December 27th

On this day - 27th of December 1978 - Spain's fascist dictatorship came to its end

Spain's new constitution was signed by King Juan Carlos I on the 27th of December in 1978 and marked the completion of Spain's return to democracy. the countrys return to democracy started with the dictator Francisco Francos death in November 1975. He had come to power in the country after the Spanish Civil War in 1939 and ruled as a dictator until his death. It was Franco who had designed King Juan Carlos I as his successor, but he advocated a constitutional monarchy soon after Francos death. The first election was held in June 1977 and in December 1978 was the constitution approved in a referendum. With King Juan Carlos signing was the constitution official implemented and Spain became a democracy.

Franco in the 1960s. From the Duch National Archies