A monarchist, he rose rapidly in the army until 1931, when Alfonso XIII abdicated and was replaced by a republican government. He was temporarily out of favour, but by 1935 was chief of the General Staff. Elections in February 1936 returned a more left-wing government and the army prepared to revolt. At first he hesitated to join in the military conspiracy but in July led troops from Morocco into Spain to attack Madrid and overthrow the republic. After three years of the savage Spanish Civil War he was victorious and became dictator of Spain (1939). In 1937 Franco adopted the Falange, expanding it into a Spanish fascist party and banning all political opposition. During World War II he remained neutral though sympathizing with Hitler and Mussolini. His government was ostracized by the new United Nations until, with the coming of the Cold War, his hostility towards communism restored him to favour. His domestic policy became slightly more liberal, and in 1969 he named Prince Juan Carlos (1938– ), grandson of Alfonso XIII, as his successor and heir to the reconstituted Spanish throne. On his death Spain returned to a democratic system of government under a constitutional monarchy.