I’ve always wondered how would be like to live in the postwar period, in a dictatorship and what historical facts were schocking, so I talked to my neighbor, Pilar and she told me how was it. Begining with Spanish ‘transition’ I have to say that it was the era when Spain moved from Franco's dictatorship to a liberal democratic State. The 'Transition' is usually said to have begun with Franco's death on 20 November 1975, there is not an exact date of this period, to be clear. Others said that is linked to the Spanish Constitution of 1978 or to the appointment of Juan Carlos I as Kings of Spain 22 November of 1975, and it finish with the failure of an attempted coup on 23 February 1981 or the electoral victory of the PSOE on 28 October 1982. The general dates for the end of 'Transition' are 1982 and 1986. This topic had a huge relevance in Spain's history in so much as it changed the way of live, the rights, the freedom and the society.
The purpose of this essay is to show how live was in Franco's dictatorship and what happened when he died. I'm going to focus on three points: before democracy(Franco's dictatorship) democracy and democracy institutions.
Before the arrival of democracy in Spain, there was a dictatorship led by Franco (1939-1975) His regime was autarkic, step of fascism totalitarianism to authoritarian dictatorship. Franco took control of Spanish lives through censorship and education.
In 1939 the ‘ Ley de responsabilidades políticas’ was establish and Franco’s regime started to select the cultural workers (journalists…) All directors of the newspapers and magazines had to be named by the state and they should be falangist.
In the repression there were a lot of executions. In the postwar prisons there were people who lived in poor conditions. There was a society where defeated people were excluded from social, cultural, intellectual and political life.I talked to my neighbor and she told me: ‘There were restrictions, and no freedom to say what you think or do what you want. Also I remember that we had so much hunger, my mom said to me that there was a rye bread that was so dark and she said that that bread was poison, I was so hungry that I said: I want some of that poison’I asked Pilar, my neighbor, about what did Franco bring to Spain, and she told me that with him there were no violence in the streets and everything was undercontrol. Also we talked about her daily life in Franco's dictatorship and she said: 'Daily life in Franco's dictatorship wasn't like now, I woke up and went to school in the morning and in the afternoon too. I went t school until I was 14 years old and on Thursday there were no class, the timetable was: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday' 'They won't leave us go to Madrid and at 9.30 or 22.00 PM we must be at home'
In this period there was also an economic repression, but in 60's there was an economic development with 'Plan de estabilizacion' supported by FMI and OCDE. From an agrarian society, Spain advanced to a more industrial society. In education there were advances and the schooling reached 90% also, women started to incorporate to work and studies. At this time, there were social mobilizations like CCOO with the union platform and there were claims on the street.
Franco died on 20 of November of 1975. As my neighbor says: ' His death as a person shocked me, I felt ir because it was the only thing I knew until then. I saw how his wife Carmen Polo was leaving their house...' The Juan Carlos accepted the terms of Franco's legislation and is named King of Spain. My neighbor ways: 'I remember the naming of Juan Carlos as King of Spain and I liked it, I didn't liked the idea of a Republic'. Then 'Transition' started.
As she told me the change from dictatorship to democracy was good because people started to have more freedom but also there were facts that shocked her, like the strikes. When there were strikes out in the street, she was so scared, she felt fear and she remembers that with Franco’s dictatorship she wasn’t afraid.Also, she remembers 23F, and the murdered of some laboralist lawyers. It was a shock to her because in Franco’s period you couldn’t do anything and there was no violence and then these things happened and she never saw something like that.
As historical facts in ‘Transition’ there was a new law, ‘Ley fundamental’ for political reformation. On 15 of June of 1977 there were elections and the formation of democracy in Spain started. My neighbor remembers that that was the first time she could vote, and that she felt like a women and like if now she have rights. ‘It felt good’
The first government of monarchy was Arias Navarro’s. This government didn’t predict a huge change in politics, but some reformist ministers joined to the new government like Fraga, Areilza or Garrigues. They created the law of ‘Reunion y Manifestacion’ and ‘Asociaciones politicas’.
As she told me the change from dictatorship to democracy was good because people started to have more freedom but also there were facts that shocked her, like the strikes. When there were strikes out in the street, she was so scared, she felt fear and she remembers that with Franco’s dictatorship she wasn’t afraid.Also, she remembers 23F, and the murdered of some laboralist lawyers. It was a shock to her because in Franco’s period you couldn’t do anything and there was no violence and then these things happened and she never saw something like that.
As historical facts in ‘Transition’ there was a new law, ‘Ley fundamental’ for political reformation. On 15 of June of 1977 there were elections and the formation of democracy in Spain started. My neighbor remembers that that was the first time she could vote, and that she felt like a women and like if now she have rights. ‘It felt good’
The first government of monarchy was Arias Navarro’s. This government didn’t predict a huge change in politics, but some reformist ministers joined to the new government like Fraga, Areilza or Garrigues. They created the law of ‘Reunion y Manifestacion’ and ‘Asociaciones politicas’.
There were an opposition group that was growing and there were a lot of demonstrations claiming for amnesty. In Pais Vasco the tension was growing and especially ETA. There were a few terrorism bands like GRAPO, ETA and Tardofranquista.
Then Adolfo Suarez was a government and then UCD and in 1978 there was a constitution. Then PSOE was in charge of the government and then PP. Later we entered in Economic European community and in OTAN. We developed our education and our economy still in crises.
In general, this period of history is complicated because there are no exact dates, and everything was changing, from lifestyle to politics, economy…
Before 1975 people didn’t know a lot about democracy or freedom of expression, they only knew Franco’s dictatorship and how was to live with repression, poverty and hunger. Although Franco’s dictatorship wasn’t a good period for Spain, when it changed to democracy, everything was new to people. Talking to my neighbor made me realize that that change shocked people and it was hard, but they got through it. Even though my neighbor was a postwar child, and lived in poverty almost all her live, she was happy to be with her family.
This was Franco’s dictatorship and the ‘Transition’ period through a contrast of oral history and facts of history.
Maite Santolaya Pascual
*I had to put it in color because if not the text won't be seen properly
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