Basque Nationalism
The Basque Nationalisme was born at the end of the 19th century in reaction to the victory from the liberals in Spain who, by imitation of the ideas professed by the French revolution, wanted to build a centralized Spanish State. The socialist Liberals and their opponents were of agreement to remove legal freedoms of the Basque provinces, which was made by the law of 1876.
Origins
The Spanish parties wanted to impose a language, Spanish of Castille, and to centralize Spain, imposing the same laws and payments for all the Spaniards. In addition to disappearance of will euskera, the Basque language multi-millenium, and of the traditional Christian religion, the Spaniards wished to reform, even remove the economic rights (Fors, Fueros) which allowed an financial autonomy, tax and economic with the Basque Country and with the Navarre.
The founder Sabino Arana Goiri set up an ideology related to people (" race" in the phraseology of the time), a Anthem, a flag, the Ikurriña (at the beginning each province had been seen allotted by Sabino Arana its own flag, but it is that of Biscay which was adopted by all seven historical province) and created a political party to popularize its ideas: EAJ-PNV. After having suffered from the ceaseless attacks from the Spanish side and several stays in prison, he dies at the 38 years age and leaves the party to the hands of his Luis brother and the Ramon industrialist of Sota. Sabino Arana had been the first to send a telegram of congratulations to the President of the United States following the defeat of the Spaniards against the Americans with Cuba, colony Spanish which became of this fact independent. Sabino had also defended the rights of the blacks Hottentots vis-a-vis the White, Britanniques and Netherlander during the Guerre of Boers in South Africa at the beginning of the XXe century. After the death of Sabino Arana, its work is continued by the party which it founded, EAJ-PNV. During the II° Spanish Republic, EAJ-PNV mobilizes the Pays Basque south in favor of a statute of autonomy which is not granted by the Republic, in the urgency created by the pro-Franco rising of July 1936, which with the autumn of this year. The 1st government of Euzkadi is chaired by Jose Antonie Agirre (EAJ-PNV) and counts Basque nationalist ministers and left parties which support the Spanish republic. After the massacre of Gernica in April 37 and the fall of Bilbao this same year, the government of Euzkadi takes the road of the exile, while pro-Franco repression falls down on the Basque nationalists and the Spanish left. It is clandestinely that EAJ-PNV continues the fight of the interior, while in exile the government of the lehendakari Agirre tries to mobilize the international public opinion in favor of the cause of the Basques. Having to fight against Francoism and its heirs, the Spanish nationalists, a new face opens against Basque democratic nationalism: ETA whose doctrines are " Euskad, Your Askatasuma" who means " Basque Country and liberté" This terrorist organization is quickly taken again by revolutionary Marxists, who, the movement Third-Mondistes and Mao following the example of, try to use the force of the Basque national feeling to the service of a revolutionary strategy aiming at destabilizing the Spanish State. For EAJ-PNV, this strategy is mortal for the Basques, because she does not seek to find a solution with the Basque problem, but wishes to accentuate, look further into the Basque problem to use it as a weapon against the State " capitalist and impérialiste" Spanish. With died of Free, Basque nationalism is linked with the Spanish left to obtain a new statute of autonomy which is finally approved by referendum in Euzkadi (whereas the Spanish constitution had not been it in the Basque provinces). At present, Basque nationalism seeks to redefine, democratically, the relationship between the Basque people and the Spanish State, on a contractual basis. It must face an official crispation and with the revolutionary strategy of ETA and of its satellites
See too
Irrintzi
| Random links: | Amphitheater of the Three Gaules | Garçonnière | Major Ridge | Black island | Jacques Hillairet |