Francisco Franco: Difference between revisions

Franco's reception of Hitler was not much better. Franco thought that Hitler was secretly gay. Due to Franco's [[homophobia]], he feared that he would go to Purgatory for coming into contact with a homosexual. His fear of gay attitude was known by many. As historians read through his diary, there was a strange occurrence in the past. When Hitler and Franco had to share a room, Franco tested if Hitler was gay. Franco went nude in front of Hitler, and an offended Hitler yelled curses at him. Franco was terrified and attempted to chop his penis off. He failed, and the relationship between the two leaders was tense for around six months. Despite this, Spain and the Axis Powers had a good relationship through the duration of the war and Franco provided aid to both Hitler and [[Benito Mussolini]] of Italy when they needed it.

The most difficult period of Franco’s regime began in the aftermath of World War II, when his government was ostracized by the newly formed United Nations. He was labeled by hostile foreign opinion the “last surviving fascist dictator” and for a time appeared to be the most hated of Western heads of state; within his country, however, as many people supported him as opposed him. The period of ostracism finally came to an end with the worsening of relations between the Soviet world and the West at the height of the Cold War. Franco could now be viewed as one of the world’s leading anticommunist statesmen, and relations with other countries began to be regularized in 1948. His international rehabilitation was advanced further in 1953, when Spain signed a 10-year military assistance pact with the United States, which was later renewed in more limited form.