The Disasters of Leviathan: The Economic Crisis of Autarky in Spain, 1939-1959

Abstract

This article reflects on the causes of the acute crisis suffered by Spain during the decades following the victory of General Franco in the Civil War. It emphasises the incoherence of the totalitarian economic model that was imposed, particularly with respect to the objective of autarky. It also highlights the insufficient economic training of the bureaucrats and the active role of military commanders in the design of economic policy, including General Franco, who lacked any sort of economic or historical knowledge.