Francisco Franco facts

Francisco Franco
Head of the Spanish State
In office
1 April 1939 – 20 November 1975
Preceded by Manuel Azaña (as President)
Succeeded by Juan Carlos I (as King)
68th Head of the Spanish Government
In office
30 January 1938 – 8 June 1973
Preceded by Juan Negrín
Succeeded by Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco
Personal details
Born (1892-12-04)4 December 1892
Ferrol, Galicia, Spain
Died 20 November 1975(1975-11-20) (aged 82)
Madrid, Spain
Nationality Spanish
Political party None, Phalangist/Carlist
Spouse(s) Carmen Polo
Profession Chief of the General Staff, Spanish Army
Religion Roman Catholic

Francisco Franco (Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade, 20 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish military leader who ruled as dictator of Spain from 1939 until his death.

He was a leader of a coup d'état against the Spanish Second Republic in 1936. After this uprising the Spanish Civil War started. Franco was supported by fascists, big businesses, the church, conservative people and Spanish nationalists. This was because the Spanish Republic had a socialist government that wanted to make businesses and the church less powerful. The Republic also set up local parliaments in the regions of Spain. Spanish nationalists thought this was wrong and would make Spain weak. Franco remained neutral during World War II as Hitler did not accept his conditions for Spain to take part in it with the fascist and nazi regimes. He let a group of volunteer soldiers join the German Army to fight the Russians between 1941 and 1943. They were called the División Azul (Blue Division)

Franco died in Madrid on November 20, 1975, just after midnight. Relatives had asked doctors to remove his life support systems. After Franco's death, Juan Carlos became king.

Images

  • Vintagedivi1

    Chief of the General Staff

  • Padres-de-Franco

    His parents with Francisco in arms, on the day of his baptism on December 17, 1892.

  • Hermanos Franco

    Ramon, Pilar and Francisco Franco in 1906.

  • Francisco Franco 1923

    Franco in 1923

  • FrancoenReus

    Franco in Reus, 1940

  • Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L15327, Spanien, Heinrich Himmler bei Franco

    Front row in order from left to right: Karl Wolff, Heinrich Himmler, Franco and Spain's Foreign Minister Serrano Súñer in Madrid, October 1940

  • Franco dando un discurso en Éibar en 1949

    Franco giving a speech in Eibar in 1949

  • Franco eisenhower 1959 madrid

    Franco and US President Eisenhower in Madrid, December 1959

  • Francisco Franco and Carmen Polo

    Franco and his wife, Carmen Polo in 1968.

  • Spanish peseta coin with Franco 1963

    1963 Spanish peseta coin with an image of Franco and lettering reading: Francisco Franco, Leader of Spain, by the grace of God

  • Franco0001

    Franco in 1969

  • Carlos Arias Navarro and Franco 1975

    Carlos Arias Navarro and Franco in 1975

  • SPA-2014-San Lorenzo de El Escorial-Valley of the Fallen (Valle de los Caídos)

    Franco is entombed in the monument of Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos

  • Francoayto

    A statue of Franco in Santander which was removed in 2008

  • Plaque franco

    Sign in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for a street bearing Franco's name


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