{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix    = His Excellency Generalísimo
| name                = Francisco Franco
| image               = RETRATO DEL GRAL. FRANCISCO FRANCO BAHAMONDE (adjusted levels).jpg
| caption             = 
| office              = Caudillo of Spain
| term_start          = 1 October 1936
| term_end            = 20 November 1975
| deputy              = 
| predecessor         = 
| successor           = Juan Carlos I(King of Spain)
| office2             = Prime Minister of Spain
| term_start2         = 30 January 1938
| term_end2           = 9 June 1973
| predecessor2        = 
| deputy2             = 
| successor2          = Luis Carrero Blanco
| party               = FET y de las JONS
| birth_date          = 
| birth_place         = Ferrol, Galicia, Kingdom of Spain
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = Madrid, Spanish State
| death_cause         = Septic shock
| restingplace        = Mingorrubio Cemetery, El Pardo, Madrid, Spain
| relatives           = Nicolás Franco (brother)Ramón Franco (brother)Francisco Franco (cousin)Ricardo de la Puente (cousin)
| spouse              = 
| children            = María del Carmen
| mother              = María del Pilar Bahamonde
| father              = Nicolás Franco
| residence           = El Pardo, Madrid
| education           = Infantry Academy of Toledo
| nickname            = Caudillo
| allegiance          =  Kingdom of Spain(1907–1931) Spanish Republic(1931–1936) Spanish State(1936–1975)
| signature           = Francisco Franco Signature.svg
| branch              =  Spanish Armed Forces
| serviceyears        = 1907–1975
| rank                = Captain general of the ArmyCaptain general of the Navy
| unit                = 
| commands            = All (Generalísimo)
| battles             = 2nd Melillan CampaignRif WarRevolution of 1934Spanish Civil WarIfni War
| mawards             = 
| footnotes           = 
}}

Francisco Franco (Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade, 20 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish military leader who ruled as dictator of Spain from 1939 until his death. His song was called Cara al Sol.

He was friend of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

He was a leader of a coup d'état against the Spanish Second Republic in 1936. After this  uprising the Spanish Civil War started.  Franco was supported by fascists, big businesses, the church, conservative people and Spanish nationalists. This was because the Spanish Republic had a socialist government that wanted to make businesses and the church less powerful.  The Republic also set up local parliaments in the regions of Spain.  Spanish nationalists thought this was wrong and would make Spain weak.  Franco remained neutral during World War II as Hitler did not accept his conditions for Spain to take part in it with the fascist and nazi regimes. He let a group of volunteer soldiers join the German Army to fight the Russians between 1941 and 1943. They were called the División Azul'' (Blue Division)

Franco died in Madrid on November 20, 1975, just after midnight of heart failure. Relatives, such as his daughter Carmen, had asked doctors to remove his life support systems. After Franco's death, Juan Carlos became king.

References

1892 births
1975 deaths
Deaths from heart failure
Former dictators
Galician people
Generals
People with Parkinson's disease
Spanish Civil War
Spanish military people
Spanish politicians