Francisco Franco

Francisco Franco (1892–1975) was a Spanish army general who led the Nationalist forces to victory in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and then ruled Spain as an authoritarian head of state from 1939 until his death. His regime suppressed political opposition, centralized power, banned most parties and independent unions, and imposed wide censorship. After Franco died in November 1975, Spain began a negotiated transition (la Transición) to a parliamentary constitutional monarchy under King Juan Carlos I.