems , anthems and songs
  • saved Spain from internal , external threats
  • protected traditional Spanish culture by not entering WW2 - father figure who cared deeply for Spain
  • Church - called him hero in fight against communism
• methods of control : education policies

  • separation of boys and girls in 1939 - 75 , taught in different classes - promote literacy and regimes ideology
  • from 1960s onwards - girls taught following model focused on domestic roles , boys stressed role as defenders of Spain and Catholic religion
  • 1970 General Law of Basic Education = education compulsory until 14
  • high unenrollment = lack of classroom space in schools
• educational progress

  illiteracy rates - 1940 (23%) to 1970 (12%)

  1960s , 45% of secondary school students = women , 26% in university
• methods of control : policies towards women

  • women were to fulfil roles of mother and wife , gender roles essential for harmonious society
  • 1870 criminal code = extra martial rights illegal for women
  • civil marriages suppressed , married during Republic had to have Church ceremony to legalise marriage , not church = PENALTY e.g no social security
• methods of control : Seccion Feminina

  single women age 18 - 35 had to complete 6 months of voluntary service with Falange Seccion and prepare them for Catholicism

  • encouraged feminine activities e.g domestic roles at home
  • abortion = illegal , penalties for abortions
• methods of control : women , work and motherhood

  • some areas of employment for women forbidden e.g becoming a judge
  • married women who worked = not allowed family benefits
  • 1970 - wife needed approval from husband to work
  • pro-natalist policies in 1940 e.g women awarded prizes for large families and family subsidies introduced to increase birth rate
• what economic problems did Spain face in the years after 1939?

  • civil war led to reduction of industrial + agricultural production due to 500,000 dead
  • farmland only produced 1/4 of crops produced , workers suffered most during 'hunger years' due to low pay , lack of social security
  • WW2 - restricted supplies from abroad , dependant on imports as Autarky didn't produce everything , Allies unwilling to help Spain with aid or loans due to relationship with Axis Powers + Franco
• what was Autarky?

  Economic self-sufficiency.

  • influenced by Hitler and Mussolini , hoped it would modernise + strengthen economy and would provide resources for strong military-dominated state
  • necessary as Allies unwilling to trade
• what did Franco set up in 1941 to enforce Autarky?


  National Institute for Industry

  • determine Spain's economic priorities and assess how limited imports could best serve economies needs
• successes of Autarky

  Corporatism allowed Franco to exert control over economy and displine workers - gain control of Falangists who wanted fascist state

  • 1939 - 1956 : trade was 5% of Spain's GDP , limited interaction with world
  • ideological success for Falange in promoting nationalism and independence , Franco could control economy
• failures of Autarky 


  resulted in economic stagnation from 1939 - 58:

  • 45% of industrial plants were using machinery developed before 1920 , little attempts to modernise key industry sectors
  • 65% of Spain's trading ships had been produced before 1939 , some dating back to 19th century
  • had to focus on small consumer market, placing restriction on production levels - 1950 manufacturing industry employed less than 20% of working problems
• more failures of Autarky


  focus on producing synthetic materials = expensive and ineffcient. Rapid decline in trade and foreign investment

  • Franco refused $100 million loan from USA
• impacts of syndicate negotiations

  1956 : industrial workers paid 15 - 36% less than 1936

  • bread and potatoes prices rose by 1000%
  • standard of living reduced by 50%
• impacts of 1947 - 48 famine

  caused by low agricultural production

  • starvation only stopped by importing
  • 300,000 left to Latin America
  • 200,000 died of malnutrition
  • 1956 inflation - workers demanded basic wage , right to form trade unions , violently repressed
  • 50% of gov spending went on military
• how did Franco reduce Spain's international isolation after WW2?

  • Joined UN in 1955 - supported by USA
  • 1953 - signed concordant with Vactican , granted Franco royal patronange (right to appoint bishops , priests) , Church in return were extempt from taxation and given state funding
• why did the Cold War allow them to be free from international isolation?

  growing tensions within US , work with Franco to defeat communism

  • President Eisenhower viewed Franco as reliable US ally and enemy of communism
• benefits of having US as ally

  1957 - loans total of $625 million

  • Pact of Madrid in 1953 - established 4 US military bases on Spanish terrority - US supported Spain's defensive abilities
  • US gave 1.5billion within first 10 years of Madrid Pact
  • Spain still couldn't trade with EEC