Franco and Fascist Spain - 3113 Words

The long term misunderstanding and simplification of RIGHT vs. LEFT terminology in political discourse is responsible for the misconception that â€Å"The RIGHT† with its emphasis on traditional, nationalistic, conservative or religious values is inevitably a step in the direction of the FAR RIGHT ending in Fascism. Yet history has demonstrated that both political extremes share a basic common appeal to the â€Å"masses† and depend on a collectivist ideology that glorifies abstractions such as The Nation, The People, The Throne or The Working Class. On the eve of World War II, various so called â€Å"Right Wing† authoritarian regimes of the conservative, traditional, national and religious type (always considered by the Left to be†¦show more content†¦Many conservative supporters of the church, military and monarchy were concerned as much by the leader of the Falange, Jose Antonio, (always referred to by his admirers and followers by his first names only) as by the Marxists and their myriad anarchist and socialist parties. The moderate conservative right, monarchist and centrist parties that opposed the Leftist â€Å"Popular Front† in the elections in 1936 refused to enter into an electoral alliance with the Falange which stood isolated. Jose Antonio had stepped on too many toes by his justifiable criticism of scandal and corruption among parties of all shades. His calls for social justice for the Spanish working class, small farmers and agricultural workers led to charges by the Catholic and conservative Right Wing Press that he was a â€Å"Bolshevik† to which he responded that all those wealthy Spaniards who valued luxuries and their petty whims more than the hunger of the people were the real Bolsheviks –â€Å"the Bolshevism of the Privileged† and added oil to the fire by proclaiming In the depths of our souls there vibrates a sympathy toward many people of the Left who have arrived at hatred by the same path which has led us to love – criticism of a sad mediocre, miserable and melancholy Spain.† Mussolini had been a Socialist in his youth and shown anti-Catholic sentiments during the first ten years of Fascist rule. Similarly in Spain, the Catholic Church was suspicious of the Falange and its streetShow MoreRelated Francisco Franco Essay examples872 Words   |  4 Pages Francisco Franco Francisco Franco was the dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975, including the time of WW2. Perhaps he was better known as â€Å"El Caudillo,† translated into English as The Leader. He was born and raised in Spain. He was a very brilliant military general who led Nationalist rebels in defeating the Spanish government during the Spanish Civil War. Although he was viewed as a Fascist Dictator, he strongly opposed communism. He was an extremely important figure in the course of world historyRead MoreSpanish Civil War: The Struggle Between Fascism and Communism 1431 Words   |  6 PagesGeneral Francisco Franco on the 17 July 1936 and ended with Franco’s victory on the 1 April, 1939. This victory resulted in the replacement of the Second Spanish Republic with the conservative dictatorship of Franco. This conflict triggered the clash of the various cultures and ideologies within Spain. One important example of an ideological clash was that of Communism versus Fascism . This clash was so important that, based on an analysis of the level of involvement of Fascist and Communist factionsRead MoreEvaluate the Importance of Foreign Intervention in the Spanish Civil War1028 Words   |  5 PagesIntervention in the Spanish Civil War Alex Reilly The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was very heavily influenced by foreign intervention. Communists, fascists and anti-fascists outside of Spain viewed the conflict between the Republicans and Nationalists in Spain as a decisive point in influencing politics in Europe. As a result of this, the fascist states of Germany and Italy sided with Franco’s nationalists, providing troops, tanks, aircraft and weapons. On the Republican side, help was receivedRead MoreFrancisco Franco Essay736 Words   |  3 PagesFrancisco Franco was a general and authoritarian leader, who governed Spain from 1939 to 1975. He came to power shortly after the start of the Spanish Civil War. In that war, he led the rebel Nationalist Army to victory over the Loyalist forces. After the war ended in 1939, Franco held complete control of Spain. His regime was similar to a Fascist dictatorship. He carried out the functions of chief of state, prime minister, commander in chief, and leader of the Falange, the only permitted politicalRead MoreThe Dictatorship Of A Fascist Regime Essay1918 Words   |  8 PagesGeneralissimo Francisco Franco came into power after his victory in the Civil war in 1939 and ruled over Spain till his death in 1975. In this 40-year period Spain was massive changed that causes much debate as to the political nature of Franco’s regime whether it is fascist or something different, Francoism. To understand if Franco’s regime was fascist, fascism must first be defined. There are many working definitions of a fascist regime, Stanley Payne’s states that the dictator must alien his regimeRead MoreHow Similar Were the Dictatorships of Primo de Rivera and Franco?1373 Words   |  6 PagesThe Dictatorships of Miguel Primo de Rivera and Francisco Franco had many similarities as well as many differences. The way they intended to lead Spain shows how they would employ similar strategies as well as different ones. I will discuss their intentions of how t hey thought was the best way to fix a broken Spain, the way they treated the working class, their tactic to improve economy, fascism, the use of military in their regime and the roles of women in their society. Firstly, it was arguedRead MoreThe Battle Of The Spanish Civil War859 Words   |  4 PagesIt’s safe to say that, even if someone claims to know little to nothing about Spain’s history, the names Franco, Hitler, and Mussolini ring a bell in their mind. Simply being able to recognize these names proves some knowledge on the subject of the Spanish Civil War, lasting from 1936 to 1939. For those who are unsure as to what qualifies as a civil war, dictionary.com defines it as, â€Å"a war between parties, factions, or inhabitants of different regions within the same nation†. In the case of theRead MoreFrancisco Franco, the Ultimate Fascist Dictator?1978 Words   |  8 Pagessingle-party dictatorship. Fascist dictators maintain authority through strict socioeconomic controls, suppression of the masses through censorship and terrorism, and policies of aggressive nationalism and racism (â€Å"Fascism†). Francisco Franco first implemented this government poli cy in Spain after witnessing its achievements in Germany and Italy. Franco’s strong nationalistic and military upbringing was the basis for his fascist dictatorship. What made Franco the â€Å"ultimate fascist dictator† was the factRead MorePans Labyrinth Setting1189 Words   |  5 Pagesunderlying context into serious consideration The external setting of this work consisted of 3 element: time, place and social environment. In 2006, the movie was filmed in a Scots Pine forest situated in the Guadarrama mountain range, Central Spain by the talented Mexican director Guillermo del Toro. The idea for Pans Labyrinth came from Guillermo del Toros notebooks, which he says are filled with doodles, ideas, drawings and plot bits which had been kept for twenty years. There are a lotRead MoreConflicting Opinions Over the Popular Front Government in Spanish Morocco1058 Words   |  4 Pagesenough, the planning for a military uprising continued. When the military coup failed to gain control of the entire country, the civil war started between the Nationalists and the Republicans. The Nationalists received aid from Italy ( at the time, fascist and under the control of *******) and from the Nazi Germany. The Republicans, however, received aid from the Soviet Union and from the International Brigades (composed of volunteers from Europe and the United States). The war was the result of