Francisco Franco

Francisco Franco (1892–1975) was a Spanish military officer who became the country’s ruler after the Spanish Civil War. A career soldier, he rose through the ranks in Spain’s colonial campaigns and later held senior commands. In 1936 he emerged as the leading figure of the military uprising against the Second Spanish Republic, and in 1939 his forces won the war. Franco then governed Spain as Head of State from 1939 until his death in 1975, concentrating power in an authoritarian regime. He was known primarily for political and military leadership rather than for literary work, though his speeches and official writings shaped public life under his rule.