Although I study the Causes and Events of the Spanish Civil War in great depth, the rule of Franco is a topic which I tend to cover more briefly to simply provide some 'long term results' of the war. Nevertheless if you wish to study this topic as a case study of an authoritarian leader (in addition to, or instead of, the ActiveHistory case studies of Lenin, Stalin, Pinochet, Mao and Castro...) then these materials will prove very useful.

The rule of Franco: SOLO Hexagons (paper version)
Hexagon learning allows students to identify links between factors very effectively. Students categorise and link factors together for deeper understanding of the relationship between factors. I have written a detailed blogpost about hexagon learning here. TIP for students: Consider too a 'sub-question' that you could aim to answer related to each category (for example, if you had a 'POLITICAL' category, you could write the subquestion "Was Franco a Fascist?"; for 'INTERNATIONAL/ECONOMIC' = "Did Franco successfully re-integrate Spain into the international community?"; for 'SOCIAL' = Was the "Pact of Silence" a more appropriate response than the later "Law for Historical Memory"? Finally, develop this into written piece of at least 750 words answering the key question above.

The rule of Franco: SOLO Hexagons (online version)
"DRAG and DROP these hexagons into categories of your choice. You can color-code hexagons, and can create new hexagons (e.g. as titles for each group) by double-clicking anywhere on the canvas. When you are finished, you can use your work as the basis of an essay plan, presentation or project! 

The rule of Franco: Essay-planning exercise
As an alternative to the hexagons approach, here are the key points arranged instead a straight list ready to be "cut and paste" into appropriate categories instead.

Franco's rule of Spain: article by Paul Preston (1989)
A very useful resource for students to develop their written piece assessing how far Franco achieved his objectives as ruler of Spain.

Spain under Franco: The early years (15 minute video documentary)
A video clip focusing on the immediate aftermath of the Spanish Civil War as Franco established his regime.

Spain under Franco (10 minute video documentary)
A video clip covering the rule of Franco until his death in 1975.

The Pact of Silence / Law of Historical Memory (8 minute video documentary)
A video clip outlining how discussion of the Spanish Civil War was banned by Franco, and the results this has had for Spain in the years that have followed.

Keyword Checker: What was the legacy of the Spanish Civil War?
Students paste their essay into this interface and get a score based on how many keywords they have included. Excellent for ensuring topic coverage at first-draft phase.

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