#20472 - L2 The Origins And Ideology Of Francoism - Literature and Film under Franco - Lecture Notes

The Origins and Ideology of Francoism

Who were the Nationalists fighting against?

• They were fighting the Republicans, the Regional Nationalists, the Socialists, the Communists, and the Anarchists (referred to as los rojos by the Nationalists)

• All these groups are progressive, and had a desire for a new Spain

• The Nationalists fought against these groups who broadly represented progressive and modernising forces in Spanish society

• These groups had different aims but united against Franco’s rebellion in 1936

• Republicans:

• A broad, mostly centrist coalition supporting parliamentary democracy, universal suffrage, and constitutional reform

• Advocated for land reform, particularly to redistribute large estates (latifundia) to peasants

• Some wanted immediate redistribution, others preferred compensating landowners

• Sought territorial reform, especially redefining the relationship between the central state and autonomous regions like Catalonia and the Basque Country

• Favoured military reform, as the Spanish army was bloated with generals and resistant to civilian control

• Many urban Spaniards aligned with Republican ideals, seeing democracy as the key to modernity and progress

• Regional nationalists:

• Represented groups like Catalanists and Basque nationalists who wanted cultural and political autonomy

• Movements were mostly non-violent and cultural, focused on language rights, self-government, and recognition of regional identities

• Catalonia gained a statute of autonomy in 1932; the Basque Country followed in 1936

• Socialists (left-wing):

• Represented by the PSOE (Partido Socialists Obrero Español)

• Split between moderate reformists, who supported working with Republicans through the Popular Front, and radicals, who wanted a full social revolution

• Aimed to redistribute wealth, improve workers’ rights, and weaken the old landowning classes

• Their internal division mirrored broader left-wing fragmentation

• Communists:

• A small party at the outbreak of the Civil War, but their influence grew rapidly thanks to Soviet and Mexican support, including arms, advisors, and propaganda

• Supported centralised control of the state and often clashed with anarchists and left socialists

• Their disciplined organisation made them a key military and political force by 1937

• Anarchists:

• The most radical group, rooted in Spain’s powerful trade union tradition, especially the CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo)

• Advocated for a stateless society organized into communes and workers’ collectives

• Rejected both the Republic and the Nationalists, seeing both as bourgeois systems

• Played a major role in collectivizing industry and agriculture in areas like Catalonia and Aragon in 1936

• Violently anti-clerical: churches were burned, and religious figures targeted as symbols of repression

• 1937: fighting between the anarchists and the communists (Hechos de Mayo)

• The May 1937 fighting in Barcelona revealed deep fractures within the Republican camp, weakening the anti-Franco front

The Army

• By the late 19th century, the army had developed a“messianic” self-imageas guardian of Spain’s unity

• In the 20th century, it positioned itself as thedefender of tradition, especially against liberal reforms

• Many leading officers came from theArmy of Africa(based in Spanish Morocco), known for brutal colonial tactics, which were brought to the mainland during the Civil War

• The army felt entitled tointervene in politicsto preserve the nation

• Franco’s early career and rise were rooted in the colonial war in Morocco, where he developed both this reputation and his loyalty networks

The Catholic Church

• Saw the secularisation efforts of the Republic as an existential threat

• Republicans separated Church and state, banned Jesuits, and secularized education

• Anarchist violence against clergy and churches during the early was reinforced the Church’s anti-Republican stance

• The Church framed the Civil War as a “Crusade against the infidel”, giving Franco’s forces spiritual legitimacy

• Under Franco, Catholicism became a cornerstone of the regime’s ideology; censorship, education, and morality were all placed under church influence again

The Falange

• Founded in 1933 byJosé Antonio Primo de Rivera, son of dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera

• Fascist movement emphasizingcollective nationhood over individual rights, influenced by Italian Fascism and, to some extent, German Nazism

• Opposed liberal democracy and party politics, identifying three threats:

• Separatism(regionalism)

• Class struggle

• Politicians and parties(seen as divisive)

• Attractedyoung, radicalized middle-class men, offering a romantic vision of national rebirth

• Shared with communism acollectivist ideology, though from opposite ends of the spectrum

• After José Antonio’s execution in 1936, Franco co-opted the Falange, merging it with Carlists in 1937 to form the FET y de las JONS (the single party of the Francoist state)

The Carlists

• A traditionalist, ultra-Catholic movement dating back to the 19^th century

• Motto: Dios, patria y rey (God, homeland, king)

• Wanted a return to a more traditional monarchy with a Carlist pretender

• Played a significant role militarily through their militia, the Réquetes, but were politically absorbed into Franco’s system

The Alphonsine Monarchists

• Supported the restoration of Alfonso XIII or his heirs

• Represented conservative elites, old aristocracy, and sectors of the military

• Their vision of Spain was elitist, hierarchical, and closely tied to Catholic values and monarchical legitimacy

Franco’s Role

• He forged a coalition of the Army, Church, Falange, and Monarchists, managing internal tensions to maintain his dictatorship for nearly 40 years

Analysis of Key Images (from PowerPoint)

Nationalist Victory Parade, Madrid 1939

• What it shows:

• Franco’s forces marching through Madrid in 1939 after winning the Civil War. Military parades, banners, and large crowds emphasize power and control.

• Why it’s important:

• This parade marksthe end of the Spanish Civil War(April 1939) and thepublic performance of Franco’s new regime.

• The display of military strength was intended to signal thebeginning of a “New Spain”under Franco’s centralized, authoritarian rule.

• These parades becameannual rituals, blending militarism with Catholic and fascist symbolism — reinforcing thefusion of army, Church, and Falange.

The Church Militant / The Catholic Hierarchy and the Army at the End of the Spanish Civil War

• What it shows:

• One depicts Church officials (bishops, clergy) in formal regalia; another shows them alongside military figures.

• These images visually link theCatholic Church hierarchywithFranco’s military elite.

• Why it’s important:

• This alliance wascentral to Francoism. The Church providedmoral legitimacyfor Franco’s coup, calling the war a“Crusade” against atheism and communism.

• In return, Franco restored privileges the Church had lost under the Republic:control over education, censorship, moral legislation, and public life.

• These images capture thesymbolic unityof spiritual and military power, key to understanding Francoist ideology.

José Antonio Primo de Rivera (1903 – 1936)

• What it shows:

• Portraits of José Antonio, often idealized, and photographs of Falangist troops in uniform during the Civil War.

• Why it’s important:

• José Antonio was thefounder of the Falange, Spain’s fascist movement. Though executed by Republicans early in the war, he became amartyr figurefor the regime.

• His image was used extensively in propaganda tolegitimize Franco’s appropriation of Falangist ideals.

• Falangist troops (often young men) represented arevolutionary nationalist fervour, combining modernity, violence, and ultra-nationalism.

Carlist Requetés at Mass during the Civil War & Carlist Posters

• What it shows:

• Carlist militia (Requetés) attending Mass in uniform; propaganda posters emphasizing “Dios, Patria y Rey” (God, Homeland, King).

• Why it’s important:

• The Carlists weretraditionalist monarchists, motivated by religious zeal. Their presence at Mass in uniform symbolizes theirfusion of military and religious devotion.

• Posters highlight theideological diversitywithin the Nationalist camp: while Falangists were modern and fascist, Carlists were deeplyreactionary and monarchist.

• Franco’s skill was toabsorb and neutralizethese various movements (Falange + Carlists) into asingle-party state(FET y de las JONS, 1937).

• The religious imagery also reinforces theCatholic framing of the war as a holy struggle.

Alfonso XIII Portrait (1886 – 1941)

• What it shows:

• A formal portrait of King Alfonso XIII, who reigned from 1886 (officially from 1902) until the proclamation of the Second Republic in 1931.

• Why it’s important:

• Symbolizes theAlphonsine Monarchist faction, who wanted to restore the old Bourbon monarchy.

• Alfonso XIII’s abdication/flight in 1931 marked thecollapse of the old regimeand the beginning of the Republic.

• Monarchists aligned with Franco not necessarily out of ideological unity, but because they saw him as ameans to restore traditional hierarchies.

• Franco ultimatelydelayed restoration, ruling as...