> Francisco Franco > born 1892, Ferrol, Spain > father was a naval officer (the navy was the family business for generations) > applied to the Naval Academy (it closed the year he tried to join) > walked into the Infantry Academy instead without missing a beat > graduated and immediately volunteered for Morocco (the most lethal posting in the Spanish army) > most officers avoided it (He asked for it) > promoted faster than anyone around him > captain at 23 (youngest in the entire Spanish army) > 1916 took a bullet in the abdomen in combat > doctors did not expect him to survive > survived > his own troops thought he was touched by God > took command of the Spanish Foreign Legion at 33 > made brigadier general at 33 (youngest general in all of Europe) > the Republic came to power and shut down his academy > waited > called back to crush a rebellion in 1934 (did it) > made Army Chief of Staff 1935 > government changed again, exiled him to the Canary Islands > Spain started falling apart > he joined the coup July 1936 > flew to Morocco, took command of the army > every other coup leader died within weeks > Franco was the last one standing > named Generalissimo and head of state > won the civil war in three years > was asked to join WW2 > refused > Spain was one of the few countries in Western Europe that was not invaded or destroyed > after the war the whole world sanctioned and isolated Spain > built the economy anyway > pivoted to the Americans during the Cold War, positioned Spain as the wall against communism > from 1959 to 1974 Spain was the fastest growing economy in the world after Japan > chose his own successor > restored the monarchy > died in 1975 still in power > age 82 > ruled for 36 years > left having built a country He spend his whole life fighting communism & would have been very dissapointed by Spain today