Francisco Franco was born December 1892 and died the 20 November 1975. He was a Spanish military leader and statesman who ruled as the dictator of Spain from 1936 until his death. He came to power during the Spanish Civil War while serving as the Generalissimo of the Nationalist faction. Franco led the Nationalists to victory in the civil war and went on to become the longest ruling dictator in European history.
Franco, better known as the Spanish “Caudillo” had a legacy leftist claim to had led to tyranny, oppression, persecution and cruelty. He killed independent-regionalist in Catalunya and in the Basque Country, and did not allowed terrorism to flourish by using undemocratic catholic justice. However, it later became visible after his death that the rise of independents like ETA ( Spanish terrorist faction), breathed new life and used democracy as a scapegoat to regain momentum during Spain’s brittle transition.
Franco’s past reign, is till a paradoxical question critics debate today. Despite being a dictator, the Spanish economy floured during his regime as he increased the Spanish GDP growth as not seen before, even adjusted to inflation compared to Spain’s peak growth before the 2010 global burst. He was hard with criminals and with those who questioned his authority, but under the catholic church he constructed a Spain which the baby boomer generation will remember as a savior.
Should had Spain, during the civil war been taken by the Reds (communist party) Spain might have looked very different than it looks today. Would a Spain ruled by communist/anarchist become the democratic/plural state it presently entitles? So it might not be appropriate for those who condemn Franco, to ‘just’ label him as a tyrannical dictator, considering that the plausible alternative would had resulted into a communist system.
Should Franco be considered as the hero who rebuilt Spain from poverty? and prevented communism, Spain’s involvement in WW3, and Jews from being sent to concentration camps during Hitler’s persecution?
The question is up to the reader to decide. Could a dictator be also a national savior by undermining rights to transform a countries prosperity?
