Transcript File

Francisco Franco
1892- 1975
Franco biography
• Franco held right-wing, monarchist views and the republican government
mistrusted him.
• Sees liberals as a threat to traditional Spanish ideals, i.e. God, homeland,
family.
• When a right-wing coalition took control, Franco was promoted to Major
General on in 1934 and in the same year he crushed the miners’ revolt in
Asturias.
• In 1935, he was made Commander-in-chief of the Spanish armed forces in
Morocco, and the same year he became chief-of-staff of the army.
• In 1936 the republican government transferred right-wing military leaders
to posts outside Spain. This included Franco, who was appointed governor
of the Canary Islands.
• General Mola issued his proclamation of revolt in Navarre on 19th July,
1936. Franco joined the revolt and began to conquer southern Spain.
Biography continued
• September 1936, Franco is made commander of the National Army. He
was also appointed Chief of State. Begins to remove his main rivals for the
leadership of the Nationalist forces.
• On 19th April 1937, Franco forced the unification of the Falange Española
and the Carlists with other small right-wing parties to form the Falange
Española Tradicionalista.
• Franco developed a reputation as a cruel and vindictive military leader.
•
• Law of Political Responsibilities - imprisonment or death for those
associated with the Republican side.
• Franco developed his own personal brand of authoritarian conservatism
Republican propaganda
• Emphasized democracy and freedom
• That they were attacked by generals with aid from
Hitler and Mussolini
• Destruction of Guernica gave Republicans its greatest
victory in propaganda war (although noninterventionist policy remained unchanged)
• Must stress that Republic was liberal, democratic and
property owning to foreign press
• To home opinion must stress to workers that
Republicans were defending a social revolution.
• Engaged many artists and intellectuals from the west
Republican resistance
of Madrid.
”They shall not pass”
Dolores Ibàrruri or La
Pasionaria, chief
propagandist for the
Republic.
Posters were an excellent
mode of communication
for a population with a
high rate of illiteracy. For
many years, Spain's
Catholic church, in control
of public education,
believed there was no
need for either peasants or
women to read.
Nationalist Propaganda
• played on fear of communism
• Appealed to conservative & religious feelings
• A fight to preserve Christianity & Western
civilization from Communism
• Catholic church also involved
• Portrays life in Republican zones as perpetual
massacres
• Foreign propaganda aimed mainly at UK and USA
Nationalist propaganda
poster
”Spain has arrived”
Giant posters of Franco
and the dead José
Antonio Primo de Rivera
(leader of Falange
Espanola and son of
dictator Miguel Primo de
Rivera) were displayed
along with the slogan,
"One State! One Country!
One Chief! Franco!
Franco! Franco!" all over
Spain.
The War itself
• Republicans mostly on defensive. Slow to arm.
• Both sides take advantage to settle old scores
with enemies. Nationalists target anarchists,
communists and trade union members.
Republicans target Falange members and clergy.
• 1936 – half of army remain loyal to Republic.
Revolt failed in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and
the Basque country.
• Elite army of Morocco supported revolt. Soldiers
airlifted by German transport planes to Spain.
• Madrid was held under seige for 3 years.
• Republican zones estab. in south and along
north coast
• Nationalist zones in north and northwest
• Franco was appointed head of the Nationalist
government in 1936.
• International Brigades start to arrive to
support Republicans.
Guernica by Pablo Picasso
1937
• 1937 Nationalists attack the Basque country and the
city of Guernica is carpet bombed by German Condor
League.
• Collapse of Basque morale; Bilbao falls.
• National Movement established: merger of Carlists,
Falange and other right-wing groups.
• Serious division on the Republican side. Government
moves to Barcelona.
– Extensive use of brutality (secret police) and intolerance of
opposition
– Dolores Ibàrruri (la Pasionaria) Propagandist, raises morale
1938-1939
• Nationalists advance. Split republican held
Spain in two and isolate Catalonia.
• Republican offensive at Ebro River ends in
defeat in July 1938.
• January 1939 – Republic starts to collapse
when Nationalists occupy Barcelona.
• March 1939 – Madrid falls
• April 1, 1939 – Franco declares the end of war
Foreign Intervention
Germany and Italy aid Franco
Nazi and Italian Fascist support sustained the Spanish civil war and was
crucial to its outcome.
1. Both Germany and Italy supplied men, tanks, and planes. Spain
seen as a testing ground for German tactics and weapons.
2. Germany transported Moroccan troops to mainland
3. Italy helped blockade Republican ports.
4. German Condor Legion was most influential - Nearly 3 hours of
bombing of Guernica – aircraft from both Italy and Germany.
5. Hitler interested in Spain for geopolitical reasons and he needed
copper and iron ore.
6. Mussolini was looking for Spanish support in case of war with
France.
Foreign support for the Republic
• Stalin did not want to provoke Hitler nor does
he want to frighten a potential ally, the UK.
• He sends men, tanks and planes but never
enough aid for the Republic to win.
Republicans nearly deplete Spains gold
reserves to pay for this aid.
• Russian Comintern organize the International
Brigade, group of communist volunteers;
about 50,000 men from 53 countries.
UK, France
non-intevention
• Remain neutral but pursue a policy of nonintervention. Will not supply arms to the Republic.
• Want to avoid a European war. They see aid to the
Republic as just encouraging Hitler and Mussolini.
• Appeasement of Franco would keep a line open to
Mussolini whom they hoped to detach from Hitler.
• UK feared Bolshevism. Even Churchill preferred a
fascist victory to a communist victory.
• However, refusal to sell arms strengthened the
communist faction of the Republic army and reinforced
British suspicion of Soviets.
USA
• US formally neutral due Neutrality Acts which
prohibited trading war materials and giving credit
to warring parties.
• But oil was not included. American Texaco
supplied oil to both sides, but twice as much to
the Nationalists
• GM, Ford provided Franco with trucks
• President Roosevelt prohibited from repealing
these laws due to pressure from Catholic
lobbyists.
Why did the Nationalists win?
1. Franco had the support of the most powerful
groups in Spain - army officers, capitalists,
landowners, Catholic Church
2. Franco was an excellent field commander
3. Hitler supported him with 12,000 troops and the
Condor Air Legion, while Mussolini supplied
70,000 soldiers – this outweighed foreign
support for Republicans.
Nationalist victory con’t.
4. German and Italian aid was channeled
through Franco and it was designed to secure
victory.
5. An embargo on arms stopped international
aid from Republican sympathizers but many
countries turned a blind eye to fascist
supporters of Franco.
6. Franco skillfully held together the various
Nationalist groups.
Why the Republicans lost
• Bitter infighting among communists, socialists
and anarchists
• Lack of central control
• Insufficient arms
• Forced into defensive positions
• Offensives were too costly and ineffective
• The neutrality of Britain and France denied aid to
the Republican Government.
• Soviet aid came through Communist faction and
was principally designed to prolong resistance.
Consequences
• 1936 – 1939: Estimated 500,000 died, majority of
whom were civilians. Terrible atrocities committed on
both sides.
• About 200,000 people were executed by Nationalists.
• Victims of the Republicans number about 20,000.
• Some 500,000 Republicans fled to France where they
were put into internment camps. Many ”encouraged”
to return to Spain. About 5,000 ended up dying in Nazi
prison camps.
• Reprisals against Franco’s enemies after war - another
200,000 were executed or died in prison or labor
camps.
Consequences
• Franco established a right-wing authoritarian
regime that lasted until 1978. (broad rightwing support and repression
• Dress rehearsal for WWII
Carpet bombing of civilians
Integrated use of airpower, infantry and armour
Fascism brought to major borders of France