Franco was, at different times, a monarchist, a military dictator, a modernizer, a traditionalist, and he often flirted with fascism and fascists.

While he certainly wanted to keep Spain traditional, his reign saw some of the most rapid modernization of the country.

A different way to ask the question is to look at specific periods of him holding power from his time as a colonial soldier to the last years of his life.

Read Stanley Payne’s history of the Spanish military - or at least the last few chapters that address Franco for information on the first decades of his rule. Payne also has a great book, Spain: a unique history. These two will look at Franco until the 60s when he became more of a modernizer.