The accession of Spain to NATO: the long road to defense pillar of democracy

Abstract

Franco regime represents a significant period in Spain’s modern history. The autocratic formation under the rule of Francisco Franco, leader of the winner right-wing forces, was the result of the Spanish Civil War. After World War II Francoist Spain, within the framework of bilateral defense cooperation with the United States, became a member of the Western defense system. After Franco’s death, in the environment of democratic transition, that special transatlantic relationship contributed to the accession of Spain to NATO. In the following article the main aim is to analyze Spain’s strategic value from dictatorship to democratic governance.