The Truth About Franco: Spain's Forgotten Dictatorship

At the end of a bloody civil war, Francisco Franco seized power and ruled Spain with an iron hand for nearly four decades. Under his leadership the conservative, monarchist armed forces staged a coup against Spain’s democratically elected republican government. The insurrection was supported by Italy and Germany. Three years of bitter fighting followed and, by April 1939, Spain had become a different country. The hostilities and political purges cost half a million lives. Part 1 of 4.