<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> Francisco Franco Bahamonde (/ ˈfræŋkoʊ /; Spanish: (fɾanˈθisko ˈfɾaŋko βa. aˈmonde); 4 December 1892--20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who ruled over Spain as a military dictator from 1939, after the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War, until his death in 1975 . This period in Spanish history is commonly known as Francoist Spain . </P> <P> As a conservative and a monarchist, Franco opposed the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a democratic secular republic in 1931 . With the 1936 elections, the conservative Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Right - wing Groups lost by a narrow margin, and the leftist Popular Front came to power . Intending to overthrow the republic, Franco followed other generals in attempting a failed coup that precipitated the Spanish Civil War . With the death of the other generals, Franco quickly became his faction's only leader . Franco gained military support from various regimes and groups, especially Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, while the Republican side was supported by Spanish communists and anarchists as well as the Soviet Union, Mexico, and the International Brigades . It is disputed among historians whether Franco personally ordered, requested or knew of beforehand the German and Italian aerial bombing of Guernica in 1937 . In 1939, Franco won the war, which claimed half a million lives . He established a military dictatorship . Franco proclaimed himself Head of State and Government under the title El caudillo . In April 1937, Franco merged the fascist and traditionalist political parties in the rebel zone (FE de las JONS and Traditionalist Communion), as well as other conservative and monarchist elements, into FET y de las JONS . At the same time he outlawed all other political parties, and thus Spain became a one - party state . </P>

Who was the dictator who ruled spain for 40 years