Difference between revisions of "Francisco Franco"
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Revision as of 20:17, May 29, 2009
Generalissimo Francisco Franco Bahamonde ("El Caudillo") was a soldier and statesman who served as the fascist leader of Spain from April 1, 1939 until his death on November 20, 1975. He had previously been an officer in the Spanish army.
Franco gained power through an attempted military coup d'etat in 1936 that developed quickly into the Spanish Civil War. Franco's forces fought the elected communist government for three years before finally defeating them outside Madrid on April 1, 1939. Franco then assumed control of Spain. His regime rested on the support of a number of stalwart elements in Spanish society - the army, the Roman Catholic Church, rural landowners, and the Falange political party.
Franco ruled Spain as a dictator until his death in 1975. His successor, King Juan Carlos, reversed most of Franco's policies after a period of transition that led to the approval of a democratic constitution in 1978.
