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Info: The Fascist Regimes of Europe
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A history of Modern China (and the World)
Information: The Last Two Of Their Kind
A history of Modern China (and the World)
Information: The Last Two Of Their Kind
It has been nearly 30 years since the death of Francisco Franco, the first Caudillo of the Spanish State, and not much had changed in Spain since -- Spain remained, as ever, a dictatorship of the few. The whispers of democracy were often blown into the ears of Spain's youth, and Spain's ethnic minorities such as Catalans, Basques and Galicians; but the fact remained that Spain was still years, if not decades, away from any real progress towards the unraveling of fascism.
With the 1970s and 1980s being a time of general economic prosperity for most of the world with the onset of Chinese economic expansion, and the numerous means of making peace with the world abroad, Spain's economy had continued to grow leaps and bounds, achieving near parity with most of the European Community by 1985. Spain's entrance into the organization in 1989 further sounded that the technocratic fascist regime was ready for European federalism.
The European Community didn't condone Spain's overt fascist government, but didn't condemn or try to force it's abdication. Alain Juppe's populist platform allowed him to find common allies with some of the more liberal people in the fascist apparatus, and gain France a solid ally to the southwest.
Since Franco's death, the ruling Falangist party, Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista had dissolved due to a declining interest in the particulars of the party. This created what could be seen as the world's first multi-party fascist dictatorship. After Franco's death in 1975, he was briefly succeeded by Rodríguez de Valcárcel as Caudillo, who ruled until his death in 1976.
After this, the FET y de las JONS effectively dissolved into numerous factions. Since 1976, Spain had been ruled by a large faction of technocrats, primarily lead by the people who had been the largest proponents of the Spanish Miracle during the Franco regime. César Alierta was the current Caudillo of Spain, having taken office in 1996. Before being named as Caudillo, he had been the President of the state-owned telecommunications service, Telefónica, S.A.
His stature as a man of economic knowledge, and the company's vast profits in international dealings during the 1980s and early 90s had earned him the support of many, propelling him into the office of Head of State. As of 2002, Spain's economy is very strong and is part of a rising group of economies in Europe, called "PIIGS" -- Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain all formed major fledgling economic powers that would inflate Europe's already grandstanding economic expansion against the three superpowers, the Soviet Union, United States, and China.
Likewise, Franco's regime's survival played into the hands of the man to the west of him. António Salazar, the Prime Minister of Portugal for over 30 years, had retired in 1968, and died in 1970 of natural causes -- however, the Estado Novo did not stop, despite their numerous set backs in their colonial empire.
Spain's economic success and strengthening of state kept the Estado Novo from going completely off the rails, allowing for a faction of technocrats within the EN to seize power of the state away from traditional fascists. This new generation of technocrats sought to emulate the Spanish Miracle, and propel Portugal's economy forward -- and they managed to get that going. Portugal's economy has bloomed in the last 15 years, and as of 2002, she is one of the "up and coming" economic powers in Europe.
These two states, both the relics of an era of fascism and World Wars, remain stable and powerful despite the forces of democracy in the world -- many often wonder how the fascists managed to stave off being surrounded by democracies, when the Communist system effectively unraveled into Social Democracy in a matter of years.
It was a mystery, but it was what it was. Fascism was no longer the same beast it was in 1939, but it was still Fascism; and it remained beating in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, a reminder of what used to be, almost 70 years ago.
With the 1970s and 1980s being a time of general economic prosperity for most of the world with the onset of Chinese economic expansion, and the numerous means of making peace with the world abroad, Spain's economy had continued to grow leaps and bounds, achieving near parity with most of the European Community by 1985. Spain's entrance into the organization in 1989 further sounded that the technocratic fascist regime was ready for European federalism.
The European Community didn't condone Spain's overt fascist government, but didn't condemn or try to force it's abdication. Alain Juppe's populist platform allowed him to find common allies with some of the more liberal people in the fascist apparatus, and gain France a solid ally to the southwest.
Since Franco's death, the ruling Falangist party, Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista had dissolved due to a declining interest in the particulars of the party. This created what could be seen as the world's first multi-party fascist dictatorship. After Franco's death in 1975, he was briefly succeeded by Rodríguez de Valcárcel as Caudillo, who ruled until his death in 1976.
After this, the FET y de las JONS effectively dissolved into numerous factions. Since 1976, Spain had been ruled by a large faction of technocrats, primarily lead by the people who had been the largest proponents of the Spanish Miracle during the Franco regime. César Alierta was the current Caudillo of Spain, having taken office in 1996. Before being named as Caudillo, he had been the President of the state-owned telecommunications service, Telefónica, S.A.
His stature as a man of economic knowledge, and the company's vast profits in international dealings during the 1980s and early 90s had earned him the support of many, propelling him into the office of Head of State. As of 2002, Spain's economy is very strong and is part of a rising group of economies in Europe, called "PIIGS" -- Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain all formed major fledgling economic powers that would inflate Europe's already grandstanding economic expansion against the three superpowers, the Soviet Union, United States, and China.
Likewise, Franco's regime's survival played into the hands of the man to the west of him. António Salazar, the Prime Minister of Portugal for over 30 years, had retired in 1968, and died in 1970 of natural causes -- however, the Estado Novo did not stop, despite their numerous set backs in their colonial empire.
Spain's economic success and strengthening of state kept the Estado Novo from going completely off the rails, allowing for a faction of technocrats within the EN to seize power of the state away from traditional fascists. This new generation of technocrats sought to emulate the Spanish Miracle, and propel Portugal's economy forward -- and they managed to get that going. Portugal's economy has bloomed in the last 15 years, and as of 2002, she is one of the "up and coming" economic powers in Europe.
These two states, both the relics of an era of fascism and World Wars, remain stable and powerful despite the forces of democracy in the world -- many often wonder how the fascists managed to stave off being surrounded by democracies, when the Communist system effectively unraveled into Social Democracy in a matter of years.
It was a mystery, but it was what it was. Fascism was no longer the same beast it was in 1939, but it was still Fascism; and it remained beating in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, a reminder of what used to be, almost 70 years ago.
- Asami
- Word Count: 690