Francisco Franco

Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade, more usually called general Francisco Franco (born the December 4th 1892 with the Ferrol (Galicia) in Spain, died the November 20th 1975 with Madrid in Spain) was a soldier there and the Head of the Spanish State of 1939 with 1975, chairing an authoritative and dictatorial government with the title of Caudillo (guide): .

Biography

Youth and formation

Free is born with the Ferrol, a port of Galicia. True military ghetto, Ferrol is a medium strongly marked by the military tradition and devotion to the State, where the Franco family lives since seven generations. His/her father, Nicolás Free Salgado-Araújo, are general intendant of the Navy. Womanizer, it is not at ease in the very preserving medium of Ferrol. His/her mother, Pilar Bahamonde there Pardo de Andrade, is a very pious woman, very attached to her children. Francisco is baptized in the San Francisco parish of the district of the officers the December 17th 1892.

Called Paquito by his comrades because of his small size, it is initially sent in a private school, then spends two years to the college of the Sacred Heart, before entering to the School of naval preparation. Raise average, it intends itself naturally for the Navy, as its family tradition encourages there and like all the children of Ferrol. The closing of the Naval college of Ferrol in 1907 the constrained one to seek another way. The August 29th 1907, it enters then to the Academy of infantry of Tolède. The same year, his/her father is promoted with Madrid, wearied closed military medium of Ferrol. Its relations with his wife being degraded, he insists that its family does not follow it. It is learned shortly after that it has a mistress downtown: separation is then final.

The Academy of Tolède is of level poor: its entrance examination consists of an examination of the control of the four arithmetic operations and a fast checking of the physical constitution. Its courses are also rather summary. In 1910, Franco leaves 251e there on 312. These thin performances must however be relativized taking into consideration its young age: it is only 18 years old whereas his/her comrades are rather old of 20 or 21 years. The July 13rd, it is promoted segundo teniente , i.e. second lieutenant.

Military career

Once its completed formation, Franco is affected with the garrison of Ferrol. It carries out to it a garrison life, tern and monotonous. As of February 1912, it must leave for the Morocco, in the 8th regiment of Africa.

With the Morocco

The March 19th 1912, it essuie the first enemy fire. Determined to leave anonymity, he asks in 1913 to be affected with the regiment of the regular natives, considered for his bravery but also for his dubious honesty. He takes part in many operations and the October 12th, obtains the cross of the military merit, first class. As of March 1915, it is promoted captain. Little by little its legend takes form: the Moors think it invulnerable.

This reputation ends in March 1915: it is very seriously wounded with the belly, during an attack against the fort of El-Biutz. It is then promoted commander, in spite of the unfavorable opinion of the military High council. Alphonse XIII indeed interceded in its favor, with its request. He receives the command of a battalion of infantry confined with Oviedo, with the Asturies. Discovers free there for the first time the proletariat, the workman-minors, whose living conditions are miserable. This experiment will mark much its social opinions. During the summer 1917, the Burguete general, military governor of the province, issues the state of war in answer to violent strikes in the mines. Free attends repression then.

With the Legion

In 1919, Franco meets the lieutenant-colonel Jose Millán-Astray, of which the ambition is to create a military unit of elite according to the French model of the Foreign legion. In 1920, its project is accepted. Millán-Astray offers to Franco the command of the 1st will bandage (battalion), which share to confine with Ceuta in October. Free imposes on its legionaries a very strict drive. In parallel, it is pitiless vis-a-vis the indigenous revolts. After the disaster of Anual in 1921, it authorizes its men to apply the law of the Talion: the legionaries mutilate, plunder, violate and kill in their turn. Following this disaster, it is destined for Melilla to reconquer the ground vis-a-vis Abd el-Krim.

In January 1922 it is again affected in Oviedo. It receives the military decoration and is named lieutenant-colonel. It benefits from its new glory to ask in marriage Carmen Polo Martínez-Valdés, young girl of good the Bourgeoisie, met at the time of its first assignment in 1917. The marriage is deferred following the death of the commander of the Legion: Free replaces it, on recommendation of the king. It Marie finally the October 22nd 1923.

It is as from this year 1923 besides that one starts to employ the term of caudillo (war leader at the time of the Spanish Middle Ages) to indicate Franco.

The September 13rd 1923, Miguel Primo de Rivera founded a dictatorial mode by a coup d'etat. Vis-a-vis the difficulties encountered in Morocco, he thinks of a withdrawal. During December and November 1924, Franco must supervise indeed the evacuation of Xanten. Its good behavior makes appoint it colonel. A little later Abd el-Krim attacks French populations. In answer, France is combined in Spain. Primo de Rivera approves a plan of unloading in Alhucemas. It is a success: Free with the row of brigadier general in February 1926 is high, which makes of him the youngest general of Europe - it does not have whereas 33 years. A few months later are born the girl from Free, María del Carmen, called Nenuca . The honors follow one another for him; in 1927, it is even charged to accompany the king in his official trip in Africa.

The Military academy of Saragossa

The January 4th 1928, Primo de Rivera recreates the general Academy of Saragossa. This time, it makes a required passage for all the future officers, and names Franco at its head of it. This last supervises narrowly initially the building work of the buildings then, taking as a starting point its experiment tolédane, writes itself the rules of procedure of the Academy. It thus forces barrack rooms of three juniors “to avoid the marriages. ”

According to their appreciation of the character himself, the historians judge in a variable way work of Free with the Academy. It is certain that the new military academy is better than the old one, would be this only because of the rise in the level in recruitment (elementary Baccalauréat). Free imposes the anonymity of the copies on the entrance examination, decreases the number of pupils per professor, installs many showers, prohibited the Bizutage and even makes distribute condoms to the students. It can be made respect, to even appreciate: 90% of the 720 officers trained by the Academy join then the pro-Franco camp during the civil war.

In July 1931, the Second Republic removes by decree the school. Like the whole of the teaching body, Franco is placed of forced availability and is supervised. For Franco, which had been completely implied in the creation of the Academy, it is there a bad blow which it takes very badly. July 14th it expresses its dissatisfaction publicly, by taking leave of the last promotion of juniors:

Free will try as of the following day to clear itself near Manuel Azaña, chief of the government, which will want to be well satisfied with these explanations and to avoid the public confrontation. He will address only one discrete warning to him by a letter expressing sound to him displeasure . In spite of the moderation of the matter, it is clear that it does not underestimate the personality of the general. He notes in his newspaper that he is most dangerous of the generals , but he does not want to widen the ditch that he has just dug between the soldiers and him.

Despite everything, Franco will not take part in the Sanjurjada , coup attempt of State of the general Sanjurjo in August 1932. Having sufficiently satisfied the investigations of the republic, it is affected with Corogne as commander of XVe brigade of infantry, in February 1932. Free will keep with Azaña, a tough resentment of this period of forty.

Free vis-a-vis the sanjurjada

The rising of the garrison of Seville the August 10th 1932, directed by the general Sanjurjo, butts against the general strike started by the CNT and the Communist party of Seville. It is stopped with Madrid and is condemned to dead then pardoned, seeing its sorrow commuted to detention with life; the others entreated like the Goded general and colonel Varela are also imprisoned. The republican government does not want to make martyrs.

Free, which it is hard to imagine that it is not held not informed of what the Spaniards name the “sanjurjada”, had during all the preparation of the plot of frequent contacts with Sanjurjo. It maintained with this soldier the bonds of friendship tied in Africa, but seems upon the departure to have taken its distances. He will tell later that the chance had provided him an alibi of weight: he had thought of moving away from Corogne the day of the coup d'etat for a walk of pleasure in the area, but the officer who was supposed to replace it being falls ill, he had to give up it. Azaña which had called the military region on the telephone to check its presence, had had the relief to find it at its station. In any event, to any moment it did not adhere nor did not test sympathy to this putsch. When Sanjurjo requires of him to ensure its defense, after its arrest, it has this very hard word:

He is not man to be launched out in dubious adventures, nor to approve them, but does not continue any less to regularly visit him to the prison where he is interned: he is not man to fail either in the honesty which he believes duty in his caste.

The civil war

See also: Spanish Civil war

In the revolutionary climate which reigns in Spain, Franco is observed on all the sides. He appears one of the soldiers most likely to take the head of an armed rising. For this reason, it is named military governor with the Canary islands, far from the peninsula. In fact, Franco is then convinced little by opportunity of a coup d'etat. It is under the II {{E}} République that it reached the apogee of its career. Although monarchist of education, it is satisfied of a middle-class, preserving republic and maintaining the order. He is not very inclined to risk his career in a badly prepared adventure.

In fact, it is Emilio Mola and not Franco which is the inspirer and the organizer of the coup attempt of State of 1936 against the government in place, then carried out by the Frente Popular . Admittedly, he with the current since the beginning of the activities of is entreated, but he awaits the July 13rd, date of the assassination of the chief monarchist Jose Calvo Sotelo to join them.

Free sees itself allotting the army of Morocco, strong of 30.000 men aguerris, genuine spearhead of the plot. The accidental death of Sanjurjo, historical leader of the opposition monarchist, and the failures of the Goded generals and Fanjul with Barcelona and Madrid propel Franco on the front of the scene.

The Pronunciamiento fails for lack of adhesion of the army: on 21 major generals, only 4 adopt rising. It is at this time that the working militia, which do not believe in the capacity of the government to face, enter in scene. The conflict is transformed then into a civil war.

Free then decides to buy to 12 Italian planes, paid by his/her friend the banker Joan March, as well as German Junker S, in order to establish an airlift connecting Morocco to Seville. In August, it launches a naval convoy starting from Ceuta, thus forcing the blockade established by the Republic. Once again, it is been useful by division of its adversaries: disorganized by the socialist and anarchistic mutinies within the crews, the governmental fleet cannot stop the convoy of Free. It thus succeeds in transporting 23.400 men.

Hitherto, Franco remains neutral on the nature of the mode which he intends to give to Spain. Its declaration of the July 21st 1936 is completed even by “sharp Spain and lives the Republic”: the Movement is directed against the Popular front, and not the Republic strictly speaking. During the creation of the “Junta of national defense”, the July 23rd, one also raises any indication on the desired mode, nor no religious connotation.

Very quickly, the atrocities occur. , Franco entrusts to Juan Yagüe three columns, charged to carry out the junction with the army of North, while passing by the Extrémadure. Yagüe is a former comrade of the Academy of Tolède. The August 14th, it seizes Badajoz, where it makes shoot 2.000 prisoners of war. Whereas the international press is scandalized, Franco congratulates Yagüe, which threat Madrid in September. In parallel, the cabinet Giral falls, replaced by that of Caballero Largo.

Whereas the civil war appears to have to end quickly, Franco decides, with the general astonishment, to suspend walk on Madrid. It diverts the army of Africa to carry help to the defenders vis-a-vis the seat of Alcazar. So it sacrifices a military objective to the profit of a political gesture. The legend of the juniors by Alcazar will constitute one of the elements of pro-Franco mythology. One also could suggest that it was interest of to free make last the war, in order to better “clean” the ground, like hardening his personal capacity within the junta. It is thus proven that Franco refused any mediation during the war, even those emanating from the the Holy See.

The September 21st, the Junta of defense meets, and Free is named general-in-chief for the duration of the war, but his/her Nicolás brother, in the knowledge of the other generals, publishes a faded version of the text where the capacities of Caudillo appear permanent. The 28, the function of Head of the State is associated to him by decree. October 1st, with Burgos, it is invested full powerss. The bishop of Salamanque compares the Movement with a Croisade, thus introducing a religious reason up to that point absent.

During this month, the European great powers, in spite of the agreements of non-intervention, begin in the civil war. The Soviet Union by its tanks (not very many) and the international Brigades (2 000 men at the beginning) support the Popular front and its defenders - CNT and FAI (anarchistic), POUM (Marxist), PC (stalinist), UGT (socialist). Opposite, the Nazi Germany and the fascistic Italy line up in the camp of the military insurrection by sending important quotas of men and materials. The April 26th 1937, market day, a hundred planes of the Légion Condor (Luftwaffe) carries out the bombardment of the Basque city of Guernica, without military reason other that to terrorize a population won over to the republican government. It is the first time that a European city is subjected to such a treatment. On the 7.000 inhabitants, 1.645 are killed and 889 wounded, according to the figures of the Basque Government.

The June 3rd, Mola dies in an accident, thus leaving Franco without rival. With the head of the army, with the title of généralissime, it takes little by little the control of Spain. A chronic lack of manpower pushes it to enlist of force in the areas which it controls. One also counts many voluntary engagements, 60.000 for example for the the Canaries. It also recruits alfereces (second lieutenants) provisional: they are students or junior managers profiting from an accelerated military formation. 30.000 are thus recruited during the Civil war. On this figure, a third will remain in the army, the remainder constituting the future executives of the pro-Franco mode.

The civil war finishes on April 1st, 1939, after the battle of Èbre (from July-October 1938), which rings the knell of the republican hopes, and the conquest of the Spanish Catalogne (March 1939). Free finds itself only Master of Spain and it becomes officially " chief of État". It then imposes an empirical dictatorship on the principles of the National-Catholicism. The democracies are hardly long besides in recognizing the new mode and France sends the marshal Pétain like first ambassador as of the procession of the victory in Madrid.

At the end of the civil war, one counts more than 150.000 dead soldiers during the combat (as many civilians). More than 440.000 Spanish republicans took refuge in France (entered with the March 9th 1939) then still of tens of thousands of others join them, constrained with the exile to escape the terrible repression which falls down then on Spain (more than 30.000 summary executions). Recent estimates give the figure of more than 200.000 people shot or died following the ill treatments in the pro-Franco prisons and the concentration camps of Miranda de Ebro, Albatera, Castuera and Los Almendros, inter alia, after 1939.

Conscious of its inexperience in political matters, Franco was pressed on his/her brother-in-law, Ramón Serrano Súñer, the Phalange and the Church Catholique, rejoined with its camp after the massacres anticlericals of 1936, without forgetting the monarchists (Carliste S, conservatives and others).

Dictatorship of Free (1939 - 1975)

End of the pro-Franco mode

In 1969, it is in front of the the Cortes Generales that Franco indicates Juan Carlos to succeed to him its death, as a king d' Espagne.

At the beginning of the Years 1970, patient, Franco are solved to appoint a president of the government. It chooses its right-hand man, the admiral Luis Carrero Blanco. This one is killed in an attack of the Basques of the ETA the December 20th 1973 in Madrid. Increasingly affected by the Parkinson's disease who corrodes it since 1969, Franco is victim of a cooling in 1975, then of an internal bleeding which involves its transfer to the hospital of Paz. After an operation the October 14th, it is in the coma. It will be maintained in life artificially so, according to certain authors, that the prince Juan Carlos agrees the October 30th to take up the duties of Head of the State. In spite of its disease, it signs the last sentences with the capital punishment of 8 activists of ETA and FRAP, and authorizes the withdrawal of the the Spanish Sahara which will be then annexed by the Morocco. The girl of the failing dictator persuades the doctors to let it die. It dies out the November 20th 1975 with 5:20 of the morning, the same day as Primo de Rivera. The official bulletin announcing the death thus enumerates the causes of the dead one:

On order of the King, Franco is buried with the Basilique Holy-Cross LED valle of los Caídos.

Officially restored in 1947, monarchy found a king after his death in the person of Juan Carlos I {{er}}, grandson of Alphonse XIII.

Pro-Franco posterity

The principal heritage of Free is the return of the Monarchie in Spain but also indirectly the terrorism of the ETA and the situation of the the Western Sahara. Three other principles imposed by Caudillo on its successor were respected during the transition process:

only the the pro-Franco Cortes and the National movement (sole party) can decide on their own dissolution, which was completed on April 1st 1977
any hunting for the witches against soldiers or members of the administration would not be carried out in the event of democratization of the mode.
the unit of Spain (" Una, Large, Free ") must be maintained, which does not mean independence for the Spanish Catalogne, nor for the Spanish Country-Basque (nevertheless, the establishment of the autonomous Communautés ( Autonomías ) will be registered in the news Constitution of 1978).

On the cultural level, the wind of freedom which Spain knew after the end of Francoism ends logically a release. It is accompanied by a creative boiling with the appearance of a new generation of creators and artists.

Draft recommendation of judgment of the mode by the Council of Europe (2006)

The November 4th 2005, a draft recommendation emanating from the Commission of the political questions of the parliamentary assembly of the the Council of Europe declares Need for condemning Francoism to the international level .

This project, which should be discussed in March in standing committee of the assembly, supports that “the violation of the Human rights is not an internal business which relates to only Spain alone”, reason for which “the Council of Europe is ready to engage a serious debate on this subject with the international level”.

Moreover, the draft report recommends to the Council of Ministers to state the July 18th 2006 like official day to condemn the pro-Franco mode.

Toponymy

The mode of Free left many traces in the Spanish urban landscape, except for the autonomous regions of Catalogne and of the Basque Country, particularly touched during the civil war and the dictatorship.

So much of streets in the name of the Caudillo or of the Generalísimo were débaptisées at the beginning of the Années 1980, of many arteries, in particular in the medium-sized cities, continue to celebrate Franco or its allies (for example Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, the general Mola, the Sanjurjo General).

Thus León, Gijón, Santander, Santa Cruz of Tenerife or Puerto of Cruz (Tenerife) kept their pro-Franco toponymy.

Monuments also continue to celebrate Franco, its allies and its victories (Arco of Victoria in Madrid, rules with Santander, various war memorials, Alcazar de Tolède).

In July 2002, the equestrian monument representing Free, located during 35 years on the Plaza de España , its birthplace of the Ferrol ( El Ferrol del Caudillo ), was unbolted at the dawn of the July 5th to be transferred to the military arsenal. The municipality had envisaged the construction of a parking of 625 places under ground.

In 2004, the new Spanish Socialist government proposed a law of repair towards the victims of the war and the dictatorship. He also asked that the pro-Franco toponymy and all symbols remaining be withdrawn from the public highway. Opponents with this last proposal whose Felipe Gonzalez speaks about rearguard action and recalls that these monuments belong to the Spanish heritage, for better and for worse.

In the night of the 16 to the March 17th 2005, with 1:00 (GMT) on decision of the Council of Ministers, the equestrian statue of Free in the center of Madrid was unbolted and transferred in a hangar to the shelter from the glances.

The November 8th 2005, its statue (inaugurated in 1977 to commemorate its action as a colonel of the legion after the disaster of Annual in 1921), located in the town of Melilla was moved of 50 meters to allow the realization of public works. The government (preserving) of the autonomous city of Melilla refused that it leaves the public highway and is transferred to the military museum as claimed it the local opposition.

Currency and stamps

The portrait of Free was reproduced on many coins and Spanish postage stamps. All the parts with its effigy were withdrawn from circulation on April 1st, 1997.

Spaniards and Free 30 years after its death

At the time of the 30e birthday of died of Free, an investigation of the Opina Institute (of the November 17th 2005, to see the Spanish bond in in the section “external Bonds”) is published to know the opinion of the Spanish company into the historical figure of Free, the heritage of its mode and the risk to repeat this period. With the question about the judgment that they carry on the dictatorship of Free, 63,7% consider it negative, 23% are without opinion and 13,3% consider it positive.

According to a survey of the radio of right-hand side Cadena SER published the November 18th 2005, 55,5% of Spanish state to test “indifference” towards the dictator, 29,8% of the “rejection” and 7,6%, “nostalgia”.

Investigation of Center of investigations sociological raises that 65,9% of Spaniards consider that the victims of the civil war received “a different recognition according to the camp to which they belonged”, but estimates at 72,9% that a “homage must include them all”.

Lastly, always on the subject, according to another survey published the November 19th 2005 by the conservative daily El Mundo, 41,3% of the Spaniards judge that the policy of the Socialist government of Mr. Zapatero “rather reopens wounds of last” than it “does not support the reconciliation” (25,5%).

Its family

María LED Carmen Polo Martínez-Valdés (1902-1988): its wife. After having met Free in 1917, she marries it in 1923 and in 1926, gives birth to their only child, María del Carmen. She died in Madrid in 1988.
María del Carmen Ramona Felipa of Cruz Franco Sports shirt: his/her daughter. She married Cristóbal Martínez-Bordiú, marquis de Villaverde the April 10th 1950. She lives today especially in Miami (Florida). His/her daughter married Alphonse “duke of Anjou” and their son junior is today the applicant legitimist with the crown of France, Luis Alfonso de Borbón there Martónez-Bordiú. It directs the Franco foundation, founded in 1977. The purpose of its objectives are to take care on the memory of the dictator.
Nicolás Free (1891-1977): the older brother. Naval engineer, civil servant of the ministry for the Navy, it became the main thing adviser of Caudillo at the beginning of the civil war. He finishes his career as Ambassadeur with Lisbon then like business man.
María del Pilar Free (1894-1989): the sister. Member of the Spanish phalanges, it did not play any political role however. Its two books of personal memories published in full democratic transition were best-sellers.
Ramón Free (1896-1938): the younger brother. Famous and popular aviator, of republican conviction which leads it in prison under the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera, it does not rejoin of it less his older brother after July 1936. He dies on October 28th, 1938 in an air crash.
Ramón Serrano Súñer (1901-2004): the brother-in-law. He married Zita, the sister of Carmen Polo. Implied in the pronunciamiento of 1936, he is imprisoned by the republicans. Escaped prisoner in February 1937, it supplants Nicolás Franco like advising and Minister for Caudillo. Near to Italian Fascism, it is distant as from 1942.

See too

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