Beyond Madrid: The Spanish Political Transistion In The Provinces After Franco’s Dictatorship

Abstract

The political transformation which led Spain out of a dictatorship
and into a democratic system after the death of General
Franco is well known. However, most available studies focus
their attention on the main leaders and central institutions of the
country as key players in the process while local studies of this
political change remain scarce. The aim of this paper is to point
out several key aspects of this transition and its implementation
in the Spanish provinces. Our approach is based on the study of
‘gobiernos civiles’ (civil governments) as strategic actors, who
promoted political change using the resources of the former
Francoist State to ensure the success of their operation.

Keywords: Transition, civil governments, governors, Spain, Francoism.