Under Franco, the conservative monarchist armed forces staged a coup against Spain's democratically elected republican government; at the end of a civil war, Francisco Franco seized power and ruled Spain with an iron hand for nearly four decades.

Franco stands for a cruel regime, the darkest chapter in Spanish history; Franco gave himself the title of Caudillo de Espana: Supreme Leader of Spain.

At the end of the Second World War, the cards in global politics were reshuffled; the Allies now made a clear distinction between the friends and foes of democracy; the situation became critical for Franco because of his reign of terror.

In the mid-fifties, Franco's foreign policy successes opened up new perspectives for Spain; after years of stagnation, the country was now moving forward; thus, Franco's rule was legitimized and resistance fell silent.