The Armed Forces of Spain in the Power Structure of the Early Franco Regime (1939–1957)

The armed forces were pivotal to sustaining the stability of the Francoist regime, which initially crystallized as a military dictatorship. This was particularly evident during the initial phase of the regime (1939–1957). Franco successfully engineered an institutional framework that guaranteed the loyalty of the military establishment, a factor that proved decisive in ensuring the durability of his dictatorship. To this end, the regime resorted to various measures. On the one hand, the republican reforms that had generated resentment within the officer corps were systematically dismantled. The pre-republican military structure, in place prior to the abolition of the monarchy in 1931, was reinstated. The regime did not make officers redundant in spite of the cessation of hostilities. The armed forces enjoyed a wide array of privileges, ranging from secure material provisions to preferential access to scarce commodities, alongside advantages in the competition for civilian administrative jobs. On the other hand, since the army was the only force capable of challenging Franco’s authority, command was deliberately organized so as to hinder coordination among potential conspirators. The Ministry of Defense was divided into three distinct departments, each endowed with its own autonomous command hierarchy. Significant emphasis was also placed on integrating the military into the economic sphere. Officers took up strategic posts in both state-owned and private enterprises, which simultaneously made them wealthier and diminished the chances of organized dissent. Moreover, mechanisms of control over military lidership were carefully institutionalized, including the practice of assigning officers to posts that, while ostensibly prestigious, effectively curtailed their capacity to exert political influence. On balance, the system meticulously constructed under Franco entrenched the loyalty of the armed forces, thereby enabling him to consolidate and preserve his authority for over three decades.

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