Many people who don't know much about the Spanish Civil War, but know about Nationalist Spain, would think that Fransisco Franco was always meant to be Caudillio of Nationalist Spain. But he wasn't.
In fact, a man by the name of Jose Sanjurjo, one of the chief masterminds of the 17th July 1936 military rebellion which started the Civil War, had dreams of becoming the planned fascist regime's leader. He led the Nationalists in cooperation with Franco and Generals Emilio Mola and Gonzalo Queipo de Llano.
However, those dreams would never come to pass because Sanjurjo was killed in a plane crash caused by heavy luggage he brought with him. The plane was travelling from Estoril, Portugal, where he was living in exile, to Spain.
Soon after, Mola died in similar circumstances, leaving Franco in charge of the Nationalist cause and causing suspicion, even to this day, that Franco assassinated his fellow conspirators.
So what if Jose Sanjurjo's plane made it to Spain and Sanjurjo was able to become leader of Nationalist Spain?
In fact, a man by the name of Jose Sanjurjo, one of the chief masterminds of the 17th July 1936 military rebellion which started the Civil War, had dreams of becoming the planned fascist regime's leader. He led the Nationalists in cooperation with Franco and Generals Emilio Mola and Gonzalo Queipo de Llano.
However, those dreams would never come to pass because Sanjurjo was killed in a plane crash caused by heavy luggage he brought with him. The plane was travelling from Estoril, Portugal, where he was living in exile, to Spain.
Soon after, Mola died in similar circumstances, leaving Franco in charge of the Nationalist cause and causing suspicion, even to this day, that Franco assassinated his fellow conspirators.
So what if Jose Sanjurjo's plane made it to Spain and Sanjurjo was able to become leader of Nationalist Spain?