The Cold War and the Franco dictatorship

1 A new world order: the bipolar system

2 China, the Non-Aligned countries and Latin America

3 The Cold War

4 Cold War art and architecture

5 Francoism: ideology and social support

6 The early years of the Franco dictatorship (1929-1959)

7 The later years of the Franco dictatorship (1959-1975)

 1. A new world order: the bipolar system
After the Second World War, the alliance that defeated the Axis broke up and a new
world order formed. The capitalist Western bloc was led by the US and the communist
Eastern bloc was led by the USSR.
The United States
• President Harry S. Truman issued the 1947 Truman Doctrine, which was a
commitment to help states defend their democracies against communism.
• The 1947 Marshall Plan also offered economic aid.
• In 1949 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created. It was a
military alliance between Western-bloc countries.

The USSR
• Communist-led governments controlled by the
CPSU were established in the Eastern-bloc
countries.
• The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
(COMECON) offered them financial aid.
• The 1955 Warsaw Pact was a military alliance
between the Eastern-bloc countries.
• Some countries preferred to remain neutral and
formed a third bloc of Non-Aligned Countries.
 1. A new world order: the bipolar system
Opposing political systems
• Western bloc: liberal democracies with separation of powers, universal suffrage and political pluralism. In these
societies human rights, private property and individual freedoms were protected. In the US there was a two-
party system and a deep anti-communist sentiment led to political repression. In Western Europe, most
countries were republics or had parliamentary monarchies. Portugal and Spain, however, both had military
dictatorships.
• Easterns bloc: single-party systems that controlled the economy and the media. Furthermore, they didn’t
respect human rights and restricted individual freedoms. In the USSR, the CPSU was the only legal political party.
In the satellite states of Eastern Europe, Stalin established people’s democracies. These were dictatorships based
on the Soviet model.
Opposing economies
• Western bloc: tremendous economic growth
from 1950–1970: a period referred to as the
golden years of capitalism. The European
Economic Community was established as a
result of the 1957 Treaty of Rome. With the
help of the US, Japan also experienced great
economic growth during this period.

• Easterns bloc: the lack of reform in

agriculture and shortages of consumer goods
led to an economic crisis and to the eventual
collapse of the communist system.
 1. A new world order: the bipolar system
Opposing societies
• Western bloc: the American Way became the model of capitalist society. State intervention and regulation led to
the establishment of welfare states. Economic growth led to political and social stability, along with an increase in
standards of living. Mass consumerism took hold as a result of cheaper products and greater individual buying
power. The media promoted a consumerist lifestyle and much of the population identified with it. A number of
protest movements emerged:
– the Civil Rights movement
– the hippie movement
– the May 1968 movement in France
– the second wave of feminism
• Eastern bloc: the USSR attempted to
establish an egalitarian society in which each
person contributed according to their ability
and received according to their needs. The
state provided free education, healthcare,
housing and electricity, while guaranteeing
paid employment for all. The state limited
individual rights and freedoms. It also
controlled education, the media and culture,
using all three to glorify itself. Opponents of
the regime were persecuted and punished
using various methods, including execution
and forced labour.
 2. China, the Non-Aligned countries and Latin America
The People’s Republic of China
• In 1912 the Republic of China was declared. It was a democratic regime with two political parties: one communist,
the other nationalist. The latter, led by Chiang Kai-shek, established a dictatorship which started a civil war.
• The civil war ended in victory for Mao Zedong in 1949, who created a single party communist dictatorship and
governed the newly-named People’s Republic of China.
• Using propaganda and military force, Zedong established a single-party communist dictatorship with a planned
economy.
The Non-Aligned Movement
• A coalition of neutral countries, the Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM), was created at the 1961 Belgrade Conference.
The countries sought national sovereignty, and condemned
racism and colonialism.
• They supported disarmament and pursued the closure of
military bases abroad.
• They were mainly developing countries; they agreed to
cooperate, support and promote growth amongst themselves.

Latin America
• During the 20th century, Latin America experienced a succession of democratic governments and dictatorships.
• After the Second World War, the US mainly left Latin America alone. When its political position was threatened,
however, it intervened.
 3. The Cold War
The Cold War was a period of rivalry and tension between the US and the USSR. During this ‘war’, the US and the
USSR took part in a nuclear arms race, the Space Race and formed military alliances (NATO and the Warsaw Pact).
However, there was never a direct armed conflict between the two because they both feared the nuclear apocalypse
that could ensue.

The initial pase (1947-1961)

In Germany, the US, France and the United
Kingdom unified the zones they occupied in
1948 and introduced economic reforms. The
USSR responded with the Berlin Blockade; the
West responded with the Berlin Airlift.
Germany was subsequently split into two
separate states. The American, British and
French zones became the Federal Republic of
Germany (FRG), or West Germany. Areas under
Soviet control became the German Democratic
Republic (GDR), or East Germany. Berlin was
also divided: West Berlin belonged to West
Germany and East Berlin to East Germany. In
1961 the Berlin Wall was built.
The 1950-53 Korean War, resulted in the
permanent separation of North Korea and
South Korea. The superpowers also intervened
in the 1956 Suez Crisis in Egypt.
 3. The Cold War
How people lived in Cold War Berlin
The Berlin Wall divided the city into two very different societies. West Berlin was part of the US-led Western bloc. It
became a city of the capitalist world with a free market, civil rights and freedoms. It followed the welfare state model.
East Berlin was part of the USSR-led Eastern bloc and followed the communist Soviet model. Although the city provided
free housing, electricity, education and healthcare, life was difficult. This was the result of a lack of consumer goods, strict
police surveillance and the absence of basic rights and freedoms

Guards with dogs

Surveillance towers

Dirt to show footprints

3. The Cold War
Peaceful coexistence (1962–1975)
The two sides signed treaties and made agreements to avoid
war and their relationship improved. Nevertheless, there
were still moments of tension.
• The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the two
blocs came to direct conflict during the Cold War. This
confrontation also resulted in the installation of a
Moscow-Washington hotline, which opened up a direct
line of communication between the two powers.
• Conflicts in the Middle East were also a source of tension
as the UN approved partition of Palestine led to the
Arab-Israeli conflict.
• The division of Vietnam into two opposing states was a
third source of tension.
The range of Soviet missiles placed in Cuba

The resurgence and end of the Cold War (1976-1991)

After the loss of the Vietnam War, US president Jimmy Carter opted for diplomacy. However, the Iranian
Revolution weakened the position of the US.
The USSR saw its position strengthened as communist regimes were established in Asia, Africa and Central
America. In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power in the USSR. This was the beginning of the end of the Cold
War. In 1991 the Eastern bloc disappeared after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and the USSR.
 4. Cold War art and architecture
The Western bloc
In the first half of the 20th century, freedom of expression allowed artists to explore
and develop new styles as part of the avant-garde movement.
• In sculpture, kinetic art developed in the 1960s and 1970s. It explored movement
by placing art on small supports which were motorised, turned by the wind or
moved by spectators. Alexander Calder’s mobiles are a good example.
• In painting, pop art developed as a critique against capitalist society and mass Campbell’s soup cans, by Andy Warhol
consumption. It was particularly popular in the 1970s and important figures
within the style are Andy Warhol and Roy Liechtenstein.
• Avant-garde art also developed during Franco’s regime in Spain. Antoni Tàpies
became well known in matter painting, which uses thick paint with other
substances added to it. Equipo Crónica experimented with pop art.

The Eastern bloc and China Fish, by Alexander Calder (1944)

In the USSR, avant-garde art was banned and socialist realism was made the
official style. It was pedagogical and exalted the working class and important
leaders. The style spread throughout the Eastern bloc and into China, where the
figure of Mao Zedong and the revolution were celebrated.
• In sculpture, commemorative works stand out, such as the Monument to the
people’s heroes in Beijing. Sculptures of leaders, such as the one of Stalin in his
hometown of Gori, were also characteristic.
• In painting, artists such as Alexander Deineka and Boris Kustodiev were
important Socialist realists. They produced murals as well as canvases.
Bolchevique, de Boris Kustódiev
 5. Francoism: ideology and social support
Francoism was the dictatorial regime established by Francisco Franco in Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975.
Ideological principles
Sustented by different parts of society
• It was anti-liberal. It rejected democracy, popular sovereignty
and parliamentarism. As such, it revoked all the democratic • The army was the main instrument of
elements introduced by the Second Republic, banned political repression and it guaranteed the regime’s
pluralism, limited the freedoms and rights of citizens and continuity.
harshly persecuted any opponents. • The Falange Española Tradicionalista (FET)
• It was nationalistic. National unity and defence of the and Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista
homeland were exalted. At the same time, it exercised strict (JONS) was the only official political party. It
centralism. Statutes of autonomy were revoked and regional helped control society through its Frente de
languages, such as Catalan, Basque and Galician, were banned. Juventudes and the Sección Femenina.
• It valued conservatism, militarism and Catholicism. The • The Catholic Church collaborated with the
regime glorified traditional military values, such as honour and regime and had a huge influence over
obedience. It also made Catholicism the only official religion. societal values, morals and education.
• It controlled information. Censorship was implemented in the • Monarchists, in particular Carlists and
media. This was applied on the radio and the television (such supporters of the Bourbons, supported
as Radio Nacional de España and Radiotelevisión Española) as Francoism and hoped it might lead to a
well as in the newspapers (such as El Alcázar and Diario Bourbon restoration.
Arriba). • The ruling classes backed the regime
• A cult of personality developed around Franco as a political because they benefitted socially and
and military leader. This was achieved through propaganda. economically from it.
 6. The early years of the Franco dictatorship
(1939-1959)
Post-war foreign and domestic policy
• 1939: the regime joined the Anti-Comintern
Pact, and Franco withdrew Spain from the
League of Nations. In August he established
a new government dominated by members of
the Falange and led by Ramón Serrano
Suñer.
• When the Second World War started in
September 1939, Franco declared Spain
neutral, but he sent the Blue Division to
fight with Germans. After a series of Allied
victories in 1943, Franco reasserted Spain’s
neutrality. But it was too late and Spain Franco with US president Eisenhower at the Torrejón de Ardoz air base in 1959

was excluded from the San Francisco

Conference at the end of the Second • The UN publicly condemned the Franco dictatorship in 1946
World War. and most countries ended diplomatic relations with Spain.
• To improve the his regime’s reputation, • By the early 1950s, the Franco dictatorship was fully
Franco formed a new government with established. In 1953, he signed an agreement with the US,
fewer Falangists and renamed it the and in 1955, Spain joined the UN.
National Movement.
 6. The early years of the Franco dictatorship
(1939-1959)
Repression under Franco’s regime
As soon as the Civil War ended, repression began against
suspected supporters of the Republican side. A number of
policies helped maintain Franco’s regime, end dissidence
and control the population.
• Political crimes and public disobedience were tried in
military courts.
• Prisons overflowed with people who opposed the
regime. Prisoners lived in terrible conditions and many A prison in Ocaña in 1952
were subject to forced labour. In addition, many
Republican soldiers were sent to concentration camps. Opposition to the regime
• No one was safe from the purge; it also affected judges, • The armed forces and the police struggled to supress
prosecutors, teachers and foreign diplomats. the re-emergence of political parties and trade unions.
• People and businesses experienced economic • Another wave of opposition came from monarchists.
repression if they were suspected of opposition. When Alfonso XIII died in 1941, his successor, Juan of
• The country also experienced cultural repression Bourbon, made public his desire to take the throne. In
because intellectual, artistic and cultural activities were 1945, he published The Lausanne manifesto, which
censored along with the media. called for the restoration of the monarchy in Spain.
• Furthermore, all non-Catholic religious practices were • Exiled Republicans and labour movements tried to
repressed as well as culture and language in Cataluña coordinate an anti-Franco movement abroad. This
and País Vasco. movement never materialised though.
 6. The early years of the Franco dictatorship
(1939-1959) Economic autarky
Society and culture The country experienced a profound crisis. In this context,
the government moved the country towards economic
• In the early years of the regime, society was rural, autarky:
traditional, Catholic and patriarchal. This was characterised by the promotion of self-
• Food shortages, rationing, reduced buying power sufficiency, the introduction of protectionist policies and
and dependency on the black market led to hunger. government intervention in the economy.
A lack of fuel and poor housing left many suffering — Within agriculture, the government forced farmers
during cold weather. Poor hygiene and a lack of to sell certain products, such as wheat, at very low
healthcare made diseases and epidemics common. prices. This made the black market flourish.
• The Falange expanded its social presence by — In the secondary sector, protectionist policies
establishing youth groups, women’s groups and limited imports from abroad, such as raw materials,
university organisations. fuel and technology. The Instituto Nacional de
• The Catholic Church set moral standards and Industria (INI) was established included government-
controlled education. owned companies, such as Iberia, Endesa and SEAT.
• Women in society were once again limited to the — In the tertiary sector, domestic trade suffered as
role of wives and mothers. They were discriminated price controls held back production and resulted in a
against legally and socially. shortage of products.
• The exile, repression and censorship of intellectuals • The state introduced ration cards to control the
and artists negatively affected culture during the distribution of basic goods across the population. It also
early years. introduced a system to control the distribution of raw
• Culture and leisure activities were restricted and materials across industry.
controlled by the regime.
7. The later years of the Franco dictatorship
(1958-1975)
The economy
The SEAT 600
Spain went through a period of economic growth which lasted Despite being very small, sales for this
until the 1973 Oil Crisis.
Spanish car were very high during Spain’s
• In 1959, technocrats, who wanted to move away from
autarky and open Spain’s economy, introduced the period of economic development under
Stabilisation Plan. Franco.
• In the primary sector, rural depopulation reduced the labour Between 1957 and 1973, almost 800 000
force as day labourers and peasants moved to the cities. This units of this model were sold.
forced the modernization and mechanisation of farming
which, in turn, increased productivity.
• Liberal policies helped improve the secondary
sector as it led to more foreign investment,
better technology, the modernisation of
infrastructure and access to foreign markets.
• The tertiary sector experienced considerable growth during
the later years of the regime. This was thanks to urbanisation
and increased buying power.
• Economic growth, however, was uneven. Certain regions,
such as Madrid, Cataluña, País Vasco and the Levante,
benefited the most.
7. The later years of the Franco dictatorship
(1958-1975) Culture
Society • A slight relaxation in censorship allowed
intellectuals more freedom.
• Spanish society experienced great changes. It was • Popular culture developed greatly. Football and
a time of huge population growth (or ‘baby bullfighting continued to be popular and radio
boom’) thanks to a high birth rate and a declining became the main form of entertainment.
death rate.
• People started listening to pop music by
• Rural depopulation increased as people moved international groups, Protest songs, such as those
from the countryside to industrialised or by Joan Manuel Serrat, Lluís Llach and Raimon, also
developed areas, such as País Vasco, Barcelona became popular.
and Madrid, and to countries such as France,
Switzerland and Germany. • Most Spanish homes also had a television.
• The country quickly transformed from a rural
society to an urban one.
• Economic growth and urbanisation led to the
emergence of a new middle class.
• For most people in Spain, quality of life improved.
• Foreign cultures, customs and ideas influenced the
population more. Women began demanding
equality in education and work.
• Gradually, a desire for democracy took hold of the
population.

Television programming began in 1957. By 1975,

90% of Spanish homes had one.
 7. The later years of the Franco dictatorship
(1958-1975) • In 1969, he declared that Prince Juan Carlos would be his
Political division and opposition successor and would follow the principles of the regime.
• During the 1960s, a divide developed within the • Repression of opposition movements continued throughout
regime. On one side were the immobilists. On the this period, with the Brigada Político-Social.
other side were the more liberal aperturistas: • The labour movement grew stronger and a new trade union
— The immobilists were represented by Luis emerged called the Comisiones Obreras. Protests also
Carrero Blanco and the more traditional increased on university campuses during this period.
Falangists. They wanted to maintain the regime • Basque and Catalan nationalism reappeared. At the same
by establishing a monarchy. The plan was for time, the terrorist group ETA began its violent campaign
Prince Juan Carlos to become king after Franco’s against Francoism.
death. • The alliance between the Catholic Church and the state
— The aperturistas were mostly reformed started to break down.
Falangists. They wanted to maintain the regime • Opposition political parties were able to rebuild themselves
by introducing a presidential system led by a underground. The Partido Comunista de España was
military officer. The objective was to reconcile particularly successful.
the political system of Spain with its more
modern society. They organised the trade union
elections of 1966. From within the regime, they
introduced laws promoting freedom of the press
and religious freedom.
• In 1967, Franco made Luis Carrero Blanco deputy
prime minister.
People running, by Juan Genovés
7. The later years of the Franco dictatorship
(1958-1975)
The end of the Franco dictatorship
• In the 1970s, Francoism entered a period of crisis. Tensions grew
across the country as the government supressed student and worker
protests, opposition activities and displays of regional nationalism.
— In 1970, the Burgos trials took place. These were the prosecutions
of 16 members of ETA for their involvement in the murder of two
police officers. The trial ended with a number of death sentences.
— In the middle of 1973, Franco consolidated Luis Carrero Blanco’s
authority by making him prime minster. In December of 1973,
Carrero Blanco was assassinated by ETA.
— The 1973 Oil Crisis ended the country’s period of economic
development, which increased social unrest.
— In October 1975, Franco became seriously ill. The Moroccan
government took advantage of his ill health to promote its Green
March, which was in reality a peaceful invasion of the Spanish
Sahara. With Franco’s death approaching, the Madrid Accords
were signed and Spain withdrew from the Sahara.
The assassination of Carrero Blanco was a huge blow
• Franco died on 20 November 1975. Two days later, Juan Carlos I was to the Franco dictatorship because he was
declared king of Spain. considered a key figure in order for it to continue.