Artist of monstrous dreams (Francisco Goya) Why are more and more books written about great and famous people? It seems that everything about them has long been known, all life is sorted out, everything is commented on and sucked to the bone, but no!

Francisco Pizarro (1475-1541) Pizarro was born in the city of Turjillo in the east of the Spanish province of Estremadura. Although he was supposedly the illegitimate son of a nobleman, he worked as a swineherd during his childhood and youth. Never learned to read. When he got tired of everyday activities,

Francisco Orellana (d. 1549) Orellana was born in the city of Trujillo in the Spanish province of Extremadura. The time of birth and origin are unknown. The first news of Orellana's activities as a traveler dates back to 1540, when he took part in the expedition of Pizarro from

In 1920 he took the second most important command post in the newly formed Spanish Foreign Legion. In 1923 - the commander of the legion, in 1924 he received the rank of brigadier general.

Francisco Paulino Ermenechildo Franco y Baamonde was born December 4, 1892 in El Ferrol (province of Galicia). In 1907 he entered the military academy in Toledo. After graduation, he was assigned to a position in the garrison, but in 1911 he transferred to serve in Spanish Morocco. By 1920, he took the second most important command post in the newly formed Spanish Foreign Legion. In 1923 - the commander of the legion, in 1924 he received the rank of brigadier general. In 1927, the government of Primo de Rivera appointed Franco head of the military academy in Zaragoza. When King Alphonse XIII went into exile in 1931 and a republic was established in Spain, Franco, known for his right-wing sympathies, was moved to the Balearic Islands and then to Morocco. In 1935 he became chief of staff of the army, but was soon sent to the Canary Islands.

As soon as the inevitability of a military putsch became obvious, Franco flew to Tetouan (Morocco), where he organized and prepared foreign legionnaires and Moroccan troops for the transfer to Spain. On July 17, 1936, Franco arrived in Spain and, together with a group of other generals, revolted, which resulted in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Sending troops subordinate to him to the north, he received support from the rebels. October 1, 1936 Franco, as a senior in rank among the rebel generals, was invested in Burgos with the title of El Caudillo (leader) and became head of the national government. Franco's troops advancing on all fronts began the siege of Madrid. The citadel of the government held out for more than two years. Meanwhile, Franco, with the support of Hitler and Mussolini, completely conquered northwestern Spain by the end of 1937. For most of the next year, he conducted separate military operations and prepared massive strikes against Barcelona and Madrid. Barcelona was occupied on 26 January and Madrid on 24 March 1939.

By decree of August 4, 1939, Franco was declared "the supreme ruler of Spain, responsible only to God and history" for life. His dictatorship for a long time caused rejection in various sectors of society. In World War II, Spain remained among the non-belligerent states, although Franco did not hide his sympathies and supported the leaders of the Axis states. The reaction of the allies was reflected in the resolution of the UN General Assembly calling for the diplomatic isolation of Spain (cancelled in November 1950). During the 1950s and 1960s, relations with Western countries gradually improved. The United States built several military bases in Spain and provided it with significant economic assistance, ensuring the stability of the Franco regime. In 1955 Spain was admitted to the UN.

Despite some improvements in the economy, in Spain in 1956 and 1957 strikes and protests against lower wages and worsening living standards did not stop. Political tensions intensified, and new underground parties formed in the early 1960s. In 1962 the miners and representatives of other professions went on strike. Under pressure from the opposition, Franco carried out a series of cabinet moves, in 1964 he announced an amnesty for all political prisoners of the civil war period, and by the end of 1966 he introduced a new constitution that provided for broader political, religious freedoms and civil rights and provided for a nominal separation of powers between the prime minister. as head of government and prime minister as head of state. In January 1969, student unrest and liberal opposition to the regime prompted Franco to restore censorship and restrict civil rights for two months. In October 1969, Franco offered key ministerial posts to members of the only faction - the organization of the laity within the Roman Catholic Church - the Cause of God (Opus Dei).

As early as 1947, Franco, through a referendum, won the right to remain ruler for life and name his successor. In 1969, he appointed as his successor the future king of Spain, Prince Juan Carlos, grandson of Alfonso XIII. In 1973, Franco resigned as prime minister. Franco died in Madrid on November 20, 1975.

FRANCO, FRANCISCO(Franco, Francisco) (1892–1975), supreme ruler of Spain. Born December 4, 1892 in El Ferrol (province of Galicia). He graduated from the military academy in Toledo. In 1911 he was assigned to Spanish Morocco. By 1920, he took the second most important post in the newly formed Spanish Foreign Legion. In 1923 - the commander of the Legion, in 1924 he received the rank of brigadier general. In 1928, the government of Primo de Rivera appointed Franco the head of the Higher Military Academy in Zaragoza. When King Alphonse XIII went into exile in 1931 and a republic was proclaimed in Spain, Franco was transferred to the Balearic Islands and then to Morocco. In 1935 he became chief of staff of the army, but was soon sent to the Canary Islands.

July 18, 1936 Franco announced the beginning of the uprising, the next day he arrived in Morocco, raised an army and soon landed in Spain. On October 1, 1936, as a senior in rank among the rebel generals, he was invested in Burgos with the title of El Caudillo (leader) and became head of the national government. With the support of Hitler and Mussolini, by the end of 1937 he completely conquered the north-west of Spain. Barcelona was occupied on 26 January and Madrid on 24 March 1939.

By decree of August 4, 1939, Franco was declared "the supreme ruler of Spain, responsible only to God and history" for life. In World War II, Spain remained among the non-belligerent states, although Franco did not hide his sympathies and supported the leaders of the Axis states. The reaction of the allies was reflected in a resolution of the UN General Assembly calling for the diplomatic isolation of Spain (cancelled in November 1950). During the 1950s and 1960s, relations with Western countries gradually improved. The United States built several military bases in Spain and provided it with significant economic assistance. In 1955 Spain was admitted to the UN.

Under pressure from the opposition, Franco in 1964 announced an amnesty for all political prisoners, and by the end of 1966 introduced a new constitution that provided for broader political, religious freedoms and civil rights and provided for a nominal separation of powers between the prime minister as head of government and the prime minister as head of government. states. In January 1969, student unrest and liberal opposition to the regime prompted Franco to restore censorship and temporarily restrict civil rights. In October 1969, Franco offered key ministerial posts to members of the only faction - the organization of the laity within the Roman Catholic Church - the Cause of God (Opus Dei). In 1969 he announced as his successor the future king of Spain, Prince Juan Carlos, grandson of Alfonso XIII. In 1973, he resigned as prime minister, retaining the title of head of state and commander in chief of the army.

General Francisco Franco (Francisco Paulino Ermenechildo Teodulo Franco Baamonde - his full name) celebrated his forty-fourth birthday, but looked already tired of life and much older than his years. Fatigue was added to the unpresentable appearance, although there are suspicions that she was mostly feigned.

Short-legged, short (157 centimeters), plump, with a piercing thin voice, awkward gestures of the general, his German blond beast friends looked with bewilderment: did he have Jewish roots. The reasons for bewilderment were great enough: he sheltered in Cordovia about one-eighth of the Semites of the population. In addition, the Arabs ruled there for many centuries in a row, and Franco himself was not a Castilian, he was born in Galicia populated by the Portuguese.

July 18

As we know, this day in 1936 began with a morning weather forecast, which served as a signal for the start of the uprising: "The sky is cloudless over Spain." The revolt against the republic was provoked most of all by the republicans themselves. Lefts of all shades flooded the government: social democrats, and socialists, and Trotskyists, and anarchists - and this left deviation became steeper day by day.

Partisanism, anarchy, economic confusion pushed the country into collapse and chaos. Instead of work, only slogans were offered to the people, the Spanish peasant could no longer feed this bunch of leaders, talkative agitators for nothing, and free trade was banned by the Republicans. In this situation, the political pendulum could not find a golden mean, from the extreme left it rushed to the extreme right.

The center of forces and the point of coordination of interests was not found. In Spain, the Catholic Church had the most authority as an institution of propaganda. To this day, Spain is a country of deeply religious people. Although the republic did not dare to carry out de-Christianization, there were still repressions, therefore, in the face of the church, they received a blood enemy, and in a huge mass of believers - enemies, hidden until the time.

Supporters of Francisco Franco

The right-wingers also did not shine with virtues: political retrograde and dense obscurantism dominated there. Aristocratic landowners and rather mossy nobles puffed out their cheeks and puffed out their chests for no reason, because they could not properly finance the uprising. That is why the Spanish Nazis asked for help from Italy and Germany, and the army was recruited from mobilized peasants and hired Arab-Berber shooters from Morocco.

The Republicans did not spare any kind of bourgeois on their territory, but the Nazis were in no way inferior to them in cruelty. Rather, they plugged it into a belt. The rebels took on ramen slogans that were in no way similar to the fascist-German or fascist-Italian ones, the Spaniards wanted "the people, the monarchy and the faith."

I must say, Mussolini despised the monarchy, and the church was indifferent to him. Hitler hated Christianity and the Semites. Francisco Franco was an internationalist: for him all the citizens of the country were Spaniards, without distinction of race or tribe. His ideology was Catholicism, and he was going to restore the monarchy.

Tacking under fire

Having stood at the head of the country, Francisco Franco Baamonde did not feel confident. Because he was in a very difficult position. How to pull Spain out of this quagmire and at the same time retain power, he did not know. I saw only that only by desperate manoeuvring, it is possible to achieve the solution of these two questions.

Francisco Franco understood that Mussolini and Hitler would definitely drag him into a world war. And then, if they win, Spain will gain absolutely nothing, and if they lose, Spain will cease to exist.

And Francisco Franco, whose biography captured all this unthinkable maneuvering, declared neutrality. There were friendly gestures, of course, towards Hitler, but such that this friend kept at a decent distance.

Paradoxical acts

For example, Franco allowed German submarines and ships to be based in Spanish ports, gave them tobacco, oranges and fresh water. He also accepted ships from Argentina with meat and grain for Germany, allowed to transport all this through the territory of Spain. But when the war with Russia began, he did not subdue the Wehrmacht division, which he sent there. German troops were not allowed into Spanish territory.

Francisco Franco, whose quotes and even simple statements have come down to us in not so large numbers, told the German ambassador the following: “A cautious policy is not only in the interests of Spain. Germany also needs it. Since Spain, which gives Germany tungsten and other rare products, now Germany is even more needed than Spain, involved in the war."

Franco allowed himself to speak respectfully of Churchill, and maintained diplomatic relations with England. He spoke about Stalin without much emotion. There was no genocide of Jews under the dictator, even restrictive measures were not taken against them. That is why, after the end of the war, the soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition did not enter Spain: there were no formal reasons.

The German military and high officials who tried to hide in Spain were escorted to Latin America by the dictator. Such a high degree of tacking is worthy of study. Therefore, further - from the very beginning about the caudillo Francisco Franco.

Hereditary military

Caudillo is head of state for life. This Spanish commander achieved such a high rank despite the fact that he was born in 1892 in the seaside town of El Ferrol, in Galicia, in a large family of a simple officer from the nearest naval base. Who also abandoned his family, leaving among the other children and little Francisco Franco, whose nickname was already Paquito ("duckling"). Naturally, the boy became even more focused and secretive.

In the military academy of the city of Toledo, the medieval capital of the country, the future dictator spent his not too joyful youth. Thin, undersized, torn from his mother and abandoned by his father, he plunges headlong into his studies and makes progress in this field. Later, already in the service, Francisco's priorities did not change, and at the age of thirty-three he became a general - there was no younger general at that time either in Spain or in Europe.

Morocco

Until 1926 - service in the colony, Morocco, where the Spanish Legion was formed, which brought together many outcasts of society. He will become the main striking force when Francisco Franco and his time require immediate intervention.

By this time, the future dictator had already married Carmen Polo, a well-born noblewoman, whom he had been seeking for six whole years. King Alphonse XIII personally honored their wedding and was even the imprisoned father of the future general's wife. In this marriage, a daughter was born - Maria del Carmen - after returning to Spain.

Achievement list

The dictator of that time, who ruled in the country, Primo de Rivera, merged four military academies into one. So the city of Zaragoza became the new home of Francisco Franco, whose nickname no one remembered. The head of the General Military Academy cannot be like a duckling. In 1931, this institution was abolished.

Further, the track record of Francisco Franco is very large and interesting. He served under monarchs, republicans and conservatives. And marching through Galicia, and suppressing the uprising in Asturias, and being almost exiled to the Balearic and then to the Canary Islands, he still constantly moved up the ranks. It was from the Canary Islands that he flew in by telegram sent on July 17, 1936. But he flew first to Morocco.

Fratricide

And in Spain, the massacre began. Francisco Franco was at the very top of the anti-republican rebellion, since both the fascists and the monarchists, despite their mutual hostility, saw him as a compromise figure capable of finding a common denominator for an agreement between the opposing groups.

It was Franco who agreed with Hitler and Mussolini on military assistance, thus defeating the Republicans. And he became a generalissimo. And the country for three bloody years lost seven hundred thousand of its citizens in battles, fifteen thousand under bombing and thirty thousand executed.

post-war period

All the amazing paradoxes of governance only contributed to the strength of the dictator's power and the growth of his authority. They did not enter the world war: the civil war was enough. Relations with countries were not spoiled. Even outwardly, he changed with age, became majestic and eloquent. Photos of Francisco Franco of those years clearly demonstrate a self-confident person with a strong-willed and

True, the country's economy was so undermined by the civil war that it was not possible to bring it out of a coma. An adherent of autarky and the regulation of the economy by the state, Franco could not keep the reforms. The country became economically liberal, the import of capital from other countries flowed into Spain.

Path to monarchy

The UN condemned the Franco regime as dictatorial, but almost all Western countries supported this man for his uncompromising anti-communism. In 1969, the much aged dictator proclaimed his successor Juan Carlos, the prince, the grandson of Alfonso, the planted father at Franco's wedding. So gradually Spain returned to democracy and constitutional monarchy. But before 1975, when this will happen, it is still very far away.

The post-war situation was very difficult. Spain was denied financial assistance, they were not admitted to the UN until 1955, they were not accepted to NATO. Since 1947, the caudillo was personally involved in the upbringing of the young prince, preparing him for the royal fate. I visited the temple with him, talked, read to him, realizing that the unprepared king would become a toy in the hands of adventurers or intriguers, would destroy the country, unable to cope with such a ossified heritage.

The conservative-patriotic regime in the country ruled by the military-oligarchic method. Press - censorship, political opposition - repression, parties and trade unions - a complete ban, underground activities - the death penalty. First of all, discipline. Even the church was ordered not to increase the number of monasticism, to participate more in worldly activities.

Economic stabilization

In 1955, Spain was finally admitted to the UN, and a gradual modernization began. Technocrats, opponents of the isolation of the country from the economic influence of foreign capital (autarky), gained control over the economy. Loans were received under the economic stabilization plan from international organizations, and the administration's control over the economy weakened.

Foreign capital poured into Spain in a wide river, the peseta began to be freely converted. But Franco kept a close watch that democracy did not penetrate into the social and political life of society. Only the sphere of economics was open to her. So, until the death of the dictator in November 1975, Spain was an authoritarian state.

Books worth reading

"The Secret Diplomacy of Madrid", "Francisco Franco and His Time" and some other books thoroughly reveal the course of events in Spain for almost a whole century. This is very educational work. Written by Svetlana Pozharskaya. Francisco Franco, dictator and reformer, stands before the reader in all his small stature and presents him with all his gigantic character. Pozharskaya completed the first monograph on Franco in our country, covering the entire life of the caudillo and an extensive historical background. Here there is a detailed analysis of the crisis of society and the causes of Francoism. S.P. Pozharskaya's contribution to Russian Spanish studies was highly appreciated in Spain.

The search for one meticulous journalist led to an amazing discovery: the author of the book "Freemasonry" he acquired in Spain is Francisco Franco, who used a pseudonym for conspiracy. This work is a huge work on philosophy and conspiracy theories, it reveals many mechanisms for influencing high-ranking people, introducing representatives of Freemasonry into power.

The period of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) claimed the lives of one million people. The circumstances of that time were such that war was inevitable. At the very beginning of the 20th century, the once colonial country changed into a second-class power, entering a protracted stage of decline, poverty and instability, both economic and political. Oil was added to the fire by local groups fighting each other for power. Only from 1930 to 1936 this happened four times. Initially, power passed to the military, then to the king, then there were leftist forces, and after a while the rightists came to power and again the leftists.

1931 The result of an almost bloodless coup was the fall of the monarchical regime. The Republicans took over. General Franco then had nothing to do with politics, declaring his neutrality. On April 15, 1931, he delivers a speech at the Military Academy of Zaragoza and declares the observance of discipline and the rallying of the ranks of the Spaniards to maintain peace and advance the development of Spain.

During the two years of the republican regime, power was concentrated in the hands of left-wing parties, which did not achieve any significant success in the field of reforms, in particular, in the agrarian sector. Also, a number of anti-church reforms were carried out, the concordat with the Catholics of 1851 was destroyed, Christianity of the Western rite, Catholicism, ceased to be the religion of the state, payments to representatives of the church were suspended for two years, the Jesuit order was again outlawed, the system of church education widespread in the country was reformed, simplified divorce proceedings, many monasteries were destroyed. There was a rapid politicization and radicalization of society. Assassination attempts, strikes, demonstrations were accompanied by bombing.

1933 Power passes to right-wing parties that stop the reforms. The "two red years" were replaced by the "two black years". The result of these changes was the formation of numerous military associations with political overtones - from the communists and anarchists, and ending with the nationalists ("Spanish flank").

The outbreak of the war in Spain in 1936-1939 was the fault not only of some external forces, but also of the Spaniards themselves. Of course, with regard to external factors, Nazi Germany, the USSR and fascist Italy wanted to establish a regime of power in Madrid that was suitable for them. But even in the middle of Spain there was no force that would be able to save the country from disaster. The forces of the right direction were not going to retreat from medieval prerogatives like huge church and private landholdings, they resisted the reforms proposed by the left. The left forces behaved no better, trying to overcome the remnants of the past by physically destroying their opponents. Everything was used: both firearms and explosives.

In most large cities, uprisings were raised, which were organized by the military. There was no lightning victory. Both sides practiced mass executions of political enemies who, in their opinion, were "on the wrong side."

Initially, the leader and inspirer of the uprising was General José Sanjurjo, not Franco. After the unrest began, he died in a plane crash while flying to the territory occupied by the nationalists. On September 29, 1936, elections were held for a new head from among the generals of the rebels, which was won by Francisco Franco, young, energetic, intelligent, without any political predilections.

The new leader very quickly established contact with Nazi Germany and Mussolini's Italy. The leaders of these countries, in the hope that they can make Franco a pawn in their game, began to supply weapons to Spain. From the end of 1936, the German aviation "Condor Legion" and the Italian infantry "Corps of Volunteer Forces" began to fight for the nationalists. Volunteers from Portugal, Ireland, and Russian white emigrants also fought for Franco. Anarchists, socialists and communists from all over the world fought for the Republic.

In the winter of 1936, the Popular Front came to power, winning the parliamentary elections. Communist sentiments were strong in him, which greatly aggravated an already difficult situation. Terror began against dissidents from the left, and the expropriation of private property. The answer to this was the uprising in July by the army. In less than three years, they won.

The summer of 1937 was a turning point in the course of the internal war. The period of victories for the nationalist forces began. They occupied Northern Spain, Andalusia, Aragon, Catalonia.

On April 1, 1939, the dictatorship of General Franco was established, they began to call him "caudillo" (from Spanish - "leader"). In the country of the Soviets, he was called a "Hitlerite", only Franco never exterminated the Jews, on the contrary, he saved the lives of no less than 60 thousand representatives of this people who fled from the Nazis. In addition, the leader of Spain was a zealous Christian of the Western Rite.

On the eve of World War II, Generalissimo Franco maintained complete neutrality with respect to Western countries.

As in all totalitarian models of regimes, the only party allowed was the Falange, ideologically reminiscent of the Italian version. However, the new dictator very quickly broke the ideological Nazis, who succumbed to criticism of the "military Franco". Some were expelled from the party, others were included in the division of volunteers, sent east in 1941 to conduct military operations with the USSR. General Franco managed to keep Spain neutral in the war and get rid of all those who wanted to support Hitler against Soviet communism.

During the Second World War, Spain managed to maintain a neutral position, with the exception of sending its Blue Division to the Eastern Front. Forming it, Franco at the same time catered to Hitler and got rid of the most radical military unit. In a personal meeting with Hitler, Franco gave a negative response to the proposal to participate in the capture of Gibraltar, demanding a more favorable agreement.

After the end of the war, the Franco regime did not fall; it held on to the benefits of the Cold War that had begun at that time. Although under pressure from the US and the Soviet Union, and was in international isolation for a long time.

The influence of the international community especially increased after the suicide of the intellectual V. Binyamin (he was denied entry to the USA through Spain). Franco turned a blind eye to the bribes of the border guards for the passage of Jews who fled from the countries occupied by Hitler, and refused to pass anti-Semitic laws. That is why the historiography of Israel treats him tolerantly, despite the fact that he collaborated with the Nazis.

In addition to the Jews, the pilots who belonged to the anti-Hitler coalition who were shot down over the territory of France were also saved in Spain. The Spanish regime of Franco did not build barriers for them to charter ships at their own expense to cross the territory controlled by the Western allies.

After the iron curtain fell between the USSR and the USA, in the early 1950s, a wave of recognitions of Spain swept through the international diplomatic arena.

The repressive policy against ideological and political opponents (republicans, socialists, communists, anarchists, separatists from the Basque country and Catalonia) continued until the death of the general. For example, a couple of months before his death, Franco approved the death sentence for political terrorist prisoners, in the amount of five people, for whom the leaders of governments of many countries, including Pope Paul VI, petitioned for amnesty. After such brutality, fifteen states of Europe withdrew their representatives from Spain. But nothing helped, and on September 27, 1975, the prisoners were sentenced to death by firing squad.

At the end of the 1960s, a period of political reforms began, in particular, the “Law on the Press” was adopted and non-political strikes were legalized, the rights of local self-government were expanded, a number of constitutional laws were adopted that expanded the rights of Spanish citizens.

The countries of the world helped maintain the status quo in Spain. The state of affairs suited the Western powers, at least due to the fact that the threat of "communism" was automatically removed from Spain, which was much more dangerous for the West than the dictates of General Franco.

From 1947 until the death of the dictator Franco, Spain was considered a monarchical country with a free seat of the king. General Franco decided that Prince Juan Carlos would become king after his departure. This is what happened at the end of 1975. Thus, the process of transforming an authoritarian into a democratic state was completed by the new king of Spain, Juan Carlos I.

Franco was a political centenarian. His forty-year period of reign is very difficult to perceive unambiguously. For example, thanks to the general, the problem of national minorities, especially the Basque, was sharply aggravated. This was facilitated by the elimination of the autonomy given to the Basques (both Catalans and Galicians), and the prohibition of their language. One can understand that under such conditions it was not accidental that the ETA association, which was founded in 1959, was not a separatist and terrorist group in the first period of its existence. It became such after two decades, when it became obvious that autonomy with General Franco was a utopia and a myth.

The personality of the dictator is ambiguous and controversial. In 1939, Spain was a weak and backward country, it was during this period, initially, that the dictates of General Franco fell. Handing over the reins of government, he left behind a developed and modern state. The beginning of the 1960s was marked by the adoption of a stabilization plan that went down in history as the "Spanish miracle". The period 1960 - 1974, the economic growth of Spain is 6.6% per year. Thanks to this, the country was the second in the world, after Japan. Mostly thanks to Franco, the modern Spanish economy confidently ranks fifth in Europe and ninth in the world in terms of total GDP.

The growth of Spain's post-war economy, in contrast to Germany's post-war rise, had little to do with American bailouts. At first, the state was isolated, and the development process proceeded independently. The heyday of the economy came later, it coincided with the beginning of the Cold War. The United States contributed to this, for which Spain was beneficial as an ally against the Soviet Union.

Demographic statistics speak exhaustively about Franco. The general severely punished abortions, non-traditional sexual orientation, supported and popularized the institution of family and marriage. Between 1900 and 1932, the population of Spain increased by five million. For the period - from 1932 to 1959, the population growth amounted to 5.8 million people. From 1959 to 1977, the population increased by 6.4 million people.

In 1973, Franco resigned as head of government, transferring power to the neo-Franco, Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco, who was killed in the same year by ETA activists.

Francisco Franco Baamonde died at the end of 1975 in Madrid. After that, the positive dynamics of the birth rate decreased significantly. From 1977 to 1996, the population almost halved.

The regime of Francisco Franco in Spain, which lasted no less than 38 years, ordered a long life after the death of the tyrant.