Francisco Franco

Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade (December 4 1892 – November 20 1975), abbreviated Francisco Franco Bahamonde and sometimes known as Generalísimo Francisco Franco, was Head of State of Spain from 1936 until his death in 1975. Known as el "Caudillo de España", and officially as "Caudillo de España por la gracia de Dios" (The Leader of Spain by the grace of God), he presided over the authoritarian government of the Spanish State following victory in the Spanish Civil War.

Rise to power

Promoted to Colonel, Franco led the first wave of troops ashore at Alhucemas in 1925. This landing, in the heartland of Abd el-Krim's tribe, combined with the French invasion from the south, spelled the beginning of the end for the shortlived Republic of the Riff.

Related Topics:
Colonel - Alhucemas - Republic of the Riff

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Becoming the youngest General in Spain in 1926, Franco was appointed director of the newly created Joint Military Academy in Zaragoza, where cadets were taught the brutal lessons of the irregular war in Morocco.

Related Topics:
1926 - Joint Military Academy - Zaragoza

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With the fall of the monarchy in 1931, Franco initially maintained an ambivalent attitude to the new Republic, not wishing to compromise his career by overt opposition. He even swallowed the bitter pill of loss of seniority due to President Manuel Azaña's reform of the Army and the closure of his beloved Military Academy with subsequent postings to La Coruña and the Balearic Islands, the main purpose of which was to keep him at a distance from other potentially disloyal elements.

Related Topics:
1931 - Republic - Manuel Azaña - Military Academy - La Coruña - Balearic Islands

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Republic's failure to satisfy Spanish expectations, and the fragmentation of the left-wing parties, permitted a strong right-wing government to gain power in 1933. When miners in Asturias started a full scale rebellion a year later, Franco was sent to put down the uprising. He employed the same tactics that had been used against the tribesmen in Morocco, tactics that "saved Spain again". Due to his victory, Franco was given the top job in the Army, Chief of the General Staff. The uprising left a lasting impression within the right wing, with many believing that the left cherished democracy only when they won elections.

Related Topics:
Left-wing - Right-wing - 1933 - Miner - Asturias - Rebellion - Chief of the General Staff

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Having learned their lesson, the left-wing and Republican parties presented a common front in the tense elections of February 1936 and won a narrow victory. This time, Franco was posted to the Canary Islands to keep him from the corridors of power.

Related Topics:
Republican - Elections - 1936 - Canary Islands

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fully aware of the plotting to overthrow the Republic, he maintained a typically ambiguous attitude, even writing to the head of the government Casares Quiroga offering to quell the discontent in the army. When the coup came, he flew to Morocco to take command of the colonial Army (including the Legión and the Regulares) which had rebelled and rapidly taken control of the Spanish Protectorate. On July 27 1936 arrived at Spain the first squadron of Italian airplanes sent by Benito Mussolini.{{ref|Mussolini1}}

Related Topics:
Casares Quiroga - Coup - Spanish Protectorate - Italian

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In this early chapter of the uprising, Franco allowed execution of his cousin Ricardo de la Puente Bahamonde, the last Spanish officer in Morocco loyal to the Republic http://www.memoriahistorica.org/alojados/periquete/paginas/noticias1.html.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The military uprising failed in many of the large cities, and the situation quickly degenerated into the Spanish Civil War. During the war, in late September 1936, he became Generalísimo of the Nationalist army, with rank of lieutenant general and then on October 1 1936, he was elected Jefe del Estado (Head of State). With the deaths of Emilio Mola, Manuel Goded and José Sanjurjo, Franco was left as the effective leader of the Nationalist forces. He also managed to fuse the ideologically incompatible Falange ("phalanx", a far-right Spanish political party with ideology similar to that of Mussolini's movement) and the Carlist monarchist parties under his rule. His army was supported by troops from Nazi Germany (Legión Cóndor) and Fascist Italy (Corpo Truppe Volontarie). Salazar's Portugal also openly assisted the Nationalists from the start. The war officially ended on April 1, 1939, shortly after the conquest of Madrid, although guerrilla resistance to Franco continued into the late 1940s. Franco continued to rule Spain until his death in 1975.

Related Topics:
Spanish Civil War - September - 1936 - Nationalist - Lieutenant general - October 1 - Head of State - Emilio Mola - Manuel Goded - José Sanjurjo - Ideologically - Falange - Phalanx - Far-right - Political party - Mussolini - Carlist - Nazi Germany - Legión Cóndor - Fascist - Italy - Corpo Truppe Volontarie - Salazar's - Portugal - Nationalists - April 1 - 1939 - Madrid - Guerrilla - 1940s - Spain - 1975

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~