Francisco Franco ruled Spain from 1945 to 1975. During this time: 1. Spain was initially isolated internationally due to Franco's authoritarian regime, but gained acceptance into the UN and received economic aid from the US in the 1950s as the country aligned itself with Western powers during the Cold War. 2. Franco implemented social policies focused on "National Catholicism" and suppressed opposition. The economy struggled until an economic liberalization plan in the late 1950s opened Spain up to foreign trade and investment. 3. From the early 1960s to the mid-1970s, Spain experienced an "economic miracle" with high GDP growth that transformed the country from an agricultural to an industrialized economy and brought increasing prosperity