In 1939 the formidable General Francisco Franco came to power during a time of governmental and economic difficulties in Spain. He possessed a skill that he began to develop and strengthen, allowing him to easily and effectively take control of a situation, all while becoming a natural and highly influential leader. His surprising tactics of manipulation and articulate speech were cultivated from a young age, transformed into what would become mechanisms of terror. Thanks to a life immersed in the army and the path taken due to his specific division of the army, Franco developed these characteristics of a dictator, using them to achieve a complete conquest of Spanish civilization by any means necessary; the country was therefore immersed in a vortex of political, economic and social struggles but also of improvements that would continue to alternate until his death. Franco's early life greatly influenced his career as a dictator due to his family having generations of military officers and his being forced to depend solely on himself during service. No person is born ready to take on the world and become a powerful leader; they grow and gain experience, more often than not due to a catalyst that knocks their life out of commission. Franco was exposed to this very situation in which plans for his future, which had been practically set in stone, were warped in a way that forced him to recreate a life of his own. “Like four generations and his older brother before him, Franco was originally destined for a career as a naval officer, but the reduction in admissions to the Naval Academy forced him to choose the army” (Payne). Franco was then forced to join the army, so at the age of 14 and...... middle of paper ......or Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, nd Web. March 17 2014. “Francisco Franco.” History.com, March 20, 2014. “Francisco Franco.” Np. Web. March 23, 2014. Messenger, A, David.. “Spain During the Second World War." Canadian Journal of History 3 (2007): 530. Web. March 23, 2014. Payne, Stanley G. "Francisco Franco (Ruler of Spain)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online, nd Web. “Spanish Dictator.” Sunday Mail; Kuala Lumpur. 28 July 2002: 22. eLibrary Web. 23 March 2014. PhotographyGovan, “Francisco Franco stripped of honorary title.” April 2014. “Spain Flag Wallpaper HD.”. 2014.