He already showed promise.

He already showed promise.

When Millán-Astray launched the Legion, he sought out Franco—then a major (nicknamed "Little Major" by some and "Big-Butt Paca" by others)—and entrusted him with commanding the First *Bandera* (battalion). Millán retained command of the Second *Bandera*. From the start, a relationship defined by both hierarchy and strong camaraderie developed between them, with Millán-Astray as the charismatic founder and Franco as a leader who was not always disciplined.

I say this based on the account given by Blanco Escolar in his book.

It turns out that Francisco Franco, having just taken command of the Legion's First *Bandera*, wrote to Millán-Astray asking for instructions on how to proceed with shooting a legionnaire—just like that, directly. Millán-Astray’s reply—and he was certainly no member of Amnesty International—was interesting and highly revealing: he warned that a legionnaire could not simply be executed by firing squad; such a penalty could only be applied to a deserter during open combat against the enemy. In any other case, standard procedure had to be followed: convening a court-martial, ensuring the accused had a defense, and reporting the case to the government for approval—the famous *Enterado* (official acknowledgment/authorization).

In his next written communication, Franco informed Millán-Astray that he had indeed shot a legionnaire. He was likely trying to figure out how to handle the paperwork. The reason for the execution was that the soldier, dissatisfied with the rations, had thrown his meal in an officer's face. Franco had him executed by firing squad without a court-martial or authorization from above. He even had the Legion battalion march past the corpse. That is how Franco’s history with administrative death began: not with glorious battles, but with an act of extreme discipline that foreshadowed the kind of leader he would become (responsible for ultimate treason and over 500,000 deaths). 

From the book *No había costumbre* by Miguel Ángel Aguilar

Franco i Millan Astray