Francisco Franco

In 1923, he married María del Carmen Polo y Martínez-Valdès. The couple had one daughter.

He suffered from Parkinson’s disease during his later years and died on 20 November 1975 in Madrid, Spain.

Francisco Franco Bahamonde was born on 4 December 1892 in Ferrol, Galicia, Spain. His father Nicolás Franco y Salgado Araújo was an officer in the Spanish Naval Administrative Corps. His mother’s name was María del Pilar Bahamonde y Pardo de Andrade.

He grew up with two brothers and two sisters, and was very close to his mother. His early life was troubled as his father was an eccentric and wasteful man.

He entered the Infantry Academy at Toledo in 1907, aged just 14. He graduated three years later as a lieutenant.

Following his graduation he volunteered for active duty in the campaigns in Spanish Morocco and was transferred there in 1912 at age 19. The next year, he was promoted to first lieutenant.

An ambitious and determined young man, he was made the captain in 1915 and chosen to be second in command of the Spanish Foreign Legion in 1920, taking full command in 1923. His stature as a military officer continued to rise rapidly and in 1926, at age 33, he was promoted to brigadier general.

He was appointed the director of the newly organized General Military Academy in Saragossa in 1928. This was a tumultuous period in the nation’s history and in 1931, Spanish King Alfonso XIII was pressurized to hold democratic elections. People voted for a republic and this led to the fall of Spanish Monarchy. The former king went into exile and left Spain.

The leaders of the newly formed Spanish Republic initiated a major military reform which stalled Franco’s flourishing career. In addition, the General Military Academy was dissolved and he was placed on the inactive list.

In 1933, the conservative forces gained control of the republic and Franco’s military career was re-established. He was promoted to major general in 1934, and the same year he was called to quell a revolt by Asturian miners. He was successful in his mission and this earned him new respect as a military leader.

Francisco Franco ruled over Spain as a dictator for 36 long years. A ruthless ruler, he was notorious for the numerous politically-motivated violent acts he instigated, mostly against political and ideological enemies. He is believed to have caused an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 deaths. The final years of his rule were relatively more liberal and Spain made considerable economic progress in the last two decades under him.