Falangism

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Falangism (Spanish: Falangismo) is the political ideology of the Spanish Falange as well as derivatives of it in other countries. In its original form, Falangism is widely associated as a fascist ideology, the Spanish Falange denied this, claiming it was not a copy of any foreign movement. In its original form, it claimed to be more radical than fascism and was critical of right-wing figures it claimed were associated with fascism, and criticized the Italian Fascist corporatist economic system. Under the leadership of Francisco Franco, much of the radical elements considered to be fascist of Falangism were dilluted and it largely became an authoritarian conservative ideology connected with Francoism. Opponents of Franco's changes to the party, including former Falange leader Manuel Hedilla formed the Authentic Falange that adheres to the party's original ideology. Falangism places a strong emphasis on Catholic religious identity, though it has held anti-clerical views on the Church's direct influence in society, as it believed that the Spanish state should have the supreme authority over Spain. Falangism emphasized the need for authority, hierarchy, and order in society. Falangism is anti-communist, anti-democratic, and anti-liberal.

Spanish Falangism in the Falange's original manifesto called the Twenty-Seven Points declared Falangism to support: the unity of Spain and the elimination of regional separatism; the establishment of a dictatorship led by the Falange; utilizing violence to regenerate Spain; promoting the development of Spanish imperial power; a social revolution to create: a national syndicalist economy that creates national syndicates of both employees and employers to mutually organize and control the economic activity, agrarian reform, industrial expansion, respect for private property with the exception of nationalizing credit facilities to prevent capitalist usury. It supports criminalization of strikes by employees and lockouts by employers as illegal acts. Falangism supports the state to have jurisdiction of setting wages. Under Franco, the Falange abandoned its original anti-capitalist tendencies, declaring the ideology to be fully compatible with capitalism.

The Spanish Falange and its Hispanic affiliates across the world promoted the concept of "Hispanidad", a form of pan-Hispanism that promoted both cultural and economic union of Hispanic societies across the world.

Falangism has attacked both the political left and the right as its "enemies", declaring itself to be neither left nor right, but a syncretic third position. However scholarly sources reviewing Falangism place it on the political right.

Components

Social

Falangism supports a national, trans-class society while opposing individual-class-based societies, such as bourgeois or proletarian societies. Falangism opposes class conflict, Primo de Rivera declared that "The State is founded on two principles—service to the united nation and the cooperation of classes".

Falangism in Spain has supported racial policy and views races as being in a hierarchy ranging from superior to inferior, but unlike other racialists like the Nazis, Falangism is unconcerned about racial purity and does not denounce other races for being inferior, claiming "that every race has a particular cultural significance" and claiming that the intermixing of the superior Spanish race and inferior races has produced a "Hispanic supercaste" that is "ethnically improved, morally robust, spiritually vigorous". It is less concerned about biological Spanish racial regeneration than it was in advocating the necessity of Spanish Catholic spiritual regeneration. It has however promoted eugenics designed to eliminate physical and psychological damage caused by pathogenic agents; and it supports natality policies to stimulate increased fertility rate among ideal physically and morally fit citizens.

The Spanish Falange supported conservative patriarchal ideas about women and supported rigid gender roles that stipulated that women's main duties in life were to be a loving mother and a submissive wife. This policy was set against that of the Second Spanish Republic that provided universal suffrage to women.

Economic

Originally Falangism in Spain as promoted by Primo de Rivera, advocated a "National Syndicalist" economy that rejected both capitalism and communism. Primo de Rivera denounced capitalism for being an individualist economy at the hands of the bourgeoisie that turned workers "into a dehumanized cog in the machinery of bourgeois production" while state socialist economies enslaved the individual by handing control of production to the state.

Falange's original manifesto, the Twenty-Seven Points called for a social revolution to create: a national syndicalist economy that creates national syndicates of both employees and employers to mutually organize and control the economic activity, agrarian reform, industrial expansion, respect for private property with the exception of nationalizing credit facilities to prevent capitalist usury. Under Franco, the Falange abandoned its original anti-capitalist tendencies, declaring the ideology to be fully compatible with capitalism.

Political system

Falangism supports the establishment of a Falangist-led totalitarian single party state.

International relations

Falangism's staunch anti-communism has resulted in the ideology supporting international alliance against communism. The Spanish Falange supported Spanish intervention during World War II against the Soviet Union in the name of anti-communism, resulting in Spain supporting the Anti-Comintern Pact and sending volunteers to join Nazi Germany's foreign legions on the Eastern Front to support the German war effort against the Soviet Union.

The Spanish Falange and its Hispanic affiliates have promoted the cultural, economic, and racial unity of Hispanic peoples across the world in "Hispanidad".