Falange - Early history, Spanish Civil War, After the war, Post-Franco era, Falangism today, Debate

A Spanish fascist movement, founded in 1933 by José Antonio Primo de Rivera (1903–36). It merged in 1934 with the Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista (JONS) to form the Falange Española de las JONS, and participated in the right-wing rising of July 1936 and the subsequent Civil War. It was fused by Franco in 1937 with other rightist forces to form the single party of Nationalist Spain.

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The Falange (or Phalange) is the name assigned to several political movements and parties dating from the 1930s, most particularly the original movement in Spain.

In Spain, the Falange was an authoritarian political organization founded by José Antonio Primo de Rivera in 1933 in opposition to the Second Spanish Republic.

During the Spanish Civil War the Falange became a leading force on the Nationalist side. During the war, the Falange was combined by decree (Unification Decree) with the Carlist party, under the sole command of Generalísimo Franco, forming the core of the sole official political organization in Spain, the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista, or "Spanish Traditionalist Phalanx of the Assemblies of National-Syndicalist Offensive" (FET y de las JONS).

Members of the party were called Falangists (Spanish: Falangistas).

Early history

The year after its founding, the Falange united with the Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista of Onésimo Redondo, Ramiro Ledesma Ramos, and others, becoming Falange Española de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista.

After the electoral victory of the Popular Front, the party suffered some official persecution and Primo de Rivera was arrested on (6 July 1936).

Spanish Civil War

During the Spanish Civil War, the Falangists fought on the Nationalist side against the Left-led Republic, being the fastest growing party on their side (from a few thousands to some hundred thousand members before the Unification).

The command of the party rested upon Manuel Hedilla, as many of the first generation leaders were dead or incarcerated by the Republicans.

After Franco seized power, on 19 April 1937 Franco united under his command the Falange with the Carlist Comunión Tradicionalista, forming Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS (FET de las JONS), whose official ideology were the falangist's 27 puntos.

Most of the property of all other parties and trade unions were assigned to the party.

After the war

After the war, the party was charged with developing an ideology for Franco's regime.

After the opening to the United States and the Spanish Miracle of the 1950s, Franco began working with younger, more technocratic politicians linked to Opus Dei.

Post-Franco era

After Franco's death (20 November 1975, also known as "20-N") the Spanish Crown was restored to the House of Borbón in the person of HM King Juan Carlos, and a move towards democratization begun under Adolfo Suárez, a former chief of the movimiento. Chief among these are Falange Auténtica, Falange Española Independiente, FE - La Falange and Falange Española de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista, the latter taking its name from the historical party.

Falangism today

Despite changing times, Falangism remains a living political philosophy.

Debate

Whether or not Falangism is an right wing movement is a topic of constant debate between those who consider themselves Falangists and people of other parties, particularly extreme leftists.

As their actions were not sympathetic neither to the left-wing parties (their program was addressed to low and middle-class people, so it was a competition for the same "market") nor the right-wing (due their distributist policy), most of the analysts supported by any political group agree that Falangism is, indeed, a right-wing, monarchic, traditionalist anti-democratic, political movement due to its emphasis on family, free enterprise, and regionalism.

The facts are that Primo de Rivera publicly rejected the invitation to the International Fascism meeting, and also rejected the recruitment of monarchic relevant politicians, even when there were strong personal links with some of them (e.g.