Francisco Franco and Pre- WWII Spain

By: Kayla Goldenberg, Sofia Ballicora, Rachel Banoff,

 and Allie Bunag

Biological/Factual Information(Personal)

• Born on December 4, 1892, in El Ferrol, Spain. • Came from a middle-class background. • His father was in the Navy and his mother had a

nobleman connected lineage. • Franco considered studies as a way to social mobility. • The great wars in Spain (1890s) were fought during

his childhood- causing him to see them as regrettable. 

• The wars caused a new movement to strengthen the country ("regeneration"), which Franco supported. 

• The government shut down the Naval Academy, ending his dream of being a sailor. Instead he joined the army in 1911 to fight in Morocco, serving for 11 total years (2). 

Biological/Factual Information (Personal, Cont.)

• His serving resulted in attitudes that would appear later on: distrust of politicians, and the need for self-preservation. 

• In time, he became the lieutenant colonel and commanded the entire Spanish Foreign Legion.

• In the end Spain couldn't claim total victory (Moroccon conflict), but thanks to Franco they left as a conqueror. 

•  During the Spanish Civil War, Spain's new republic immediately shut down the Military Academy (Saragossa), which Franco had been the director since 1929. 

• Franco was not a republican, and he loathed communists even more. In 1934, he became the commander-in-chief of the Army of Africa. He was not only the country's most important military leader, but also an increasingly significant political figure (2). 

Biological/Factual Information(Political)

• The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was between those in favor of the republican government and those in favor of militaristic system (nationalists/fascists).

• The Second Republic was made up of liberals, socialists, and communists. While on the other hand, the nationalists were made up of fascists. 

• Hitler agreed to aid the Nationalists, while the Soviet Union supported the communists, and France/England decided to stay out of the war. 

• Throughout the War, the Nationalists were winning, and Franco was named commander-in-chief and head of the state.

• Germany and Italy recognized the Nationalist government, and provided Franco's troops with support. 

• In 1939 Barcelona fell to Franco, and this is seen as the republic's defeat (1). 

 

Quote #1Kayla Goldenberg

• "Spain was great when she had a State Executive with a missionary character. Her ideals decayed...irresponsible men, adopting foreign thought and manners. The nation needs unity to face modem problems, particulary in Spain," (3).

•  This quote is very important because it illustrates the fact that Franco was a nationalist, and that he was unhappy with where the country had gotten to with the republican leaders.

• Franco was considered to be very obsessed with public finance: he saw that Spain had been left behind in regards to industrilization (2).

 

Quote #2Rachel Banoff

• "The war is already won on the battlefields as in the economic, commercial industrial, and even social spheres. I will only end it militarily. My troops will advance. The choice for the enemy is fight or unconditional surrender, nothing else," (3).

• Franco is threatening the people to not rebel against him.• "It was an attempt not so much to impose Fascism as to

restore feudalism. This meant that Franco had against him not only the working class but also various sections of the liberal bourgeoisie - the very people who are supporters of Fascism when it appears in a more modern form." (3). 

• He already has the working class against him, and the bourgeoisie would normally support him, but they realized that Franco was going to take all their rights away, and take all the power for himself.

Quote #3Sofia Ballicora

• "The air raids carried out by the 'Nationalist' air force on military objectives in Barcelona have been reported...huge stores of explosives and war material...These explosions caused the collapse of several buildings such as the Barcelona Theatre... responsibility for these rests with the 'Red' authorities who... have placed huge powder dumps in the middle of large cities" (3). 

• During the civil war, Barcelona had been bombed. Francisco Franco blamed the deaths of the people who lived there on the communists, his enemies, by claiming that they had set explosives throughout the towns which had been set off.

Quote #4Allie Bunag

  "Revolutionary strikes of all kinds paralyze the life of the nation, destroying its sources of wealth and creating hunger, forcing working men to the point of desperation," (3).  Franco is talking about how revolutionaries from Communist and the Democrats are ruining the nation. And that he's the right man for the job in stabling the country.  

Status of the Country under the Dictator's Rule

• Franco was named absolute dictator, and he saw himself as his nation's savior. 

• Franco executed hundreds/thousands of his political captives as well as other prisoners (1939-1943). 

• Franco harassed the public into loyalty. • He created a system of written authorizations made

for work/food similar to a logging system. This system didn't reward hard work/merit and ultimately failed.Franco claimed to be neutral in WWII, but his sympathy was with the Axis powers (Germany, Japan, and Italy). 

• In 1947 Franco created the Law of Succession, which made Spain a monarchy again. However, Franco had the power to name the next monarch. 

Guernica 

Kayla Goldenberg

• In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, the United States forbade Germany to send weapons to Spain.

• But, Germany bombed undefended civilians in the battle of Guernica. This was immortalized by a painting by the famous painter, Pablo Picasso.

MediaSofia Ballicora

This propaganda is anti-fascist, showing how fascists were supposedly harming children. It is encouraging women to go against the nationalists (Franco) and to evacuate Madrid. In addition, it is promising that if they do so, their children will have a home, food, and tranquility.

Francesco Franco and Adolf Hitler

• In the picture to the left Franco is seen with Hitler, whom he allied with in his fight for power against the communists/republic. He seems to be enjoying himself during the civil war. 

• In the picture to the right Franco is seen in his military uniform most likely after he was pronounced as Spain's ruler.  He is shown as a serious man, no longer the free- spirited general. 

Bibliography

•  Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site. "Spanish Civil War." Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site. 6 Dec. 2010. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. <http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/glossary/spanish-civil-war.htm>.

•  Gale Group. "Francisco France." Gale Biography in Context. 6 Nov. 1996. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. <http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=K12-Reference&prodId=BIC1&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=& documentId=GALE%7CK1611000170&mode=view>.

• Spartacus Educational. "Francisco Franco." Spartacus Educational. Web. 7 Dec. 2010.