The end of the Spanish Civil War signified the beginning of the authoritarian Franco regime. During this postwar era (1936-1975), public displays of liberal political ideology, art forms such as literature and film, symbols of foreign and/or less conservative ideologies, and the use of languages other than Castilian Spanish were heavily oppressed and censored. In an attempt to gain international legitimacy the Spanish government utilized the propagandistic possibilities afforded by literature, film, theatre, radio, and journalism to paint the Franco regime in a positive light. The altered reality depicted through these means also served the purpose of distracting the population from the problems and corruption within the government.