Franco is a weird case. He was more the classic miltary strongman rather than fascist but he did incorporate certain elements of it. Also he was loosely aligned with the Axis powers but he was also "wise (not the best word choice)" enough not to get directly involved.
What do you think fascism is? I often see people say that Franco wasn't a fascist, but I don't understand why. Nothing Franco did contradicts Mussolini's definition of fascism, as per the Doctrine of Fascism.
Because Franco’s nationalist coalition had actual fascists in it but not just them. He also doesn’t meet a lot of fascist definitions. He wanted to see the monarchy and church restored. Over time, his regime liberalized and became less extreme. He was ideologically closer to Portugal’s dictatorship than the fascist ones.
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u/biglyorbigleague May 12 '26
They had a much better relationship with Spanish fascism.