The Francoist Regime

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Gen . Francisco Franco and the Francoist Regime

For hundreds of years , Spain was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Europe . Its monarchical system produced rulers that changed the course of human history . The great number of Spanish speaking people around the globe attests to this fact not to mention the number of nations under its colonial rule . But in the latter part of the 19th century its power and influence began to wane . At the turn of the century things went from bad to

worse and it culminated in the Spanish Civil War . It was during the war when General Francisco Franco tried to save Spain from the conflicting forces that tried to torn her asunder . And when the war was over , the new despot established a new Spanish government which will be known in history as the Francoist regime

This will detail the rise and fall of the Francoist regime . This is possible by using the Spanish Civil War as some type of a historical landmark that will be used to understand why the nation was forced into a Civil War and at the same time use the said event to retrace the early success of General Francisco Franco and his inability to sustain what he started . As a result the tyrannical rule of a military general was later on replaced with the more familiar rule of kings and when Juan Carlos ascended the throne in 1975 , the decades old Francoist regime bid adieu

Background

Between the 16th and 18th centuries Spain was one of the members of the European superpower club . During those times , membership into this elite group requires a stable kingdom , great wealth and powerful armed forces Spain has all the needed requirements and some more . This was a remarkable achievement for a nation with a relatively small size . But in the latter part of the 18th century , Spain did not have what it takes to compete in the new world economy . The old style kingdom stubbornly held on to antiquated systems , especially in the rigid social stratification where the poor remains poor while the rich continue to enjoy their affluent lifestyle

In the international scene Spain continued to have more problems . The rise of the United States as a new global power threatens Spain 's ability to hold on to its colonies . By losing its colonies Spain is not only saying goodbye to power but money as well . In the ensuing Spanish-American War , the Kingdom of Spain lost Cuba , the Philippine Islands , Guam and Puerto Rico . They year 1898 marked the time of the great decline and the debacle in the colonies went back to the heart of the Spanish government like a powerful instigator for reform . And the country was torn into fragments by the many numerous dissenting forces that tried to change it from within

Leading up to War

It can be said that for the Francoist regime , everything began with the Spanish Civil war . But war...