Francisco Franco was born in Ferrol, Spain on December 4, 1892. As a young man, he served as an officer in the Spanish military. He came from a family of Spanish Navy members however he was not able to join the Navy after reduction in admissions to the Navy after the Spanish American War.
Early Beginnings
In 1912 Francisco Franco volunteered to serve in the Colonial Army in Morocco, Franco participated in the Rif War. This was a conflict between Spain and native tribesmen in northern Morocco that lasted from 1921-26. Franco demonstrated his fighting skills by leading an assault against local tribes. In 1936 a military uprising would see a new ascension to power and the beginning of the Spanish Civil war. In a short matter of time Franco became commander-in-chief of the Nationalist Army and head of state.
Life Under Franco
After the Spanish Civil War, Franco ruled Spain as a dictator until his death. During his rule, he created a totalitarian state that suppressed dissent and banned political parties. He also established a cult of personality around himself that was similar to those of Hitler and Stalin. Franco’s regime executed or imprisoned many people who opposed him; it is estimated that up to 200,000 were killed during this time period.
Under Franco, Spain was a one-party dictatorship under a fascist regime. Franco wished to create an authoritarian state that could serve as a model for other countries in Europe and throughout the world.
Franco’s approach to economics was in many ways at odds with the rest of Europe. In contrast to his fascist allies, Franco’s economic policy was largely free-market oriented. He abolished capital controls, lowered trade barriers and removed restrictions on international currency transactions. As a result, the Spanish economy improved as Franco created stability and prosperity in post-war Spain.
Death of Francisco Franco
On November 20, 1975, Franco died from heart disease at the age of 82 and was buried in The Valley of the Fallen. His successor as head of state was King Juan Carlos I, who undid all of Franco’s policies and brought back political parties.
In conclusion, Francisco Franco was a complicated man. On one hand, he was a brutal dictator who ruled over Spain with an iron fist for nearly 40 years. But on the other hand, he also ushered in an era of stability and prosperity for his country. We hope that this article has given you some insight into the history behind Franco’s rise to power as well as how it impacted Spain today.
The Francisco Franco album contains five coins and one banknote. The five coins and one banknote were issued during the regime of Francisco Franco, the “last surviving fascist dictator” in Europe at the end of the Second World War. Franco became both the Prime Minister and Head of State of Spain from October 1936 to his death in November 1975. The coins in the album include a 1938 25 centimo coin, a 1959 10 centimo coin, a 1967 50 centimo coin, a 1958 5 pesetas coin, and also a 1967 1 peseta coin. The banknote included in the set is a 1970 100 pesetas note.
***Information presented in this post is only for educational purposes.
Sources:
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/francisco-franco
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francisco-Franco/Francos-dictatorship