Facts On Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (1892-1975) was dictator of Spain for nearly four decades. After prevailing victorious from the bloody civil war, Franco executed political opponents, repressed the autonomous regions of the Basque country and Catalonia as well as taking complete authoritarian control over the nation. Here are some facts that you may not have known about the ruthless Generalississimo:
1) Franco was an avid Real Madrid supporter.
The region of Catalonia gave Franco many issues throughout his lifetime. During the civil war, Catalonia was the home of socialist thought and proved a place of strict resistance to the Nationalist onslaught; Barcelona would finally fall to the Nationalists in the final year of the conflict. For proving such a thorne in the Nationalists war effort, Franco strictly repressed the Catalonian culture- this included their famous football club, FC Barcelona. Franco ordered the club to change their name from the latter to ‘ Spanish Barcelona Club de Futbol’, they did not and FC Barcelona’s President was mysteriously killed. Unlike FC Barcelona, Real Madrid was the traditionalist Spanish football club. Its name ‘Real’, which is Spanish for royalty, was gifted to the club by King Alfonso XIII. Thus, Franco opted to support Real Madrid as the club underlined the more traditional and conservative ideologies of Spain.
2) Navy was preferred over the Army.
Inspired by his father, Franco opted to pursue a career on the sea before land. However, due to the loss of Spain’s once famous Empire, the government at the time of Franco’s admission into Naval Academy saw the need to cut expenditure and therefore decided to slash the amount of cadets entering into the Navy; and unfortunately for Franco, he was one of them. The young Franco decided to enroll at the Infantry Academy of Toledo, and the rest they say, is history
3) Due to a gunshot wound, he only had one testis.
From 1912 onwards, Franco was stationed in Spanish Morocco. He made a name for himself by being a ruthless leader and a barbaric General. Nonetheless, Franco received a gunshot wound to the abdomen in 1916 which resulted in the removal of a sensitive part of his anatomy!
4) Initially, Franco did not back the military coup of 1936.
After being exiled to the Canary Islands by the Second Republic, Franco at first stuttered in his support of the coup d’etat. This was because he believed it was not the most beneficial time to launch the offensive. However, after the assassination by Leftist police of right-wing politician Jose Calvo Sotelo, Franco gave his support to the rebel forces and thus began communicating with Adolf Hitler for vital military aid.
5) His hobbies included hunting and fishing.
As Franco began to age, he decided to relax and stay out of day to day political affairs. Instead Franco opted to hunt game and go fishing in the Mediterranean Sea.
6) He became Europe’s youngest General since Napoleon.
After showing impressive military intelligence in Spanish Morocco and especially in the Rif War, Franco received the ultimate reward. On the 3rd of February 1926, Franco was summoned before King Alfonso XIII and was presented with the title of General; making him the youngest in Europe at the time since the Frenchman.
7)Franco only had one child.
Franco married his wife Carmen Meiras in 1923 and three years later had their first and only child, a girl called Carmen Franco. She later married a Spanish heart surgeon and went on to have seven children.
By Mure Grant
The region of Catalonia gave Franco many issues throughout his lifetime. During the civil war, Catalonia was the home of socialist thought and proved a place of strict resistance to the Nationalist onslaught; Barcelona would finally fall to the Nationalists in the final year of the conflict. For proving such a thorne in the Nationalists war effort, Franco strictly repressed the Catalonian culture- this included their famous football club, FC Barcelona. Franco ordered the club to change their name from the latter to ‘ Spanish Barcelona Club de Futbol’, they did not and FC Barcelona’s President was mysteriously killed. Unlike FC Barcelona, Real Madrid was the traditionalist Spanish football club. Its name ‘Real’, which is Spanish for royalty, was gifted to the club by King Alfonso XIII. Thus, Franco opted to support Real Madrid as the club underlined the more traditional and conservative ideologies of Spain.
2) Navy was preferred over the Army.
Inspired by his father, Franco opted to pursue a career on the sea before land. However, due to the loss of Spain’s once famous Empire, the government at the time of Franco’s admission into Naval Academy saw the need to cut expenditure and therefore decided to slash the amount of cadets entering into the Navy; and unfortunately for Franco, he was one of them. The young Franco decided to enroll at the Infantry Academy of Toledo, and the rest they say, is history
3) Due to a gunshot wound, he only had one testis.
From 1912 onwards, Franco was stationed in Spanish Morocco. He made a name for himself by being a ruthless leader and a barbaric General. Nonetheless, Franco received a gunshot wound to the abdomen in 1916 which resulted in the removal of a sensitive part of his anatomy!
4) Initially, Franco did not back the military coup of 1936.
After being exiled to the Canary Islands by the Second Republic, Franco at first stuttered in his support of the coup d’etat. This was because he believed it was not the most beneficial time to launch the offensive. However, after the assassination by Leftist police of right-wing politician Jose Calvo Sotelo, Franco gave his support to the rebel forces and thus began communicating with Adolf Hitler for vital military aid.
5) His hobbies included hunting and fishing.
As Franco began to age, he decided to relax and stay out of day to day political affairs. Instead Franco opted to hunt game and go fishing in the Mediterranean Sea.
6) He became Europe’s youngest General since Napoleon.
After showing impressive military intelligence in Spanish Morocco and especially in the Rif War, Franco received the ultimate reward. On the 3rd of February 1926, Franco was summoned before King Alfonso XIII and was presented with the title of General; making him the youngest in Europe at the time since the Frenchman.
7)Franco only had one child.
Franco married his wife Carmen Meiras in 1923 and three years later had their first and only child, a girl called Carmen Franco. She later married a Spanish heart surgeon and went on to have seven children.
By Mure Grant