Steven Akkad posted Feb 3, 2023 11:00 PM

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Based upon what you saw in the video, to what extent do you think Franco can be described as a fascist dictator?

Based on the video, Franco was a fascist dictator who controlled a repressive regime committing massacres against his own people causing the deaths of millions of people. He took power by force causing the Spanish civil war from 1936-1939 which brought death and destruction to the nation. He ruled with an iron fist sending his opponents to their own death by firing squads or to a grueling labor camps. Freedom during his time was nonexistent and criticizing the government was more like a death wish.

Take what you learned from the video and compare and contrast the methods used to gain power by Franco and another ruler of a single-party state.

I will be using Hitler as my example for the compare and contrast with Franco. They were different in the way they assumed power. Hitler was elected peacefully the second attempt without any bloodshed with a landslide win. His followers were fanatics and will follow his orders to the letter without any questions. However, Franco assumed power through a coup and violent means dragging the country into civil war and destruction. At first, Franco was not involved in politics until the end where from his point of view it was his duty to rescue the country and bring it back to its glory. Hitler on the other hand was involved from the start where he failed his first attempt to gain power and was captured and  sentenced to prison. 

They were similar in their political practices, views of communism, treatment of their enemies and how they were one party leaders and they had full control of the party and the entire country. 

Another issue where Franco and Hitler did not share the same views was World War Two. Franco did not want to enter the war despite Hitleràrequest for Spain to side with them to Join the axes with Italy against the Allies to prevent them from entering the Mediterranean Sea. Franco did not enter the war as his regime was fragile especially after the Spanish civil war left the country economically in ruins and on the brink of starvation. He kept good relationship with Hitler even though he was not involved in the wa