History of Spain series
Prehistoric Spain
Roman Spain
Medieval Spain
- Visigoths
- Al-Andalus
- Age of Reconquest
Age of Expansion
Age of Enlightenment
Reaction and Revolution
First Spanish Republic
The Restoration
Second Spanish Republic
Spanish Civil War
Spain under Franco
Transition to Democracy
Modern Spain
Topics
Economic History
Military History
Social History

The Spanish Civil War officially ended on 1 April 1939, the day Francisco Franco announced the end of hostilities. The Republican regime had been defeated and Franco was now undisputed leader of Spain. He ruled Spain until he died on November 20, 1975. The history of Spain covers a span from pre-historic times, through the rise and fall of a global empire, to Spains modern-day renaissance in the post-Franco era. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Alhambra-petit. ... Prehistoric Spain is a time period covering human development from the first hominids in Spain to the beginning of recorded history. ... Roman theater at Mérida; the statues are replicas Hispania was the name given by the Romans to the whole of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal, Spain, Andorra and Gibraltar) and to two provinces created there in the period of the Roman Republic: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. ... After the disorders of the passage of the Vandals and Alans down the Mediterranean coast of Hispania from 409, the history of Medieval Spain begins with the Iberian kingdom of the Arian Visigoths (507 – 711), who were converted to Catholicism with their king Reccared in 587. ... Migrations The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East Germanic tribe (the Ostrogoths being the other). ... Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given the Iberian Peninsula by its Muslim conquerors; it refers to both the Caliphate proper and the general period of Muslim rule (711–1492). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... During the reign of Emperor Charles V (Carlos I of Spain), who ascended the thrones of the kingdoms of Spain after the death of his grandfather Ferdinand, Habsburg Spain controlled territory ranging from Philippines to the Netherlands, and was, for a time, Europes greatest power. ... The Age of Enlightenment came to Spain in the eighteenth century with the accession of King Philip V, the first Spanish king of the French Bourbon dynasty. ... History of Spain series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain - Visigoths - Al-Andalus - Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social History Spain in the... Flag of the Spanish First Republic The First Spanish Republic lasted only two years, between 1873 and 1874. ... The Restoration was the name given to the period that began in December 29, 1874 after the First Spanish Republic ended with the restoration of Alfonso XII to the throne after a coup detat by Martinez Campos, and ended on April 14, 1931 with the proclamation of the Second... Anthem: El Himno de Riego The situation near the beginning of the Spanish Civil War Capital Madrid Language(s) Spanish Religion Roman Catholicism Government Republic President of the Government  - April 14, 1931-October 14, 1931 Niceto Alcalá-Zamora  - May 17 1937-January 30 1939 Juan Negrín Legislature Congress of... Combatants Spanish Republic With the support of: Soviet Union International Brigades Spanish Nationalists With the support of: Fascist Italy Nazi Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Gonzalo Queipo de Llano Emilio Mola Casualties 500,000 – 1,000,000 The Spanish Civil War, which... The Spanish transition to democracy or new Bourbon restoration was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Economic history of Spain covers the development of the Spanish economy over the course of its history. ... History of Spain series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain - Visigoths - Al-Andalus - Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social History The military history... Combatants Spanish Republic With the support of: Soviet Union International Brigades Spanish Nationalists With the support of: Fascist Italy Nazi Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Gonzalo Queipo de Llano Emilio Mola Casualties 500,000 – 1,000,000 The Spanish Civil War, which... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde (4 December 1892–20 November or possibly 19 November[1] 1975), abbreviated Francisco Franco Bahamonde and commonly known as Generalísimo Francisco Franco (pron. ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

Genesis of the government during the Civil War (1936-1939)

The Nationalist senior generals held an informal meeting in September 1936, where they elected Francisco Franco as leader of the Nationalists, with the rank of Generalísimo (sometimes written in English as Generalissimo, after the Fascist Italian fashion). He was originally supposed to be only commander-in-chief, but after some discussion became head of state as well with nearly unlimited and absolute powers. 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A generalissimo is a commissioned officer of the highest rank; the word is often translated as Supreme Commander or Commander in Chief. It is an Italian superlative substantive, which grammatically would actually be disallowed in Italian (superlatives can be made with adjectives only). ...

This provisional government ruled over the territories controlled by the Nationalists during the Civil War. Its main political action during the war was the consolidation of the heterogeneous political forces that joined the rebellion into a single party, the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS. During and after the war, the Nationalist government harshly repressed Republican militants and sympathizers, as retaliation for the equally harsh repression of clergy and Nationalist militants on the opposite side. Killings were widespread on both sides during the whole war. Combatants Spanish Republic With the support of: Soviet Union International Brigades Spanish Nationalists With the support of: Fascist Italy Nazi Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Gonzalo Queipo de Llano Emilio Mola Casualties 500,000 – 1,000,000 The Spanish Civil War, which... A single-party state or one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system and form of government where only a single political party dominates the government and no opposition parties are allowed. ... Yoke and Arrows. ...

Flag of the Spanish State during the Franco era

The retaliation continued after the war, allegedly to punish war crimes committed under the Republican government, under a process called Causa General. Franco´s government executed, jailed, or subjected to forced labour thousands of republicans; thousands more exiled themselves mostly to France and Latin America. Some of those who fled to France joined the French resistance; some, such as Lluís Companys, president of the Catalan Government, were caught up in the Nazi repression during World War II. Exiled to France in 1939, Companys was arrested and extradited to Spain in September 1940, and put to death after a military trial. Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Spain_Under_Franco. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Spain_Under_Franco. ... Flag ratio: 2:3 Flag of Spain The government flag of Spain in its current form was adopted on December 19, 1981, when the coat of arms was last changed. ... The Kingdom of Spain or Spain (Spanish: Reino de España or España; Catalan: Regne dEspanya; Basque: Espainiako Erresuma; Galician: Reino de España; Asturian: Reinu dEspaña) is a country located in the southwest of Europe. ... The French Resistance is the name used for resistance movements during World War II which fought the German occupation of France and the collaborationist Vichy regime, and was a vital and some say decisive factor in the defeat of Hitler and the Nazi revolution. ... Lluís Companys i Jover (21 June 1882 – Spain, 15 October 1940) was a Catalan politician and leader of the Esquerra Party (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya). ... The Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia ) is the institution in which the self-government of Catalonia is politically organised. ... National Socialism redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Franco's regime

Lacking any strong political ideology, Franco initially sought support from what he designated as National syndicalism (nacionalsindicalismo) and the Roman Catholic Church (nacionalcatolicismo). The Falange, a fringe fascist inspired party during the Republic, soon transformed itself into the frame of reference in the Movimiento Nacional. Other parties and groups were forced to join in, transforming Falange into the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista, or "Spanish Traditionalist Phalanx of the Assemblies of National-Syndicalist Offensive" (FET y de las JONS), becaming so heterogeneous as to barely qualify as a party at all. It was certainly not an ideological monolith like the Fascio di Combattimento (Fascist Party) or the ruling block of Portuguese Antonio Salazar. National Syndicalism is typically associated with the right-wing labor movement in Italy which would later become the basis for Mussolini’s Fascist Party. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... Falange was a totalitarian clerical fascist political organization founded by José Antonio Primo de Rivera in 1933 in opposition to the Second Spanish Republic. ... Yoke and Arrows. ... Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, refers to the right-wing authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Ant nio de Oliveira Salazar Ant nio de Oliveira Salazar (April 28, 1889—July 27, 1970) was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968, noted for the dictatorial nature of his government. ...

Franco is often characterized as a fascist, and certainly had the consistent support of fascists in Spain and abroad; however, his lack of overt belligerency during World War II and—after the war ended—his alignment with the United States during the Cold War, both suggest that he was merely a reactionary who initially sought shelter in fascism because he lacked an original ideology with which to confront Communism, Socialism or Anarchism, three ideologies that were widespread in Spain and vigorously supported from abroad. His regime has also been described as a nationalist conservative even traditionalist rightist regime. The emphasis was on order and stability, rather than a definite political vision like fascism. Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology and mass movement that seeks to place the nation, defined in exclusive biological, cultural, and historical terms, above all other loyalties, and to create a mobilized national community. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Reactionary (or reactionist) is a political epithet, generally used as a pejorative, originally applied in the context of the French Revolution to counter-revolutionaries who wished to restore the real or imagined conditions of the monarchical Ancien Régime. ... An ideology is an organized collection of ideas. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control. ... It has been suggested that Origins of anarchism and History of anarchism be merged into this article or section. ... Conservatism is a political philosophy that usually favors traditional values and strong foreign defense. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Left-Right politics. ...

In 1940, the Vertical Syndicate was created. Following the ideas of José Antonio Primo de Rivera, this syndicate would end class struggle, as it grouped together workers and owners according to corporative principles. It was the only legal syndicate, and was under government control. Other syndicates and political parties were forbidden and strongly repressed. The Sindicato vertical (literally, vertical trade union) was the only legal trade union during the reign of Francisco Franco in Spain. ... For other people called Jose Rivera, see Jose Rivera José Antonio Primo de Rivera José Antonio Primo de Rivera, Marqués de Estella (April 24, 1903–November 20, 1936) was the son of general Miguel Primo de Rivera, who was dictator of Spain from 1923 until 1930. ... Class struggle is class conflict looked at from a Marxist, libertarian socialist, or anarchist perspective. ... The concept of the corporate state developed under the context of Fascism in Mussolinis Italy as a means of regulating industrial relations. ...

All cultural activities were subject to censorship, and many were plainly forbidden on various, many times spurious, grounds (political or moral). In accordance with Franco's nationalist principles, only Spanish was recognized as official language of the country, although millions of the country's citizens had also other native languages (Catalan, Basque and Galician being the most numerous minority languages). The use of these languages was discouraged, and most public uses were forbidden. This cultural policy was initially very strict, but relaxed with time, most notably after 1960. Still, even after 1960, all government, notarial, legal and commercial documents were drawn up exclusively in Spanish and any written in other languages were deemed null and void. (See Languages of Spain, Language politics in Francoist Spain.) Censorship is the removal of information from the public, or the prevention of circulation of information, where it is desired or felt best by some controlling group or body that others are not allowed to access the information which is being censored. ... Catalan IPA: (català IPA: or []) is a Romance language, the national language of Andorra and one of several co-official languages in the Spanish autonomous communities of Balearic Islands, Valencia (under the name Valencian), and Catalonia. ... Basque (native name: Euskara) is the language spoken by the Basque people who inhabit the Pyrenees in North-Central Spain and the adjoining region of South-Western France. ... Galician (Galician: galego) is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia. ... The Languages of Spain are the languages spoken or once spoken in the territory of the country of Spain. ... Language politics in Francoist Spain centered on attempts in Spain under Franco to increase the dominance of Castilian (castellano), the most widely used Spanish language, over the other languages of Spain. ...

Although a self-proclaimed monarchist, Franco had no particular desire for a king, due to his strained relation with the legitimate heir of the Crown, Don Juan de Borbón y Battemberg. Therefore, he left the throne vacant, with himself as de facto regent. In 1947 Franco proclaimed Spain a monarchy, through the Ley de Sucesión en la Jefatura del Estado act, but did not designate a monarch. Instead, he set the basis for his succession. This gesture was largely done to appease monarchist factions within the Movimiento. He wore the uniform of a captain general (a rank traditionally reserved for the King), resided in the Pardo Palace, appropriated the kingly privilege of walking beneath a canopy, and his portrait appeared on most Spanish coins. Indeed, although his formal titles were Jefe del Estado (Head of State) and Generalísimo de los Ejércitos Españoles (Highest General of the Spanish Armed Forces), he was referred to as Caudillo de España por la gracia de Dios, (by the grace of God, the Leader of Spain) (by the grace of God is a technical, legal phrase which indicates sovereign dignity in absolute monarchies, and is only used by monarchs). ... Regent, from the Latin, a person selected to administer a state because the ruler is a minor or is not present or debilitated. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Places where monarchies maintain rule appear in blue. ... The Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller at Rhodes under a canopy of estate, on a dais: there is a cushion under his feet A baldachin, baldachino or baldacchino is a canopy of state over an altar or throne, It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other... By the Grace of God, as well as the various equivalent phrases in other languages thus rendered in English, is not a title in its own right, but a common introductory part of the full styles of many Monarchs, preceding the actual princely styles in chief of the specific realm... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

World War II years (1939-1945)

Main article: Spain in World War II

In September 1939, World War II broke out in Europe. Adolf Hitler met Franco in Hendaye, France (October 23, 1940), to discuss the Spanish entry in the war joining the Axis. Franco's demands (food, military equipment, Gibraltar, French North Africa, etc.) proved too much and no agreement was reached. Contributing to the disagreement was an ongoing dispute over German mining rights in Spain. Some historians argue that Franco made demands that he knew Hitler would not accede to in order to stay out of the war. Other historians argue that he simply had nothing to offer the Germans. After the collapse of France in June 1940, Spain adopted a pro-Axis non-belligerency stance (for example, he offered Spanish naval facilities to German ships) until returning to complete neutrality in 1943 when the tide of the war had turned decisively against Germany. Franco sent volunteer troops to fight "communism" joining the Axis armies on the Eastern Front against the Soviet Union. The unit name was the (División Azul, or Blue Division, after the Falange's party colour, whose members were known as 'blueshirts'). At the same time, Spanish diplomats in the Axis countries actively protected Jews and Spain itself became a safe haven for Jewish refugees, as Franco refused to implement anti-Semitic laws, as demanded by the Axis. At the start of World War II, in September 1939, Spain had only recently come through its bitter civil war. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Hitler redirects here. ... Hendaye (Basque Hendaia) is the most southwesterly town in France. ... October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In various forms, France had colonial possessions since the beginning of the 17th century until the 1960s. ... The Eastern Front was the theatre of combat between Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was somewhat separate from the other theatres of the war, not only geographically, but also for its scale and ferocity. ... The Blue Division (Spanish División Azul), also known as , was a unit of Spanish volunteers that served on the German side of the Second World War, mainly on the Eastern Front. ... Yoke and Arrows. ...

Isolation (1945-1953)

After the war, the Allies used Spain's ties to the Axis powers to keep it from joining the United Nations. Franco´s government was seen, especially by Soviet countries but also by Great Britain, to be a remnant of the central European fascist regimes. Under the circumstances, a UN resolution condemning Franco´s government was unavoidable. The resolution encouraged countries to remove their ambassadors in Spain, and established the basis for measures against Spain if the government remained authoritarian. Only Portugal and a few Latin-American countries refused to comply with this advice. The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ...

The consequence of all of this was the establishment of an embargo against the Francoist regime in 1946 -including the closure of the French border- with very little success, as it boosted support for the regime. The isolation was represented by Franco´s regime as a modern version of the Black Legend, a machination of Freemasons against Catholic Spain, and helped to rally massive popular support for the regime like the massive demonstration in 1946. For delayed access after publication, see Embargo (academic publishing). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... The Black Legend (Spanish: La Leyenda Negra) is the depiction of Spain and Spaniards as bloodthirsty and cruel, intolerant, greedy and fanatical. ... The Masonic Square and Compasses. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

In 1947, the president of Argentina, Juan Perón, ignored the UN embargo and sent his wife Eva Duarte de Perón with much needed food supplies. The Spaniards, and Franco himself, heartily welcomed Evita. Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Juan Domingo Perón (October 8, 1895 – July 1, 1974) was an Argentine soldier and politician, elected three times as President of Argentina and serving from 1946 to 1955 and from 1973 to 1974. ... Evitas image appeared on a wide variety of products, including stamps, coins, postcards and calendars. ...

After World War II, the Spanish economy was still in disarray. Rationing cards were still used as late as 1952. War and economical isolation forced the regime to move towards autarchy, a movement warmly welcomed by Falangists. The tenets of the economy were: reduction of imports, self-sufficiency, state-controlled production and commercialization of first order goods, state-funded industry and construction of infrastructure - heavily damaged during the Civil War- through the use of precarious means. Look up Autarchy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The End of Isolation (1953-1959)

Eisenhower and Franco in Spain in 1959

The increased tensions between America and the USSR in the 1950s, forced the American government to search for new allies in Europe. Franco was a proclaimed anti-Communist, which made him a potential ally in the Cold War. Image File history File links Franco_eisenhower_1959_madrid. ... Image File history File links Franco_eisenhower_1959_madrid. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ...

Spain's international ostracism was finally broken in 1953 when Spain and the United States signed the Pact of Madrid a series of agreements under which Spain received economic assistance in the form of grants and loans in return for hosting American military bases. This was also the year when the Spanish government signed the Concordato (Spanish for Concordat) agreement with the Vatican. The Pact of Madrid, signed in 1953 by Spain and the United States, ended a period of virtual isolation for Spain, although the other victorious allies of World War II and much of the rest of the world remained hostile to what they regarded as a fascist regime sympathetic to... A concordat is an agreement between the pope and a government or sovereign on religious matters. ...

In 1955 Spanish wealth approached the pre-Civil War levels of 1935, leaving behind the disasters of the war and the struggle of isolation. Spain was admitted to the UN in 1955 and to the World Bank in 1958[1]. Other Western European countries, including Italy, were from that point eager to restore good contacts with Francoist Spain. 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Spain's gradual readmission to the international fold was given visible form with the visit of US President Eisenhower in December 1959[2]. Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Desarrollo, the Spanish Miracle (1959-1973)

Main article: Spanish Miracle

The Spanish Miracle (Desarrollo) was the name given to the Spanish economic boom between 1959 and 1973 and it is the most remarkable phenomenon and the most important legacy left by Francoist Spain, as Spain largely surpassed the per capita income that differentiates developed from underdeveloped countries and induced the development of a dominant middle class which was instrumental to the future establishment of democracy. A white SEAT 600, an icon of the Spanish Miracle The 1957 built, 142m high, Torre de Madrid somehow heralded the advent of the Spanish Miracle The Spanish miracle (Spanish: Desarrollo económico de España) was the name given to the Spanish economic boom between 1959 and 1973. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ...

The boom was bolstered by economic reforms promoted by the so-called technocrats, appointed by Franco, who put in place neo-liberal development policies from the IMF. The technocrats were a new breed of economists linked to Opus Dei, who replaced the old, prone to isolationism, Falangist guard. Technocrat can refer to: An individual who makes decisions based solely on technical information and not personal or public opinion. ... The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring foreign exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ... This article is about a movement that supports the use of technology to enhance society. ... Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, Opus Dei is Latin for The Work of God, and the organization is sometimes known simply as the Work.[1][2] Opus Dei emphasizes the Catholic belief that... Falange was a totalitarian clerical fascist political organization founded by José Antonio Primo de Rivera in 1933 in opposition to the Second Spanish Republic. ...

The implementation of these policies took the form of development plans (planes de Desarrollo) and it was largely a success: Spain enjoyed the second highest growth rate in the world, just after Japan, and became the ninth largest economy in the world, just after Canada. Spain joined the industrialized world, leaving behind the poverty and endemic underdevelopment it had experienced since the loss of the Spanish Empire in the 19th century. Military flag of the Spanish Empire from the 16th century up to 1843. ...

Although the economic growth produced noticeable improvements in Spanish living standards and the development of a middle class, Spain remained less economically advanced relative to the rest of Western Europe (with the exception of Portugal, Greece and Ireland). At the heyday of the Miracle, 1974, Spanish income per capita peaked at 79% of the Western European average, only to be reached again 25 years later, in 1999. The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ... A common understanding of Western Europe in modern times. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

The 14 years of recovery led to an increase in (often unplanned) building on the periphery of the main Spanish cities to accommodate the new class of industrial workers brought by rural exodus, much similar to the French banlieue. Rural exodus is a term used to describe the migratory patterns that normally occur in a region following the mechanisation of agriculture. ...

The icon of the Desarrollo was the SEAT 600, the first car for many Spanish working class families, produced by the Spanish factory SEAT or Sociedad Española de Automotores. A white Seat 600 The SEAT 600 is a Spanish car made from 1957 to 1973 . ... An old SEAT 600 SEAT is a Volkswagen subsidiary and one of the leading car makers in Spain. ...

Franco's last years (1973-1975)

The 1973 oil shock severely affected oil-dependent Spain, and brought the economic growth to a halt in 1975. This caused a new sprawl of strikes (nominally illegal at the time). At the height of the crisis in the United States, drivers of vehicles with odd numbered license plates were allowed to purchase gasoline only on odd-numbered days of the month, while drivers with even-numbers were limited to even-numbered days. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

Franco's declining health gave more power to Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, but he was assassinated by ETA in 1973. Carlos Arias Navarro took over as President of the Spanish Government, and tried to introduce some reforms to the decaying regime, but he struggled between the two factions of the regime, the bunker (far-right) and the aperturists who promoted transition to Democracy. Luís Carrero Blanco (March 4, 1903 – December 20, 1973) was a Spanish admiral and statesman. ... ETA symbol or ETA (Basque for Basque Homeland and Freedom; IPA pronunciation: [) is a paramilitary Basque nationalist organization. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Carlos Arias Navarro (Madrid 11 December 1908 - 27 November 1989) was one of the best known Spanish politicians during the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. ... ...

But there was no way back to the old regime: Spain was not the same as in post-Civil War times and the model for the now wealthy Spaniards was the prosperous Western Europe, not the impoverished post-war Falangist Spain. Wealthy West Germany became a role model with which Spaniards identified themselves, as West Germans increasingly went on vacations to the Spanish beaches. Besides this a considerable number of Spanish men had worked in Western Europe in the previous years as cheap labour forces, thereby encountering the economical growth and wealth of western Europeans. A common understanding of Western Europe in modern times. ...

The size of the Spanish army and police was significantly smaller than pre-war times and the important Roman Catholic clergy were at the time deeply transformed, and sometimes deeply worried, by the reforms of the Vatican Council II. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ...

In 1974 Franco fell ill, and Juan Carlos took over as Head of State. Franco soon recovered, but one year later fell ill once again, and after a long illness, Franco died on November 20, 1975, at the age of 82—the same date as the death of José Antonio Primo de Rivera, founder of the Falange. It is suspected that the doctors were ordered to keep him barely alive by artificial means until this symbolic date of the far-right. The historian Ricardo de la Cierva says that on the 19th around 6 p.m. he was told that Franco had already died. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... King Juan Carlos I His Majesty King Juan Carlos I (Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón), styled HM The King (born January 5, 1938), is the reigning King of Spain. ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... For other people called Jose Rivera, see Jose Rivera José Antonio Primo de Rivera José Antonio Primo de Rivera, Marqués de Estella (April 24, 1903–November 20, 1936) was the son of general Miguel Primo de Rivera, who was dictator of Spain from 1923 until 1930. ... Yoke and Arrows. ...

After Franco's death, the interim government took decision to bury him at Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos, a colossal memorial to all casualties during Spanish Civil War, although it was conceived by Franco and has a distinctly nationalist tone. Valle de los Caidos, rear view of the Cross and the monastery The Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caidos (Holy Cross of the Valley of the Fallen) constitutes the most colossal architecture work built in Europe in the 20th century. ... Combatants Spanish Republic With the support of: Soviet Union International Brigades Spanish Nationalists With the support of: Fascist Italy Nazi Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Gonzalo Queipo de Llano Emilio Mola Casualties 500,000 – 1,000,000 The Spanish Civil War, which...

References

• Payne, S. (1987). The Franco regime. 1st ed. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.

See also

• Yves Guerin Serac, founder of the French OAS latter engaged by Franco
• Relations of Members of the United Nations with Spain
• Condecoraciones otorgadas por Francisco Franco a Benito Mussolini y a Adolf Hitler

Yves Guerin Serac was a French anti-Communist Catholic activist, former officer of the French army and veteran of the First Indochina War (1945-54), the Korean War (1950-53) and the Algerian War of Independence (1954-62). ... The Organisation de larmée secrète (OAS; Secret Army Organization) was a short-lived French right-wing terrorist group formed in January 1961 to resist the granting of independence to the French colony of Algeria (Algérie française). ...

External links

• Text of Franco's Fundamental Laws, the Spanish "Constitutions" under Franco. (Spanish)

Video

• Documentary 52': When Franco died we were 30