Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo TeÃ dulo Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade or just Francisco Franco ( December 4 , 1892 â `` November 20 , 1975 ) . He was the dictator of Spain from 1936 to 1975 , and regent of the Spanish Kingdom from 1947 to 1975 . Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo TeÃ dulo de Franco y Bahamonde Salgado-Araujo y Pardo de Andrade ( 4 December 1892 - 20 November 1975 ) , commonly known as Franco , was a Spanish military general and head of state of Spain from October 1936 ( whole nation from 1939 onwards ) , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November 1975 .