thumb|Falange leader [[José Antonio Primo de Rivera, the first leader of the Falange from 1933 to 1936.]]
thumb|right|[[Francoist Spain|Spanish Caudillo Francisco Franco, leader of the Falange from 1937 to 1975.]]
Falangism () was the political ideology of three political parties in Spain that were known as the Falange, namely first the Falange Española, the Falange Española de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (FE de las JONS), and afterward the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (FET y de las JONS). Falangism combined Spanish nationalism, authoritarianism, Catholic traditionalism, anti-capitalism, and anti-communism, along with a call for national syndicalism.
The FE de las JONS merged with the Traditionalist Communion and several other parties in 1937 following the Unification Decree of Francisco Franco, to form FET y de las JONS. This new Falange was meant to incorporate all Nationalist political factions and became the sole political party of Francoist Spain. The merger was opposed by some of the original Falangists, such as Manuel Hedilla.
Falangism places a strong emphasis on the Roman Catholic religious identity of Spain. However, it has held some secular views on the Catholic Church's direct influence on Spanish society,
Falangism has a disputed relationship with fascism with one interpretation held by some historians being that the Falange was a fascist movement based on its fascist leanings during the early years, A second interpretation is that the Falange from 1937 onward during Franco's leadership was a compromise between radical fascism and authoritarian conservatism. A third interpretation by historian Enrique Moradiellos is that upon Franco's takeover of the Falange that his regime during the Spanish Civil War became fascistized, adopting fascist ideology and political and social organizations emulating those of Fascist Italy; however following the fall of the Fascist regime in Italy in 1943 Franco distanced his regime from fascism.
The Spanish Falange and its affiliates in Hispanic states around the world promoted a form of panhispanism known as Hispanidad that advocated both the cultural and economic union of Hispanic societies around the world.
Position within the political spectrum
Scholarly sources reviewing Falangism place it on the far right of the political spectrum. Falangism has attacked both the political left and the right as its "enemies", declaring itself to be neither left nor right, but a syncretic third position. The founder of the Falange, José Antonio Primo de Rivera, said: "Fascism was born to inspire a faith not of the Right (which at bottom aspires to conserve everything, even injustice) or of the Left (which at bottom aspires to destroy everything, even goodness), but a collective, integral, national faith." Some also state they lean more towards authoritarian conservatism.
Ideology
Nationalism and racialism
During the Spanish Civil War, the Falange and the Carlists both promoted the incorporation of Portugal into Spain, and the new Falange resulting from their unification in 1937 continued to do so. The Falange also advocated the incorporation of Gibraltar and French Morocco into Spain, both before and after its merger with the Carlists. During its early years, the Falange produced maps of Spain that included Portugal as a province of Spain. The Carlists stated that a Carlist Spain would retake Gibraltar and Portugal. After the civil war, some radical members of the Falange called for reunification with Portugal and annexation of former Spanish territories in the French Pyrenees. During World War II, Franco in a communiqué with Germany on 26 May 1942 declared that Portugal should be made a part of Spain.
thumb|right|Rally of the [[Falange Española de las JONS|Spanish Falange in Madrid in 1935]]
Some of the Falangists in Spain had supported racialism and racialist policies, viewing races as real and existing with differing strengths, weaknesses and accompanying cultures inextricably obtained with them. However, unlike Nazism, Falangism is unconcerned about racial purity and does not denounce other races for being inferior, claiming "that every race has a particular cultural significance" and claiming that the intermixing of the Spanish race and other races has produced a "Hispanic supercaste" that is "ethically improved, morally robust, spiritually vigorous". It was less concerned about biological Spanish racial regeneration than it was in advocating the necessity of Spanish Catholic spiritual regeneration. Some have nonetheless promoted eugenics designed to eliminate physical and psychological damage caused by pathogenic agents. Falangism did and still does support natal policies to stimulate increased fertility rate among ideal physically and morally fit citizens.
Franco praised Spain's Visigothic heritage, saying that the Germanic tribe of the Visigoths gave Spaniards their "national love for law and order". During the early years of the Falangist regime of Franco, the regime admired Nazi Germany and had Spanish archaeologists seek to demonstrate that Spaniards were part of the Aryan race, particularly through their Visigothic heritage.
The founder of the Falange Española, José Antonio Primo de Rivera, had little interest in addressing the Jewish question outside areas of political issues. The Falange's position was influenced by the fact of the small size of the Jewish community in Spain at the time that did not favour the development of strong antisemitism. Primo de Rivera saw the solution to the "Jewish problem" in Spain as simple: the conversion of Jews to Catholicism. However, on the issue of perceived political tendencies amongst Jews, he warned about Jewish-Marxist influences over the working classes. It further advocated agrarian reform, industrial expansion, and respect for private property except nationalizing credit facilities to prevent capitalist usury. while mirroring social democratic policies in supporting state jurisdiction over the setting of wages.
Falangism is staunchly anti-communist. The Spanish Falange supported Spanish intervention during World War II against the Soviet Union in the name of anti-communism, resulting in Spain supporting the Anti-Comintern Pact and sending volunteers to join Nazi Germany's foreign legions on the Eastern Front to support the German war effort against the Soviet Union.
Gender roles
thumb|Sección Femenina volunteers do the [[Roman salute before delivering food for the needy in 1937.]]
The Spanish Falange supported conservative ideas about women and supported rigid gender roles that stipulated that women's main duties in life were to be loving mothers and submissive wives. This policy was set against that of the Second Spanish Republic that provided universal suffrage to women. Its instructed women to be good wives and mothers, teaching domestic economy and cultivating the folk dances of Spain in its troupes. The Female Section enabled its leaders, women such as José Antonio's sister Pilar, who never married, to achieve prominent public roles while promoting family life.
Falangist theorists
- José Antonio Primo de Rivera
- Nimio de Anquin
- Álvaro Cunqueiro
- Ernesto Giménez Caballero
- Carlos Ibarguren
- Pedro Laín Entralgo
- Ramiro Ledesma Ramos
- Leopoldo Lugones
- Eugenio d'Ors
- Leopoldo Panero
- José María Pemán
- Onésimo Redondo
- Dionisio Ridruejo
- Luis Rosales
- Pedro Sainz Rodríguez
- Rafael Sánchez Mazas
- Gonzalo Torrente Ballester
- Antonio Tovar
- Julio Ruiz de Alda
See also
- List of Falangist movements
- Falange Auténtica
- Bolivian Socialist Falange
- Falange Española Independiente
- Falangism in Latin America
- Falangist Mountain Unity
- Kataeb Party
- National Falange
- National Radical Camp Falanga
- National syndicalism
- Philippine Falange
- National Radical Camp
Anti-Falangism
- Basque separatism
- Catalan independence movement
- Insubordinate movement in Spain