Franco, Francisco (Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Bahamonde)

Spanish dictator from 1939. As a general, he led the insurgent Nationalists to victory in the Spanish Civil War 1936–39, supported by fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, and established a dictatorship. In 1942 Franco reinstated a Cortes (Spanish parliament), which in 1947 passed an act by which he became head of state for life.

Franco was born in Galicia, northwestern Spain. He entered the army in 1910, served in Morocco 1920–26, and was appointed chief of staff in 1935, but demoted to governor of the Canary Islands in 1936. Dismissed from this post by the Popular Front (Republican) government, he plotted an uprising with German and Italian assistance, and on the outbreak of the Civil War organized the invasion of Spain by North African troops and foreign legionaries. He took command of the Nationalists and proclaimed himself caudillo (leader) of Spain. The defeat of the Republic with the surrender of Madrid in 1939 brought all Spain under his government. The war and first years of power were marked by the execution of tens of thousands of his opponents.

On the outbreak of World War II, in spite of Spain's official attitude of ‘strictest neutrality’, his pro-Axis sympathies led him to send aid, later withdrawn, to the German side. His government was at first ostracized as fascist by the United Nations, but with the development of the Cold War, Franco came to be viewed more as an anti-communist, which improved relations with other Western countries.

At home, he curbed the growing power of the Falange Española (the fascist party), and in later years slightly liberalized his regime, though he was never a popular ruler. In 1969 he nominated Juan Carlos as his successor and future king of Spain. He relinquished the premiership in 1973, but remained head of state until his death.