Jailbreak: The Escape of Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera

Founder and leader of the Falangist Party Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera was executed by the republicans during the Spanish Civil on November 20, 1936. There were two plots to free him from prison prior to his execution; what if one of those plots had succeded and Primo made back to safe to Nationalist territory? Assuming he's not killed in battle or assassinated during the course of the civil war and it comes to the same conclusion as in OTL by spring of 1939 he will be the second most powerful man in Spain, perhaps Vice President or Deputy Prime Minister. He also be General Franco's most potential rival. What then would the course of Spanish history be if he had survived? How would merger of the Falangists with the Nationalists come about in 1937 with Primo still alive? Would it be more on Primo's terms and less on the Generalisimo's? How would this affect foriegn policy during the early years of WWII? Would Spain officially stay neutral or join the Axis Powers? And would the rivalry between Franco and Prima ultimately turn into an ugly power struggle?
 
Well, Franco's got an army yo back his demands up with a lot of guns so I imagine he'll be the true power in Spain even if it's behind a figurehead caudillo De Rivera. Otherwise he could always stage a coup.
 
Primo de Rivera was much different from Franco in some aspects: unlike Franco, Primo's fascism was very similar to early italian fascism. It was republican, antitraditionalist and modernist; and despite its strong catholic influence, it would be much less conservative than Franco's Spain. In this sense, Primo was very similar to, say, Italo Balbo. Compare this with francoist Spain, which was an absolute monarchy in all but name, and where the most insanely ultraconservative and reactionary wings of conservatism and carlism held power until the late 50's. In fact, from the 40's onward, a surprising number of falangists actively opposed Franco, after seeing that he had betrayed their revolution. Some of them, such as Dionisio Ridruejo, evolved from Falange leaders in the 30's and 40's to pro-democracy demonstrators in the 60's.

Falangism (in theory) also opposed the big capital. AFAIK, it is the only fascist group I know that actively incorporated sindicalism into its doctrine. Franco kept that, but without any ideological load. That is the main difference between francoism and falangism to be taken into account: falangism is an ideology, and it actively seeked to change spanish society following the fascist way. Francoism is not an ideology, it is in fact an anti-ideolgical system. Franco always was a soldier, not a politician: he ruled Spain for 40 years as if it was a military barracks, and, with the idea that spaniards were tired of politics, tried to keep the entire country in stasis, until he relaxed his grip in the 60's. There are plenty of friction points between Franco and Primo de Rivera if Primo survives. Franco wanted nothing short of absolute power, because he thought that was the only way to prevent Spain from collapsing, and god forbid anything like an actual change in spanish society, even towards fascism. However, by the end of the war, Falange's power had waned, and all actual power was in the army. I think that either there could have been a shorter civil war in the early 40's -maybe with god knows what effects in WWII- or, most likely, Primo would have been quietly disposed for.

There are, in fact, many conspiracy theories about Franco refusing to help Primo because he knew he would be more useful dead than alive.
 
Primo de Rivera was much different from Franco in some aspects: unlike Franco, Primo's fascism was very similar to early italian fascism. It was republican, antitraditionalist and modernist; and despite its strong catholic influence, it would be much less conservative than Franco's Spain. In this sense, Primo was very similar to, say, Italo Balbo. Compare this with francoist Spain, which was an absolute monarchy in all but name, and where the most insanely ultraconservative and reactionary wings of conservatism and carlism held power until the late 50's. In fact, from the 40's onward, a surprising number of falangists actively opposed Franco, after seeing that he had betrayed their revolution. Some of them, such as Dionisio Ridruejo, evolved from Falange leaders in the 30's and 40's to pro-democracy demonstrators in the 60's.

Falangism (in theory) also opposed the big capital. AFAIK, it is the only fascist group I know that actively incorporated sindicalism into its doctrine. Franco kept that, but without any ideological load. That is the main difference between francoism and falangism to be taken into account: falangism is an ideology, and it actively seeked to change spanish society following the fascist way. Francoism is not an ideology, it is in fact an anti-ideolgical system. Franco always was a soldier, not a politician: he ruled Spain for 40 years as if it was a military barracks, and, with the idea that spaniards were tired of politics, tried to keep the entire country in stasis, until he relaxed his grip in the 60's. There are plenty of friction points between Franco and Primo de Rivera if Primo survives. Franco wanted nothing short of absolute power, because he thought that was the only way to prevent Spain from collapsing, and god forbid anything like an actual change in spanish society, even towards fascism. However, by the end of the war, Falange's power had waned, and all actual power was in the army. I think that either there could have been a shorter civil war in the early 40's -maybe with god knows what effects in WWII- or, most likely, Primo would have been quietly disposed for.

There are, in fact, many conspiracy theories about Franco refusing to help Primo because he knew he would be more useful dead than alive.

The Falangists were more secular than the Francoists and Primo de Rivera would have certainly been opposed to the restoration of the monarchy. I could easily see Primo siding with Foriegn Minister Sunyer and Hitler seriously comtemplating a coup deposing Franco in favor of Primo in 1941. I doubt Primo would go along with the idea. The rivalry between Franco and Primo could have culminated in a power struggle simiar to that of Romania in 1941 with the Iron Cross against Gen. Antonescu durin g WWII or shortly after. Or Primo de Rivera could be killed in a mysterious "acciident" or plane crash in 1942 0r 43. Of course, no 'smoking gun' would ever found.
 
well, would all the atrocities committed under Franco's reign have been avoided or ameliorated without a Primo de Rivera executed ?
 
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