THE ROAD TO MODERN SPAIN

YEARS OF CONFLICT

• The Nationalists with Franco thought the Republicans were too against the Church and

wanted to stop them by force to bring back the Catholic Church.

The years of conflict saw many hundreds of tanks and planes flown by both sides, by the

end in April 1939, 500,000 people were dead and 450,000 more left the country.

The Nationalists were supported largely by Nazi Germany and Benito Mussolini’s Italy.

The Republicans, on the other hand, found support from the Soviet Union and Mexico.

The rest of Europe promised to stay out, but, in reality, many foreigners volunteered to fight for

both sides and France supplied the Republicans weapons.

The Spanish Civil War became called

the “rehearsal for World War II.”

SPANISH DICTATORSHIP AND MIRACLE

• After the Nationalist victory in the Civil War, Franco made the country once again into a

military dictatorship. The church was made a central part of the government and the

monarchy was effectively banned.

• After the defeat of Franco’s allies Germany and Italy in World War II, Spain found itself

isolated from both other, more democratic European countries, the West and the Soviet

Union.

However, from 1959-1974, the Spanish

economy saw a brief boom, second only to

Japan and becoming the ninth largest

economy in the world until the crash.

Tourism grew but, freedom of people

was severely limited and the government

maintained strict control.

FRANCO’S SPAIN

• After the Nationalist victory in the Civil War, Franco made the country once again into a

military dictatorship. Spanish was made into the dominant language.

• The church was made a central part of the government – schools had children pray before

every class to the Christian God AND to Franco.

• However, he refused to put the Monarchy back into any position.

• While Franco was from Galicia, under his rule, he made Castilian the main language.

1960-ERA SPAIN 2000-ERA VIETNAM

THE LONELY MAN OF EUROPE

• After the defeat of Franco’s allies Germany and Italy at the end of World War II, Spain

found itself isolated from other countries in Europe, as well as the US and the Soviet

Union. Argentina provided early post-war support.

• However, as the Communist Soviet Union became a concern for the Capitalist United

States, the US began to provide assistance to Spain.

• President Eisenhower visited Spain from 1959, but other European nations were less

open to Franco’s often violent and overpowering rule.

THE SPANISH MIRACLE

• Between 1959 and 1974, Spain found its economy booming. Spain’s growth became the

second highest in the world (after Japan) and its overall economy was the ninth largest in

the world.

• This saw developments like the SEAT 600 and La Torre de Madrid.

• Government control remained strict but the people’s lifestyle improved.

THE RETURN TO DEMOCRACY

• In 1969, Franco fell to poor health and named Juan Carlos I to be his heir. (This also

marks the first return of Spanish royalty to the country.)

• Franco died in 1975, so Juan Carlos took over, where he began ending the dictatorship

policies after being crowned King in 1977.

• Juan Carlos put back Autonomous policies for regions of Spain, balancing many of the

various reforms Spain had been having trouble with for centuries.

• Thanks in part to this, we had the formation

of modern Spain.