Falangism

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Falangism (Spanish: Falangismo) was the political ideology of two political parties in Spain that were known as the Falange, namely first the Falange Española de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (FE de las JONS) and afterwards the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (FET y de las JONS).[1] Falangism has a disputed relationship with fascism as some historians consider the Falange to be a fascist movement based on its fascist leanings during the early years,[2] while others focus on its transformation into an authoritarian conservative political movement in Francoist Spain.[1][3]

The original Falangist party, FE de las JONS, merged with the Carlists in 1937 following the Unification Decree of Francisco Franco, to form FET y de las JONS. This new Falange was meant to incorporate all Nationalist political factions and became the sole political party of Francoist Spain.[4] The merger was opposed by some of the original Falangists, such as Manuel Hedilla.

Falangism places a strong emphasis on the Roman Catholic religious identity of Spain.[5] However, it has held some secular views on the Catholic Church's direct influence on Spanish society,[5] since one of the tenets of the Falangist ideology holds that the state should have the supreme authority over the nation.[6] Falangism emphasizes the need for total authority, hierarchy, and order in society.[6] Like fascism, Falangism is anti-communist, anti-democratic, and anti-liberal.[7][8]

The Falange's original manifesto, the "Twenty-Six Point Program of the Falange", declared Falangism to support the unity of Spain and the elimination of regional separatism, the establishment of a dictatorship led by the Falange, using political violence as a means to regenerate Spain, and promoting the revival and development of the Spanish Empire, all attributes that it had in common with fascism. The manifesto also called for a national syndicalist economy and advocated agrarian reforms, industrial expansion, and respect for private property with the exception of nationalizing credit facilities to prevent usury.[9]

The Spanish Falange and its affiliates in Hispanic states around the world promoted a form of panhispanism known as hispanidad that advocated both the cultural and economic union of Hispanic societies around the world.[10]

  1. ^ a b Cyprian P. Blamires (editor). World Fascism: A Historical Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2006. pp. 219–220.
  2. ^ Stanley G. Payne. Fascism in Spain, 1923–1977. Madison: Wisconsin University Press, 1999. pp. 77–102.
  3. ^ Martin Blinkhorn. Fascists and Conservatives: The Radical Right and the Establishment in Twentieth-Century Europe. Reprinted edition. Oxon, England: Routledge, 1990, 2001. p. 10
  4. ^ Stanley G. Payne. Fascism in Spain, 1923–1977. Madison, Wisconsin, USA: Wisconsin University Press, 1999. p. 273.
  5. ^ a b García-Fernández, Mónica (February 2022). "From National Catholicism to Romantic Love: The Politics of Love and Divorce in Franco's Spain". Contemporary European History. 31 (1, Special Issue: The Contemporary European History Prize). Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press: 2–14. doi:10.1017/S0960777321000515. ISSN 1469-2171.
  6. ^ a b Stanley Payne. A History of Fascism, 1914–1945. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1995. p. 261.
  7. ^ Ellwood, pp. 99–101.
  8. ^ Bowen, p. 152.
  9. ^ Hans Rogger, Eugen Weber. The European Right. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press; London: University of Cambridge Press, 1965. p. 195.
  10. ^ Stein Ugelvik Larsen (ed.). Fascism Outside of Europe. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001. pp. 120–121.