Figure 1.-- The Spanish economy was devestayed by the Civil War. The economy recovered only slowly from the damage to the country's physical infrastructure. There were severe food shortages following the Civil War that persisted throughout World War II. More than 80 food products were rationed. Milk for children in particular was in short supply. Here Spanish mothers and children are standing in line for the daily milk rations. Note the portrait ofFranco and the pails that they are holding. |
Stability did not bring economic prosperity to Spain. The Spanish economy was devestayed by the Civil War. The economy recovered only slowly from the damage to the country's physical infrastructure. There were severe food shortages following the Civil War that persisted throughout World War II. More than 80 food products were rationed. Milk for children in particular was in short supply. The Franco regime found a variety of excuses for the poor economy: Civuil War damage and drought. The principal reason, however, was mismanagement of the economy by Franco's bureaucracy heavily staffed with military officers with no background or great interest in economic matters. Franco also persued Fascist policvies of autarchy and sponsored expensive and ultimately unsuccessful programs aimed at making Spsain self-sufficient in all economic sectors. Another problem was that skillked workers and engineers, which had largely supported the Republic, were politically suspect and thus largely excluded from giovernmental processes. The poorly run state-controlled economy proved so inefficent that the black market became a flourishing economic sector.
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