**Sanitized Transcript:**

Today’s protagonist is Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain from 1939 to 1975 with the title of ‘Caudillo’, leading one of the longest-running dictatorships in Europe. He is best remembered as the leader of the Nationalist faction, the military insurgency that opposed the Republican government in the Spanish Civil War. But how did he rise through the ranks and seize control of a movement that he had not initiated? How did he rule Spain after the war, and how did he orchestrate the transition back to the Monarchy? We are going to cover these and other aspects of Franco’s life in today’s Biographics.

Before we start, a disclaimer: an extensive account of Francisco Franco’s life involves telling the history of a complex conflict and of a whole nation for more than 40 years. So, we are going to skip some chunks in today’s video. If you think we have missed an important event, post your suggestions in the comments – make sure that you name the protagonist, or protagonists of these events, and we may consider future videos about them.

Francisco Franco Bahamonde was born on the 4th of December 1892, in the town of El Ferrol, North Western Spain. He had two brothers and one sister, born into a family that for generations had served the once-glorious Spanish Navy. His sister Pilar described him as a very quiet and serious boy, physically very thin. In his childhood, Francisco had two obsessions: his studies and his mother, with whom he had a very tight relationship.

Francisco’s mother, Maria del Pilar, was an austere and devout woman, who imbued Francisco with a deep faith in religion and in the importance of the Church in Spanish society. His father was more interested in alcohol and extra-marital affairs, a lifestyle which Francisco perceived as debauched and actively avoided throughout his life.

In 1898, the once mighty Spanish Empire was reduced to a handful of colonies following the defeat in the Hispano-American War, which cost them Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The remnants of the defeated Spanish fleet returned to El Ferrol, marking a period of mourning for the whole community and especially for the six-year-old Francisco. This may have instilled in him a desire to restore the glory of the Empire.

The other effect of the destruction of the fleet was a decline in available spots for the Naval Academy for several years. The Navy would have been Francisco’s natural destination, but he had to settle for an Army career instead. In 1906, aged 14, Francisco enlisted in the Toledo Army Academy. The new cadet was so small, his voice so shrill that he quickly became a victim of the academy’s bullies. His frame was so frail that the instructors had to modify his training rifle to make it lighter to carry.

Francisco made up for his physical shortcomings with determination and hard work, although he did not display particular leadership qualities. He graduated in 1910 with a modest 251st place out of 312 cadets. The Spanish military was saturated with officers at that time, and opportunities for career progression were scarce. In 1912, Francisco took the calculated move of volunteering for a post in Spanish Morocco, the last colony, as the only chance to progress in ranks. His experiences in Africa would be key in shaping his later life. He later declared: “Without Africa, I could not explain who I am.”

The Kingdom of Spain was engaged in a brutal colonial war against the rebel tribes of the Rif mountain range. In this conflict, Lieutenant Franco displayed qualities so far kept hidden: tenacity and physical courage. Lieutenant Franco was in charge of a company of Moroccan colonial troops, loyal to the Spanish crown. He was able to maintain a ruthless discipline amongst his soldiers, even when under heavy enemy fire.

On one occasion, one of his troops refused to eat his rations and threw them at another officer. Franco had him executed by firing squad. It is alleged that he applied this ruthlessness also against civilians, using terror tactics to quell the rebellion. The officers of the Spanish army in Africa at that time were nicknamed ‘Novios de la Muerte’, which can be translated as ‘the grooms of Lady Death’. This was because of the high casualty rates amongst their ranks. Franco apparently disregarded the fear of death, often leading from the front in almost suicidal attacks against entrenched rebels.

In 1917, Franco had already been promoted to Major and was ordered back to Spain to break a strike of coal miners in the northern region of Asturias. During his stay in Oviedo, the capital of the region, he got engaged to Carmen Polo, despite opposition from her family of wealthy merchants. Back to Morocco in 1918, on the 28th of June, he was shot in the stomach, an almost certain appointment with Lady Death. While bleeding out on a stretcher, he called out to a doctor, but he was refused treatment. According to the doctor, it would have been futile. Franco then grabbed a rifle and pointed it at the doctor, threatening to shoot him if he was not treated. The medic changed his mind and had him evacuated to the field hospital. Against all odds, he fully recovered. The native troops followed him with blind loyalty afterwards.

In October of 1920, Franco was second-in-command of the Tercio de Extranjeros, the Spanish Foreign Legion recently founded by Lieutenant-Colonel Millan Astray. Millan introduced the credo of the Tercio: “Death in combat is the greatest honour. You die only once. Death arrives without pain and is not so terrible as it seems. The most horrible thing is to live as a coward.” The Tercio became known for its effectiveness, courage, and brutality.

In 1923, Franco became commander of the Tercio, shining for his strategic and administrative ability. On the 23rd of October, he married Carmen in Oviedo, with a representative of King Alfonso XIII present at the wedding. They would have only one daughter, Carmencita, born the following year. After 14 years of service in Morocco, the once mediocre Lieutenant had progressed so quickly that he returned to Spain a Brigadier General. Aged 33, he was the youngest General in Europe since Napoleon.

He had also become something of a celebrity, frequenting elite circles and even starring as himself in the movie ‘La Malcasada’ of 1926. This curious film, dealing with a real-life divorce case, featured many intellectuals, politicians, and military leaders of the time. Starring alongside Franco can be seen his old commander Millan Astray, who would later become Nationalist propaganda chief during the Civil War. And even Miguel Primo de Rivera, who was ruling Spain as a military dictator from 1923 with the blessing of the King.

Franco’s celebrity status and Carmen’s connections gave him access to the elitist world, but he did not enjoy their pleasures. He preferred to relish the traditional and austere values he had learned from his mother, which he imparted to his cadets at the new military academy in Zaragoza. But despite his best efforts for a return to tradition, Spanish society was changing around the young General.

From the bottom up, Spanish society was shaken by the rise of leftist movements opposing the traditional pillars of the Monarchy, the Catholic Church, and owners of large land estates. At the top, Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship was failing due to his ill-conceived economic policies resulting in high taxation, unsustainable public debt, and rising inflation. He was forced to resign in January 1930.

In 1931, Alfonso XIII agreed to democratic elections, which saw the victory of the left. In April, the King abdicated. The Spanish Republic was founded and a new constitution ratified. According to Franco’s niece, this was a personal catastrophe for him, as he did not believe in democracy nor in a multi-party system. But the new Government was fragile, and in November 1933 it was replaced by a conservative coalition, which appointed General Franco as Commander in Chief of the Army.

The left continued to cause unrest, though: in 1934, another massive strike of coal miners in Asturias was launched. Franco was tasked with restoring order in the area. He commanded the Tercio to take charge of the strikers. 2000 protesters were killed or wounded, many more deported to Morocco. But his actions had the unintended consequence of rallying the left-wing parties into a strong coalition, called ‘Frente Popular’ or ‘People’s Front’.

In February 1936, new elections were convened. This time it was the leftist People’s Front that secured a victory. The new government ensured that conservative generals were not close to the seat of power. Franco was dispatched to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, 2000 km from Madrid. The Government kept close tabs on him, by wiretapping his phone and checking his mail.

In the meanwhile, unrest and violence were spiraling in the country. The supporters of the leftist government soon gave way to excesses, especially against Catholic institutions. Churches were being burned and priests murdered. Behind the scenes, a group of Generals was plotting a military coup. Franco did not get involved at this stage, coldly calculating the risks involved. The leaders of the plot were General Sanjurjo and General Mola. Mola, the chief planner of the coup, had a scheme to involve Franco in the ‘Bando Nacional’, or Nationalist Forces.

The plan involved dispatching a plane from London to the Canaries, to then smuggle Franco into Morocco, where he would lead the Tercio to join the insurrection. While on the 11th of July the plane was flying to Gran Canaria, Franco sent an encrypted message to Mola, refusing to participate in the coup. But on the 13th, right-wing politician José Calvo Sotelo was murdered by the Republican police, which gave the insurgents the motivation to proceed with their plans at all costs. Franco was finally convinced.

On the 19th of July 1936, he traveled in civilian disguise to the Moroccan colony. The African Army, numbering 30,000, swore loyalty to Franco and to his cause. But how could he ferry such an army to Spain when the Navy was loyal to the Republic and was patrolling the straits of Gibraltar? This is when he secured help from Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. The Italian and German air forces came to help Franco: by organizing 800 flights, they managed to ferry his forces to mainland Spain.

The hopes of the insurgents for a quick resolution of the coup did not materialize. What had just started was a long and bloody conflict, the Spanish Civil War. The insurgents also had a leadership problem: their commander General Sanjurjo had died in a plane crash on the 20th of July, being replaced by a military Junta only formally led by the elder General Cabanellas. In the meanwhile, Franco had reached Seville and quickly led his army northwards, facing only the resistance of civilians.

His African Army soon reached Badajoz, near the Portuguese border. After conquering the city, Franco embarked on a political cleansing of the area. As witnessed by Portuguese journalist Mario Neves, hundreds of prisoners were rounded up in the local bullfighting ring and executed by firing squad. Franco continued his march towards Madrid, but in September he ordered a diversion to Toledo, south of the capital.

In Toledo, a small garrison of Nationalists was besieged by the Republican army inside the Alcazar, the castle which housed the very military academy in which young Francisco had graduated. Franco’s army defeated the Republicans, but he only joined them the following day, 27th of September, in full view of the news cameras. He had realized that this was more of a PR event than a simple military victory. Toledo was not only home to the Military Academy, it was also the religious capital of Spain. By appearing as the liberator of Toledo, Franco had portrayed himself as the defender of Spanish traditional institutions.

On the same evening, Franco traveled to the city of Caceres. Here, General Millan Astray and General Yague announced that now the whole Nationalist Army was under the sole command of General Franco. So far, Francisco had been leading only the African Army in the south, while General Mola was in command in the North. All the generals, except for the old Cabanellas, thought that a unified leadership would improve their war efforts. Franco was one of the candidates, but he was not sure about taking the mantle.

It was thanks to the scheming of his own brother Nicolás that he eventually accepted. Nicolás first pressured Yague into convincing Francisco to lead all armies. Yague issued a vague threat to Franco: if he didn’t accept the role, the Junta would appoint somebody else. Nicolás also orchestrated a meeting of eight leading Generals, including Franco, in Salamanca, on the 28th of September 1936. The purpose of the meeting was to concentrate both military and political leadership of the Spanish State during the Civil War in one single person.

Except for two Generals, everybody voted for Franco to be the leader of the Spanish State, a term which indicated the Nationalist-controlled territory. Franco now had become the Generalisimo of all armed forces and head of the Government. He took on the title of Caudillo, an ancient style for ‘Leader’. In theory, he only had a mandate for the duration of the war. But Nicolás cleverly redacted the Official Bulletin bearing the decision, so that this time limitation was omitted. The Franco brothers had outsmarted the other generals, a real coup within a coup, which ensured total power for life to the once reluctant insurgent.

By October 1936, Nationalist forces were in control of roughly one third of Spanish territory, mainly in the West and North of the Country. But Madrid was still out of Franco’s reach, despite intensive air and artillery bombings. At this time, the Republican government secured support from Stalin. Now, every side of the conflict could rely on help from powerful dictatorships. This War would not spare civilians; it was a total war in which many of the horrific tactics of WWII would be tested. Atrocities were perpetrated on a massive scale, on both sides.

Franco and the other Generals enacted a policy of purging captured cities, following the example of Badajoz. The Republicans were also active in executing members of the clergy, Nationalist prisoners, Nationalist sympathizers, and even themselves, as a result of infighting among disparate factions – most notably in Catalunya. It is estimated that by the end of the war, the Nationalists had executed 75,000 people, compared to 55,000 murdered by Republicans.

In February 1937, Franco attempted to take Madrid by frontal assault, in the Battle of the Jarama River, but was stopped by the International Brigades of foreign volunteers. It is interesting to note that 5,000 Germans and 3,000 Italians fought against Franco, joining the International Brigades in support of the Republic. These brigades were 60,000 strong at their peak. In March, Franco approached the capital from the Northeast, capturing Guadalajara first. An Italian Corps took the city and then moved quickly to Madrid, but was repelled by a Republican and Soviet tank counterattack.

Operations progressed for the Nationalists in the north: In August 1937, they captured the Northern stronghold of Santander with help from the Italian regular army. This helped consolidate their territories in the North. In the meanwhile, the German Condor Legion and the Fascist Air Force had been perpetrating the first large carpet bombings of civilian targets over Durango, Barcelona, Madrid, and most notably, Guernica, on the 26th of April 1937. But all in all, despite decisive support from his allies, Franco’s progress was slow. German leadership was frustrated by this and suspected it was a calculated move on his side: Franco’s strategy was to firmly consolidate his own political power before advancing on new territories.

The situation for the Republicans became dire in the second half of 1938. In July, they engaged the Nationalists in a protracted battle on the river Ebro, in the Northeast. It lasted 113 days and claimed more than 13,000 casualties on both sides. The Nationalists, 600,000 strong, could take the hit; the Republicans, less so. In September of 1938, the International Brigades withdrew from Spain, while Mussolini sent even more aircraft and artillery to Franco.

On the 26th of January 1939, Barcelona fell to the Nationalists. The President of the Republic, Manuel Azaña, fled to France. On the 27th of February, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was the first European democratic leader to recognize Franco’s Government as legitimate. On the same day, Azaña resigned, and by the 1st of April, all Republican forces had capitulated. It was the end of the war. Half a million people had died, 2% of the total Spanish population. But the death toll would not stop there.

As the sole ruler of the Spanish State, Francisco Franco could not tolerate dissent. After the war had ended, he continued his policy of purging the country from enemies of his regime via executions ruled by military tribunals. Sources differ, but it is alleged that between 30,000 and 200,000 dissidents were executed by Franco’s regime.

Following the beginning of WWII in Europe, there was a debate as to whether Spain should join the Axis powers in their fight. On the 23rd of October 1940, Franco and Hitler met in Hendaye, in Southern France. Franco owed much to the Germans, but during that meeting, he did not commit to an active participation in the war. This decision was considered wise and defended by Francoist supporters over time. The Spanish military and industrial capabilities had been exhausted by the Civil War, and they were not in shape to join another conflict.

However, a member of Von Ribbentrop’s staff reported that there had been a previous meeting in Berlin. Ribbentrop had met with Franco’s foreign affairs minister, Ramón Serrano Suñer. The minister proposed to join the Axis in exchange for a large chunk of North African territory to rebuild the Spanish Empire, but at that time, the Germans had not been impressed by the offer. At the Hendaye meeting, again Franco offered his participation in the war, in exchange for all of French Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Hitler could not accept these demands, and the negotiations did not progress. The Fuehrer was furious.

Later in the war, Franco was astute enough to maintain an equidistant neutrality with both Axis and Allies. For example, on the one hand, he allowed allied pilots downed over Spanish territory to rejoin their countries, and he never made a move on Gibraltar. On the other hand, he allowed Italian Navy frogmen to launch raids on Gibraltar from Spanish ports. By 1941, he was maintaining good trade relations with the US and the UK, but in that summer, he allowed a contingent of 47,000 volunteers to join Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union