The Spanish Civil War: The Rise of the Forgotten Fascist

Franco Reviewing His Victorious Troops

While it has been argued whether or not Francisco Franco was actually a fascist, it is undeniable that he was a dictator who appeared to enjoy the characteristics often associated with fascism. He possessed an acute sense of patriotism, little to no tolerance for those who disagreed with his political aims, a strong controlling hand over all aspects of his people's lives, and a deep dislike of communism. Either way, there are two things I wanted to focus on about the Spanish Civil War; the first is it's use as a training ground for German and Italian Troops prior to World War II, and the second is the fact that Franco's nation was almost ignored after the Nazi's defeat. Just 3 years before World War II, in 1936, Spain descended into arguably the worst form of violence, a civil war-brother against brother, father against son. The war was between the leftist elements of the relatively new Spanish Republic and the more traditional Nationalists that were often concentrated in the military. Interestingly the Republic forces were backed by the Soviet Union, making one question whether this was a Republic in name only. The Nationalists were backed by both German and Italian forces as they attempted to add another member to the growing club of European ultra-nationalists. The war started after a partially successful coup left the country split between Nationalist and Republic forces. Franco soon found himself in charge of the Nationalist uprising. This is due mainly to the fact that the other senior officers of the rebellion had had previous experiences that left them appearing slightly untrustworthy to many of the hard-core nationalists, as well as the fact that Hitler promised to send all his military support to Franco, and Franco alone. Throughout the war, Hitler and Mussolini both sent troops and arms in order to help the nationalist movement, and this is why the Spanish Civil War is often called a "dress rehearsal" for World War II. There is still some debate about how useful the combat was in training the Fascist troops, but I would simply reason that there were some lessons learned in the years of intense combat. Stalin, on the other hand, attempted to covertly help the Republican forces mainly with supplies; interestingly the arms he shipped were either broken, outdated, or brand new and effective, go figure. Either way, after three years of bloody fighting, Franco had won, just six months before the outbreak of World War II. Now, some state that Hitler and Mussolini were expecting Franco to return the favor and help them during by joining the Axis powers. However Franco refrained from entering the war, and most probably saved his state. Why did he not join his "buddies" in conquering Europe? Perhaps it was because Spain was recovering from the horrors of the war. Perhaps Franco wished to focus on his domestic policy rather than an international war. Whatever the reasons, Franco was able to govern Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975. After the first decade of his rule, the harsh oppression of opposition decreased as the last of Republic support waned. Interestingly, Franco's regime was often ignored following World War II, with some believing that his dictatorship was more favorable than the growing threat of the U.S.S.R. and global communism. Franco's legacy is still controversial to say the least. Some in Spain seem to wipe away any memory of him; renaming streets, monuments, and tearing down statues that are even reminiscent to his era. Others wish to open up the official archives and truly reveal what occurred during those years of change and uncertainty; when ideologies clashed, were tried and often only fell with those that supported them.