The 1930s was a time of growing authoritarianism and nationalism in Europe. After the Great Depression, Spain suffered from political and economic instability. This gave fuel to radical parties, which wished to overturn the fledgling Second Spanish Republic of the day.
Inspired by similar fascist movements in Germany and Italy, some men on the Spanish radical right began to create new fascist parties. One such party was Movimiento Español Sindicalista (MES), or the Spanish Syndicalist Movement. MES preached a hierarchical, totalitarian, and nationalist new form of government, founded by the nobleman José Antonio Primo de Rivera.
While MES from the start was a fascist party, their movement, like others in Europe, incorporated some aspects of revolutionary left-wing ideology; syndicalism, for example, imagines a communal form of organizing society. For MES, however, that state was to control that communalism, and it served Spanish nationalism.
Due to their similar viewpoints on society, MES formed a political alliance with the Carlists, who wished to restore the monarchy in Spain. Despite this alliance, MES had no political success.
Falange on the Outskirts
In October 1933, Rivera and the other MES leaders gathered and rebranded their party to Falange Española, or the Spanish Phalanx. Like other fascist parties, the Falangist party sought to gain popularity by launching street fights with radical left-wing parties.
In November 1933, Spain held a general election for its legislation. It joined the moderate conservative alliance, the Union of the Right, which won 27% of the vote, though Falange itself was only awarded 1 seat out of nearly 500.
After this lackluster political showing, Falange merged with another small fascist party, Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista, and became Falange Española de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (FE de las JONS) in 1934.
FE de las JONS, like its predecessors, was not completely ideologically unified and at times had internal feuds over doctrine.
This new alliance did not bring the expected electoral success: in 1936, FE de las JONS won less than 7,000 votes and did not gain a seat in the legislature. However, Falange did make a name for itself by killing many people in street battles. This exacerbated tensions in an increasingly unstable country.
After the 1936 election, the left-wing popular front came to power. Enraged by the government's policies and foreseeing a communist revolution, right-wing military generals launched an attempted coup in July 1936. Fighting erupted across the country, beginning the Spanish Civil War.
Falangism During the Spanish Civil War
As the civil war began, Rivera was in prison for his various crimes. His execution occurred in November.
Meanwhile, FE de las JONS played an increasingly large role in fighting across Spain. They of course sided with right-wing forces, which General Francisco Franco soon led. As the fighting continued, Falange grew from several thousand to several hundred thousand members, recruiting many across the country to fight.
However, Falange also fought with itself, with left-leaning forces (which Manuel Hedilla led) competing for power against the right wing. This drove Franco to use his power in 1937 to take control of FE de las JONS, forcing it to fuse with the Carlist Traditionalist Communion party to form the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (FET y de las JONS). Left-leaning Falange members (such as Hedilla) did not join the new Franco-controlled party. This new fascist party, still embracing the usual ideology of Falangism, became the only accepted party in areas of Spain ruled by Franco.
Soon, that was all of Spain; Franco and his forces won the civil war, defeating democratic factions and forging a new totalitarian government.
