[Alter Kaker]

It's hard to know where to begin with your post. But here's one place: "He had the good sense to turn the country back over to the people when he died rather than keep the dictatorship going."

Absolutrly, categorically WRONG. Franco wanted to turn Spain back into an absolute monarchy and appointed Prince Juan Carlos as his successor. Franco did not envision any role for the people in this. As it happened, Juan Carlos wasn't interested in being an absolute monarch. But that wasn't what Franco wanted.

[kearnyirish2]

Franco removed the crown from the eagle’s head on Spain’s flag while in power; he resorted to restoring the monarchy as death approached, but in his 35 years in power he left the monarchy out of power - they had in some ways contributed to the problems that boiled to the surface during the war.

Franco understood that democracy was flawed (from a Catholic standpoint) because the communist government was legally elected in 1936 (as was Obama in 2008); that government then stood by as the country descended into anarchy, and Franco was only one of four generals (and not the original leader) that rose to restore power. When he realized churches were being burned and properties seized with tacit approval by the communist government, he acted - and never intended to let people vote again.