General+Francisco+Franco

Francisco Franco Aim: Franco was a right-wing politician, military general, and dictator. During his reign as leader of Spain, he was a traditionalist, conservative leader who gained the support of monarchists and the Church. His facets views were described as " In quashing democracy and timid agricultural reform, and in restoring the traditional hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church, the army, big landowners and an authoritarian state, the Spanish version of fascism was very much a fundamentalist movement. (Preston 1)" by Paul Preston of the New York Times. His aim in life, after the ousting of the monarchy, was to restore the tradition of Spain that was being threatened by the new Republic. What can be deemed as the "Spanish Holocaust" is how he made about with this. He executed his political opponents in order to get his way, and silenced the media. He even, at one point in order to silence women's rights groups, shaved tens of thousands of women, force-fed them laxatives, and branded them with his political parties symbol. However, even despite all these atrocities committed by the dictator, he still remained in power for about 40 years, leading his country back to it's brutal roots.

Preston, Paul. "The Spanish Holocaust." //The New York Times//. The New York Times, 11 May 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.

"Francisco Franco." //Bio//. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.

Audience: When Franco is heard, just in Spain alone there are two distinct reactions. Some have a nostalgia, a reverence of the old days of glory and grandeur for Spain. The other side of that coin was one of fear, hatred, and anger. When speaking of the nostalgia and the past, the Guardian magazine said " The church won't do it. Franco was, above all, a nationalist, authoritarian Catholic – and Francoist nostalgia is said to endure in Spain's ultra-traditionalist church. (Guardian 1)" The Church was a huge supporter of the monarchy, and when Franco went to fight to bring it back, they would back him. Of course other groups supported the dictator, including monarchists, fascists, and right wing groups. However, he was opposed by a Republican faction who were supported by communists, anarchists, and nationalists. In the end, even after 40 years on the anniversary of his death, he still has masses speaking about him, whether it is positive or negative, he is still very much alive in the memories of those alive during his reign.

"Spain and the Lingering Legacy of Franco." //The Guardian//. The Guardian, 2009. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.

"Francisco Franco." //History.com Staff.// A+E Networks. Web. 21 Feb. 2015. Historical: Francisco Franco was born on December 4th, 1892, in Ferrol, Spain, to a family of naval officers going back four generations. He was to continue that lineage, but after the Spanish-American War, there was no need for such a large navy in Spain, as it lost most of its overseas territories, and the naval academies closed. This is how his life turned from what would have been a normal life, into a grand one, which was full of crimes and brutality, and the Guardian says " With so much attention devoted to the crimes of Nazism, it's easy to forget the extent of the horrors committed in Spain. (Guardian 1)" Dedicated to a military life, he entered the Infantry Academy in Toledo in 1907, graduating in 1910 as a lieutenant, commissioned two years later in Morocco. From 1912 to 1926, he fought in Morocco against insurgencies, going up in rank, and by the age of 33 had become the youngest general in Europe. When the monarchy was disposed of in 1931, he got on the bad sides of those in the government. After 5 years, he was back onto their good sides, becoming Chief of Staff, but discussing a coup with his fellow military leaders. He executed his plans, and became leader of Spain with the help of Nazi Germany and Mussolini's Italy. When he died in 1977, he left behind a democracy that was built on a dictatorship.

"Spain and the Lingering Legacy of Franco." //The Guardian//. The Guardian. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.

//"General Francisco Franco". HistoryLearningSite.co.uk. 2014. Web.//

Cultural: In today's, modern culture, Franco is different than other dictators in Spain, just in the fact that he won his war, he won over his people, and his culture. One cannot say on German television that Hitler was amazing, nor Mussolini was great in Italy. However, that is still being said about Franco in Spain. Spanish author Javier Cercas says of this "Germans know that they were on the wrong side, there was no blurring. In Spain, there's blurring. (Guardian 1)" There is a blur on the vision of Franco in Spain. Some still see him as very much alive, not literally but his Spain is still there, in all its glory and splendor. Meanwhile, some people are still looking for the remains of their family members executed by the Franco regime. Nostalgia for a different time, a different era, is still present in some members of this generation, the grandchildren of those alive in the Franco regime. This nostalgia will not die until those who lived through those events die as well.

"Spain and the Lingering Legacy of Franco." //The Guardian//. The Guardian. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.

" Francisco Franco Bahamonde. " Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004. //Encyclopedia.com.// n.d. 22 Feb. 2015.