Don’t mention the war!
The Spanish Civil War is still the cause of countless arguments up and down Spain, even now, 80 years after the conflict ended.
And if the Civil War ruffles feathers, opinions on dictator Francisco Franco are even more strongly felt.
Here’s a short listening on the man whose legacy still casts a long shadow over modern-day Spain.
This class is suitable for intermediate or advanced-beginner students.
Key vocabulary
| dictador | dictator |
| guerra civil | civil war |
| militar | soldier |
| gobierno democrático | democratic government |
| campaña | campaign |
| ejército | army |
| tropas | troops |
| golpe de Estado | coup |
| rendición | surrender |
Francisco Franco fue un dictador español que gobernó durante 35 años: desde el fin de la guerra civil española en 1939 hasta su muerte en 1975. El mismo Franco fue una de las principales causas de la guerra civil. Fue uno de los militares detrás del golpe de Estado de 1936 contra el gobierno democrático, y dirigió la campaña del ejército del bando sublevado contra las tropas del gobierno republicano. El día uno de abril de 1939, Franco y sus tropas aceptaron la rendición del gobierno republicano, significando así el fin de la guerra civil y el principio de 35 años de dictadura.
Francisco Franco was a Spanish dictator who governed for 35 years: from the end of the Spanish civil war in 1939 to his death in 1975. Franco, himself, was one of the main causes of the civil war. He was one of the soldiers behind the 1936 coup against the democratic government, and he led the rebel military campaign against the republican government. On April 1, 1939 Franco and his troops accepted the surrender of the republican government, signifying the end of the civil war and the beginning of 35 years of dictatorship.
From…to…
Beginning & End
Thereby / Thus / So
Behind
Make sure to check out our class on this tense!
Fue – He was
Gobernó – He governed
Dirigió – He directed / led
Aceptaron – They accepted
This tense is also known as the Pretérito perfecto
The verb aceptar (to accept) is regular in this tense:
| Yo acepté | I accepted |
| Tu aceptaste | You accepted |
| Él/ella /usted aceptó | He/She/It accepted You accepted |
| Nosotros aceptamos | We accepted |
| Vosotros aceptasteis | You accepted |
| Ellos/ellas/ustedes aceptaron | They accepted You accepted |
All regular AR verbs use these same endings.
Ibiza in two minutes 
You must be logged in to post a comment.