Back Francisco Franco Afrikaans Francisco Franco ALS Francisco Franco AN Francisco Franco ANG فرانثيسكو فرانكو Arabic فرانسيسكو فرانكو ARY فرانسيسكو فرانكو ARZ Francisco Franco AST Fransisko Franko Azerbaijani فرانسیسکو فرانکو AZB

Francisco Franco

For other uses, see Francisco Franco (disambiguation).

Generalísimo
Francisco Franco
Franco in 1936
Head of the Spanish State[b]
In office
1 October 1936[a] – 20 November 1975
Prime Minister
Preceded by
Succeeded byJuan Carlos I (as King of Spain)
Prime Minister of Spain[d]
In office
30 January 1938[a] – 9 June 1973
CaudilloHimself
Preceded by
Succeeded byLuis Carrero Blanco
National Chief of FET y de las JONS
In office
19 April 1937 – 20 November 1975
DeputyFrancisco Gómez-Jordana (1938–1939)
None (1939–1962)
Agustín Muñoz Grandes (1962–1967)
Luis Carrero Blanco (1967–1973)
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byCarlos Arias Navarro
Personal details
Born(1892-12-04)4 December 1892
Ferrol, Spain
Died20 November 1975(1975-11-20) (aged 82)
Madrid, Spain
Resting place
Political partyFET y de las JONS
Spouse
​
(m. 1923)​
ChildrenMaría del Carmen
Relatives
Residence(s)El Pardo, Madrid
EducationInfantry Academy of Toledo
Signature
Military service
Allegiance
Branch/serviceSpanish Armed Forces
Years of service1907–1975
Rank
CommandsAll (generalissimo)
Battles/wars
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Francisco Franco Bahamonde[f][g] (4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish military general who led the Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War and thereafter ruled over Spain from 1939 to 1975 as a dictator, assuming the title Caudillo. This period in Spanish history, from the Nationalist victory to Franco's death, is commonly known as Francoist Spain or as the Francoist dictatorship.

Born in Ferrol, Galicia, into an upper-class military family, Franco served in the Spanish Army as a cadet in the Toledo Infantry Academy from 1907 to 1910. While serving in Morocco, he rose through the ranks to become a brigadier general in 1926 at age 33. Two years later, Franco became the director of the General Military Academy in Zaragoza. As a conservative and monarchist, Franco regretted the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the Second Republic in 1931, and was devastated by the closing of his academy; nevertheless, he continued his service in the Republican Army.[7] His career was boosted after the right-wing CEDA and PRR won the 1933 election, empowering him to lead the suppression of the 1934 uprising in Asturias. Franco was briefly elevated to Chief of Army Staff before the 1936 election moved the leftist Popular Front into power, relegating him to the Canary Islands.

Initially reluctant, he joined the July 1936 military coup, which, after failing to take Spain, sparked the Spanish Civil War. During the war, he commanded Spain's African colonial army and later, following the deaths of much of the rebel leadership, became his faction's only leader, being appointed generalissimo and head of state in 1936. He consolidated all nationalist parties into the FET y de las JONS (creating a one-party state) and developed a cult of personality around his rule by founding the Movimiento Nacional. Three years later the Nationalists declared victory, which extended Franco's dictatorship over Spain through a period of repression of political opponents. His dictatorship's use of forced labour, concentration camps and executions led to between 30,000 and 50,000 deaths.[14] Combined with wartime killings, this brings the death toll of the White Terror to between 100,000 and 200,000.[16] During World War II, he maintained Spanish neutrality, but supported the Axis—in recompense to Italy and Germany for their support during the Civil War—damaging the country's international reputation in various ways.

During the start of the Cold War, Franco lifted Spain out of its mid-20th century economic depression through technocratic and economically liberal policies, presiding over a period of accelerated growth known as the "Spanish miracle". At the same time, his regime transitioned from a totalitarian state to an authoritarian one with limited pluralism. He became a leader in the anti-communist movement, garnering support from the West, particularly the United States.[17][18] As the dictatorship relaxed its hard-line policies, Luis Carrero Blanco became Franco's éminence grise, whose role expanded after Franco began struggling with Parkinson's disease in the 1960s. In 1973, Franco resigned as prime minister—separated from the office of head of state since 1967—due to his advanced age and illness. Nevertheless, he remained in power as the head of state and as commander-in-chief. Franco died in 1975, aged 82, and was entombed in the Valle de los Caídos. He restored the monarchy in his final years, being succeeded by Juan Carlos, King of Spain, who led the Spanish transition to democracy.

The legacy of Franco in Spanish history remains controversial, as the nature of his dictatorship changed over time. His reign was marked by both brutal repression, with tens of thousands killed, and economic prosperity, which greatly improved the quality of life in Spain. His dictatorial style proved adaptable enough to allow social and economic reform, but still centred on highly centralised government, authoritarianism, nationalism, national Catholicism, anti-freemasonry and anti-communism.


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  1. ^ "Decreto núm. 138. Nombrando Jefe del Gobierno del Estado Español al Excelentísimo Sr. General de División don Francisco Franco Bahamonde, quien asumirá todos los poderes del nuevo Estado" (PDF). Boletín Oficial de la Junta de Defensa Nacional de España (in Spanish) (32). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 125–126. 30 September 1936. ISSN 0212-033X.
  2. ^ "Ley organizando la Administración Central del Estado" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (467). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 5514–5515. 31 January 1938. ISSN 0212-033X.
  3. ^ "Ley Orgánica del Estado, número 1/1967, de 10 de enero" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (9). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 466–477. 11 January 1967. ISSN 0212-033X.
  4. ^ "Manuel Azaña". Encyclopaedia Britannica online. 31 October 2023. As President of the Spanish Republic (1936-1939)
  5. ^ "Ley 14/1973, de 8 de junio, por la que se suspende la vinculación de la Presidencia del Gobierno a la Jefatura del Estado" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (138). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: 11686. 9 June 1973. ISSN 0212-033X.
  6. ^ Gobierno de España - Presidencia del Gobierno (ed.). "Relación cronológica de los presidentes del Consejo de Ministros y del Gobierno". La Moncloa (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 January 2023. Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic between 17 May 1937-31 March 1939
  7. ^ Preston 1994, p. 25.
  8. ^ a b Payne 2012, p. 110.
  9. ^ a b Casanova et al. 2004, p. 8.
  10. ^ a b Fontana 2000, p. 22.
  11. ^ a b Preston 2006, p. 202.
  12. ^ a b Beevor 2006, p. 94.
  13. ^ Richards 1998, p. 11.
  14. ^ [8][9][10][11][12][13]
  15. ^ Thomas 2013, pp. 900–901.
  16. ^ [8][9][10][15][11][12]
  17. ^ Rubottom & Murphy 1984, p. 12.
  18. ^ Payne 2000, p. 645.

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