• Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teodulo Franco Bahamonde was born on 4 December 1892 to Pilar Bahamonde and Nicolas Franco, a navy official. He was born in El Ferrol, a town in the province of Galicia, at the northwestern tip of the Iberian peninsula. He was the second of four children.
• Franco was educated at a private school until he was 12. He then went to the Naval School. However in 1907, the Spanish government suspended further admissions to the Naval Academy. Franco therefore decided to join the Infantry Academy in Toledo.
• He did not distinguish himself at the Academy and graduated as second lieutenant, being posted back in El Ferrol as part of the 8th Zamora Regiment in the summer of 1910.
• In 1909, Spain had begun sending troops into Morocco, initially at the request of the commander of Melilla, a town on the Moroccan coast. Along with Ceuta, another town on the northern coast, these were the two main strongholds in Africa maintained by Spain (incidentally, they both still belong to Spain at present). This had caused unrest at home (notably in Barcelona, where they were political demonstrations), but the war continued. Thus, Franco applied to go to Africa and arrived in Melilla in February 1912.
• Franco was an officer in the Cuerpo de Indigenas Regulares, a corps of native soldiers used as front-line troops. Over the next three years he took part in many operations, earning a Military Cross, and being promoted to captain by 1915.
• The next year, 1916, during an attack on the village of El Biutz, he received a serious gunshot wound in the abdomen, for the only time during his army career. For this he was awarded the St Ferdinand Cross, and promoted again to the rank of major.
• He returned to Spain, and was sent to Oviedo in 1917, in the province of Asturias (which was neighboured by Galicia on the west). During August, the Union General de Trabajadores (the General Workers' Union) organised a nationwide strike. Asturias was one of the major coal-mining regions of Spain, and the strike here was particularly damaging to the economy. The army here was ordered to suppress the strike, which was done, although Franco himself was not involved.
• During his time in Asturias, he met Maria del Carmen Polo, whom he proposed to in 1920. He also encountered Major Jose Millan-Astray, who had set up a Foreign Legion (ie a multinational volunteer force), and wanted Franco to be his second-in-command.
• So in October 1920, Franco returned to Ceuta, Morocco. Despite outstanding courage during the two years there, when Major Millan-Astray was removed from command of the Foreign Legion, Lieutenant-Colonel Valanzuela replaced him, and Franco applied to go back to Oviedo. But Valanzuela died in early 1923, and Franco was now given command of the Legion. Therefore he was obliged to go back to Morocco after his marriage to Carmen Polo.
• The new regime of General Miguel Primo de Rivera however decided to pull out of Morocco, and while Franco did not appreciate this, he complied and vacated the city of Xauen. In February 1925, he rose to the status of colonel.
• Primo de Rivera changed his mind and allowed a final attack by sea south of Ceuta, in the bay of Alhucemas. Here Franco's Legion were successful in their dangerous task of going first onto the shore and establishing a foothold for the other troops. Subsequently the Moroccan forces of Abd El-Krim were routed. After this, Franco was promoted to brigadier-general at the age of 33, becoming the youngest general in Europe, and returned once more to mainland Spain as a hero.
• In the same year, 1926, his daughter, Carmencita, was born. He was given command of the garrison in Madrid upon his return. Although there was little to do here, he was able to understand the political problems in the capital - the growing republican sentiment, and the attempted military coups.
• Primo de Rivera had decided to build a new nationwide military academy for all army recruits, as part of his reform of the military. Due to his loyalty, Franco was appointed to be Director of the General Military Academy in 1927. The next year it was completed in the city of Zaragoza, and Franco took up his post there.
• By 1930, Primo de Rivera's government had lost support amongst Conservatives, and faced the growing republican threat. On 30 January, Primo de Rivera resigned. He was replaced by General Damaso Berenguer but this didn't alleviate the situation.
• Soon after, the Accion Republicana party was set up, the first republican party. On 17 August 1930, the Pact of San Sebastian was signed by a group of liberal and republican politicians, calling for the overthrow of the monarchy. A few months later, the PSOE (the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) signed the Pact?, and a Revolutionary Committee was set up. Franco however did not take part in this and continued to support the government and monarchy, and was made a Gentleman of the King's Chamber.
• In December 1930, an uprising occurred in the town of Jaca, and the rebels marched south. But it was badly organised, and the leaders were soon captured and executed.
• The next year, the Revolutionary Committee was arrested and imprisoned. Franco's younger brother, Ramon Franco, was leader of the Agrupacion Militar Republicana (Republican Military Group), and in the crackdown was forced to escape to Portugal, and later to Uruguay.
• In April 1931 local government elections were held. The republicans won huge majorities in the urban centres, though conservatives managed to carry the rural areas (either legally or through rigged ballots). General Berenguer was not prepared to defend the monarchy any longer if there was a revolt. King Alfonso's own cabinet were in favour of his abdication, and so on 14 April 1931 King Alfonso XIII left Spain, and the Second Republic was created.
• Manuel Azana Diaz, one of the signatories of the Pact of San Sebastian, was made Minister for War in the provisional liberal left-wing government that was set up. Others in the Revolutionary Committee also took cabinet positions. He proceeded to trim the military and remove its influence on politics. As part of this, towards the end of June, he ordered the closure of four of the military academies, including Franco's Academy. On 14 July 1931, Franco delivered a passionate and bitter speech against the new government, for which he was formally reprimanded by Azana. Upon the resignation of Niceto Alcala Zamora, prompted due to his anticlerical measures, in October, Azana became Prime Minister, but depended on the support of the left-wing PSOE. Meanwhile, in December, Niceto Alcala Zamora became the first President.
• Since Franco's departure from Zaragoza, Azana deliberately kept him inactive for the next 8 months, which Franco spent in Asturias. Franco was then finally posted to La Coruna, in Galicia, in February 1932.
• In August 1932, General Sanjurjo, who had been another victim of Azana's policies (demoted from Director of the Civil Guard to Head of the Frontier Police), organised a military coup which was quelled quickly. Franco again had refused to be drawn into insurrection, despite having been asked.
• In February 1933, Franco was sent to be Governor of the Balearic Islands, based in Palma de Mallorca. This was due to Mussolini's rise to power in Italy and his expansionist ambitions.
• After the harsh suppression of demonstrations, Azana soon found himself unpopular in parliament. His slide began with incidents in 1931, in Castilblanco and Arnedo, where Civil Guards opened fire on peaceful demonstrations by peasants. Then in 1933, at Casas Viejas a communist settlement was declared. Civil guards approached it, and set fire to the village, resulting in people being burned alive, and others being rounded up and shot. Soon after this, in March 1933, Azana just survived a vote of confidence. But in September, he was forced to resign. Elections were to be held in November.
• The Confederacion Espanola de Derechas Autonomas (CEDA - an umbrella group of conservative parties) asked Franco to stand as one of its candidates for the election, but Franco decided to stay in the army.
• In any case, CEDA was part of the new government. After the Minister for War, Diego Hidalgo Duran met Franco in February 1934, the government proposed to make him full general, which President Alcala Zamora acquiesced to in March.
• In October, there was a revolt by miners in Asturias against the right-wing government, and Franco was asked to suppress this. He accepted this with enthusiasm, partly since he too had become more and more conservative and anti-communist. He proceeded to bring units from the Foreign Legion and the Regulares to put the revolt down harshly, which was successfully done by November.
• In March 1935, Franco was rewarded for his success by being made Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Africa. But just two months later, in May, after a general election put another right-wing coalition into power, Franco was again promoted, now to Chief of the Central General Staff. In his new role, Franco began reversing Azana's measures regarding the military.
• After fresh governmental crises, parliament was dissolved again by Alcala Zamora in January 1936. The leader of the Left, Manuel Azana organised a huge coalition of socialist, liberal, communist and anarchist parties. This was the Popular Front. It was swept to power in the February elections. Azana became President afterwards.
• Franco was alarmed by this, and tried repeatedly to persuade the new Minister for War to declare a state of emergency, so that martial law could be enforced. He also tried to persuade the Director-General of the Civil Guard, General Pozas, to mobilise the Civil Guard, and to order a state of war in Asturias and Barcelonas, but was not successful.
• The new government decided to post Franco and other hostile generals to distant places. Franco was sent to the Canary Islands at the end of February, in his own words making him a 'prisoner' out there.
• Three months later, in a local election in the small town of Cuenca, Franco allowed himself to be a CEDA candidate, but withdrew after objections by another candidate.
• Others in the military led by General Mola, planned a revolution for later in the year, but wanted the huge Army of Africa to take part. For this, they would need Franco, who the troops would undoubtedly serve. On 12 July, however, Franco stated he wouldn't join the others. Two days later, he changed his mind.
• Franco now needed to get back to Spain. The conspirators provided a private plane for him at Las Palmas, on Gran Canaria. Franco, however, was on Tenerife, and needed permission from the Minister for War to go to Gran Canaria. He was refused permission. Luckily, on 16 July, the commander of Gran Canaria died in an accident, and Franco arrived there the next day for the funeral.
• Revolution was proclaimed on 17 July 1936, as the rebel troops rose up in various parts of Spain. After initial shock, the Republic allowed its supporters to be armed against the rebels, who soon called themselves 'Nationalists', and the Spanish Civil War began.
• Franco flew to Morocco, landing on 19 July in Tetuan to command his Army of Africa. However the Navy had not joined this coup. Franco made direct appeals to Germany and Italy for assistance, and received transport planes, fighters, and bombers in return. This enabled his army to cross the Straits of Gibraltar with air cover.
• Franco was soon named Commander of the Armies of Africa and Southern Spain by the rebels. General Sanjurjo had died, and two others had been imprisoned. General Mola was commanding the army in northern Spain, but was not as senior or popular as Franco. Duly on 28 September 1936, Franco was voted Generalisimo by the Nationalist Defence Command. On 1 October, he officially became the Head of State for the Nationalists. The Nationalists mainly held the western half of the country, while the Republicans held the eastern half, including Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.
• The bulk of Nationalist forces converged on Madrid at the end of the year, and repeatedly failed to take Madrid, though there were heavy losses on both sides.
• Therefore in 1937, Franco decided to undertake an offensive in the north of Spain. The Basque region was the first to be invaded. On 26 April, the town of Guernica was annihilated. By autumn, Santander and the Basque region fell. Soon after, Asturias fell to the Nationalists too.
• During 1938, the Nationalists gained control of Catalonia, as victory seemed promising. Barcelona fell at the end of January 1939, and President Azana resigned, going into exile. On 27 March 1939, Madrid fell. On 1 April, Franco declared the war was over. Finally, on 18 May, he entered Madrid, and awarded himself (!) the Saint Ferdinand Cross with laurels (Spain's highest military honour).
• Spain now had to recover from war, and specifically the ravages that had occurred in the countryside - there was the risk of famine, and these years were called 'the hungry years.' Despite the onset of World War II and the Nazi help, Spain had to remain neutral. Even so, here Franco shows his disloyalty and greed - he first gravitates towards the Axis forces (when he thought they were going to win), and then to the Allies towards the eve of the war. During all this, he invades Morocco, and tries to carve out some territory in north Africa, whilst the war wages. At home, dissension is quelled, and his regime becomes more and more authoritarian.
• In the immediate aftermath, France and Britain refuse to restore full diplomatic relations with Spain, and it was excluded from the UN - indeed condemned in 1946.
• But the Soviet threat and economic interests compelled the West to court it, and in 1950, the UN allowed reinstatement of ambassadors. More importantly, in 1953, the US signed a treaty with Spain offering aid in return for building bases in the country. Preparations to join NATO were made.
• In 1956, French and Spanish Morocco had strong nationalist movements. France soon had to cede its territory, and Spain quickly followed, such was the fervor in Morocco - so independence was established.
• After reshuffling his cabinet in 1957, Franco began to recede from political life. He participated in more public events, celebrations, and indulged in his own pastimes. His trusted advisor, Luis Carrero Blanco, took over everyday tasks. He started to suffer from Parkinson's disease at this time too, although it was hidden from the public. A hunting accident in 1961 (where Franco misfired a shotgun injuring himself) was similarly played down.
• Franco spent the next few years formulating an 'Organic Law of the State' which was to lay down a type of constitution for Spain - illustrating how it was to be run, how the legislative, executive and judiciary should interact, and so on. This was submitted to a mock referendum in 1966, where 95% supported Franco (but this is highly questionable, as is the 88% turnout).
• By the late 1960s, the main political question in Spain was of the post-Franco future. Franco was repeatedly urged to name a successor (these calls intensified after his accident). In 1969, when Carrero Blanco became the Vice-President, Franco finally revealed his appointed successor - Don Juan Carlos, now Prince of Spain, the son of King Alfonso XIII.
• In June 1973, Carrero Blanco became the Head of Government. However in December he was assassinated using a car bomb. The perpetrators were a new group called Euskadi Ta Askatasuna or ETA.
• On 15 October 1975, the frail Franco suffered a heart attack. Two more followed in later in the month. He allowed Prince Juan Carlos to become the Head of State on 30 October. With his condition becoming critical, he was kept alive in the hospital until 20 November 1975, but died on that morning.
• On 22 November, King Juan Carlos I was inaugurated, and ironically just the following day, Franco's state funeral was held. He was buried at the 'Valley of the Fallen' (a church built under his orders in the mountains) in a huge tomb.

Francisco Franco