General Franco

[María José]

Escrito originalmente por Tomisimo

Muchas veces después de los hechos, tendemos a tratar the cambiar la historia. It's a real eye-opener to read a US History textbook from another country and compare it to a US History textbook from the United States. Or do the same with any other country. Read a history book from that country about that country's own history, then read a similar history book published in another country. Quite educativo.

I often do that with the news. I agree with you, it gives you a different perspective. Enlightening, in fact.

[poli]

No soy un experto en la historia del siglo 20 en España, pero si no estoy equivicado, Franco prohibiba los idiomas aparte del castillano. La
situación económica mejoró en España depués de la guerra (como el resto de Europa y Norte America), y España empezó la social seguridad como el resto de Europa, pero había lo que a mi me parece una falta de libertad. La gente ni podían hablar su propia idioma si lo que leí es correcto.

Lo bueno de la época de Franco es que España quedó como un subcontinente, un continente ibérica aparte de resto de Europa. Apartado de internacionalismo que empezó a florecer en Europa en los añs 6o con el mercado común, España cultivaba su hispanadad aislada. Ya sin Franco todo había cambiado y España es parte de la comunidad internacional de Europa y algo del carácter auctóctono de España se marchitó.

I'm not Spanish, and what I write about is from the little I have read, but
more from what I have experienced in visiting Spain over a period of time
and observing cultural changes in the country.

Please don't take what I say as the final word, but I think there may be some sense to it. I don't wish to insult anybody and almost every leaderh as accomplished something good, (Mussolini drained the marshes and
made the trains run on time). Even Bush may have done something good,
although at the moment nothing comes to mind. I can't help but think that
a generation of Spaniards was short changed by Franco's 40 year semi-closed door.

[María José]

History, like everything in life, is subjective. I'll have to put you in touch with my Mum. She'll give you a piece of her mind...

[poli]

I would love to speak with her, but it feel that I would be una cucaracha
en un baile de gallinas. She knows more that I having lived through it.

Sin embargo miro a evidencia imperical. Inglaterra produjo": The Loneliness
of a Long Distance Runner, Georgy Girl, Room at the Top, Morgan, Julie Christie, Alan Bates. Vanessa Redgrave, Georgia Brown, Albert Finney(I could go on) France had Godard, Demy, Denueuve, Bardot, Trintignot, Belmundo. Italy had Fellini (enough said) but also DeSica, Antonioni, Bertolucci, Sophia.

Spain a country with comparitive cultural richness produced Sara Montiel in those same years y poco más. Many of Spain's creative people seeked refuge in Mexico and France. One can't help but think that Spain was stunted under military rule.

I would love to hear her argument in favor of Franco. If she is as intellingent and well studied as you, I'm sure she could be articulate about it.

[Sancho Panther]

Let's be in no doubt about this - Franco was a monumentally, foul, evil, cruel dictator, in the same category as Hitler, Stalin, Moa Tse Tung and Pol Pot etc. Ayone who says otherwise clearly hasn't studied his biography and history, (refer to Paul Preston's 'Franco' and Hugh Thomas' 'The Spanish Civil War). Whatever good came in his regime was in spite of his efforts not because of them.

Two points from previous postings - Franco did not start the war, he was Military Governor of Las Canarias and would not commit either way to the conspirators in Madrid - he dithered and equivocated. The chosen new Head of State was to be Gen. Sanjurjo who on insiting on loading his full dress regalia into the tiny aircraft ferrying him from Portugal caused it to crash on take-off and kill him! Franco was substituted.

Furthermore he was far, far from being stupid, he was a brave and inspired soldier - in turn the youngest ever Major, Lt Col, Colonel, etc etc right to the top, he earned all his promotions. That was his trouble, he tried to run Spain as if he was an occupying General in a hostile land.

Please before anyone defends this vile, inhuman creature - go to the library and do your research.