Falangism

Falangism is the political ideology associated with the Falange Española de las JONS, a Spanish nationalist movement founded in 1933 by José Antonio Primo de Rivera. It combined ultranationalism with Catholic traditionalism and anti-liberalism, advocating a corporatist, one‑party state organized around national syndicalism (sindicalismo vertical). The movement stressed discipline, hierarchy, and anti‑communism, and it rejected parliamentary democracy in favor of centralized, authoritarian leadership. Its symbols include the yoke and arrows and the motto Una, Grande y Libre (One, Great and Free).

Historically, Falangism played a major role on the Nationalist side during the Spanish Civil War. In 1937, Franco unified the Falange with the Carlist traditionalists to form the single‑party structure Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional‑Sindicalista (FET y de las JONS). From 1939 onward the FET y de las JONS served as the core of Franco's regime, integrating Falangist, Carlist, and other nationalist currents under state control. The movement influenced policy, propaganda, and repression, and its prominence declined as the regime evolved.

After the transition to democracy following Franco's death in 1975, the FET y de las JONS dissolved as a political force, and Falangist influence largely faded. Scholars generally describe Falangism as fascist or fascist-adjacent, centering on corporatism and ultranationalism within an authoritarian framework and as a vehicle for legitimizing the regime. Today, small fringe groups claim Falangist heritage, but they have little impact on contemporary Spanish politics.