Franco: Soldier, Commander, Dictator (Military Profiles

Military Profiles

by Geoffrey Jensen

Before becoming one of the longest-ruling dictators of the twentieth century, Francisco Franco commanded troops in the kinds of wars that have since become all too familiar. He not only waged vicious counterinsurgency campaigns against Muslim warlords and defiant tribes in Morocco, but he also led a multinational force to victory in Europe’s “dress rehearsal” for World War II—the Spanish Civil War.

Born into a military family in 1892, Francisco Franco first made a name for himself leading attacks against rebellious Moroccan warlords and tribesmen and by 1926 was promoted to brigadier general. His role in the ruthless suppression of the 1934 revolution by coal miners in Asturias sealed his reputation for brutality, although Franco saw it as simply carrying out an order in the most efficient manner possible. In 1936, as head of Spain's formidable Army of Africa, Franco joined a military revolt against the Popular Front government of the republic. He quickly secured the support of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, touching off more than two years of bloody civil war. Within months of the wars outbreak he became generalissimo and head of state of the rebel camp, and in 1939 Britain and France recognized him as the legitimate ruler of Spain.

He then outlasted fellow dictators Hitler and Stalin by decades, dying in 1975 at the helm of the same regime he had established in Spain before the Second World War. In this engaging and concise introduction to the generalissimo’s life on and off the battlefield, Geoffrey Jensen makes clear how Franco’s military experiences helped shape the character of his dictatorship and its repressive policies.

Genres: History, Biography, World War II, Politics

135 pages, Paperback

First published April 27, 2005

Reviews

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative short read with well-balanced coverage of Franco’s life and career and the broader context of both. I feel like I have a much better grasp of 20th-century Spain, especially the extraordinarily complex background to and experience of the Spanish Civil War, thanks to the perspective offered here.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I like short books, I feel that this book was too short to do justice to its subject. I was not convinced that Franco had any real merit as a military commander. I left this book concluding only that his early service in colonial wars in Morocco turned him into a ruthless bastard.

[William Sariego · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent short biography of one of the 20th centuries many controversial figures. The book is a great starting point for a more detailed life study of the man. While I wish it went into more depth on the post-war years, I realize that is beyond the scope of the author's military angle. In this case brevity might not be a bad thing. Franco is a polarizing figure and academics often inject their politics among the verbiage, which is often beside the point. If this book is any indication of The Potomac Military Series, I'll have to look into more volumes.

[Pujan Ziaie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at Franco's life from a military perspective. It wasn't a the biography I was expecting.