Late Modern history History of the Basques

1 late modern history

1.1 late 19th century
1.2 20th century
1.3 wartime
1.4 franco s dictatorship

late modern history
late 19th century

memorial erected in pamplona traditional laws of navarre (1903): we, basques of today, in memory of our eternal ancestors, have gathered here show our determination keep our laws



antoine d abbadie s castle in hendaye

the loss of charters in 1876 spawned political dissent , unrest, 2 traditionalist movements arising counter spanish centralist , comparatively liberal stance, carlists , basque nationalists. former emphasized staunchly catholic , absolutist values, while latter stressed catholicism , charters mingled basque national awareness (jaungoikoa eta lege zarra). besides showing @ beginning different positions, basque nationalists took hold in industrialised biscay , lesser extent gipuzkoa, while carlist entrenched in rural navarre , lesser extent in Álava.

with regards economic activity, high quality iron ore western biscay, processed 19th century in small traditional ironworks around western basque country, exported britain industrial processing (see section above). between 1878 , 1900 58 million tons of ore exported basque country great britain. profits gained in exportation in turn reinvested local entrepreneurs in iron , steel industry, move spurring industrial revolution spread bilbao , basque country across spain, despite economic incompetence shown spanish central government.

following economic developments started in mid-19th century , given momentum of spanish internal market after end of fueros, biscay developed own modern blast furnaces , heavier mining, while industrialization took off in gipuzkoa. large numbers of workers both required drawn basque countryside , peasantry of nearby castile , rioja, increasingly immigration began flow remoter impoverished regions of galicia , andalusia. basque country, hitherto source of emigrants france, spain , america, faced first time in recent history prospect of massive influx of foreigners possessing different languages , cultures side-effect of industrialisation. of these immigrants spoke spanish; practically poor.

the french railway arrived @ hendaye (hendaia) in 1864, connecting madrid , paris. railway provision basque coast entailed not more fluent freight shipping, quicker expansion of seaside spa model of biarritz donostia, providing steady flow of tourists, elitist first , middle class later—especially madrid. not that, regular immigration of administration , customs officials french , spanish heartlands ensued, ignorant of local culture , reluctant, hostile basque language. however, meanwhile, prominent figures concerned decay of basque culture started promote initiatives aimed @ enhancing status , development, e.g. renowned antoine d abbadie, major driving force behind lore jokoak literary , cultural festivals, liberal donostia becoming vibrant hotspot basque culture, featuring figures such serafin baroja, poet-troubadour bilintx, or play-writer ramon maria labaien.

in period, biscay reached 1 of highest mortality rates in europe. while new proletariat s wretched working , living conditions providing natural breeding ground new socialist , anarchist ideologies , political movements characteristic of late 19th century, end of 19th century saw birth of above basque nationalism. spanish government s failure comply provisions established @ end of third carlist war (1876) , before (the 1841 compromise act in navarre) raised public outcry, crystallizing in gamazada popular uprising in navarre (1893-1894) provided springboard incipient basque nationalism—basque nationalist party founded in 1895.

the pnv, pursuing goal of independence or self-government basque state (euzkadi), represented ideology combined christian-democratic ideas abhorrence towards spanish immigrants whom perceived threat ethnic, cultural , linguistic integrity of basque race while serving channel importation of new-fangled, leftist (and un-basque ) ideas.

early 20th century

industrialisation across atlantic basin basque districts (biscay, gipuzkoa, north-western Álava) further boosted outbreak of world war in europe. spain remained neutral in war conflict, basque steel production , export further expanding demand of european war effort. ironically, end of european war in 1918 brought decline , transformation of basque industry. in french basque country, inhabitants drafted add french war effort. war took heavy toll on basques, 6,000 died. spurred penetration of french nationalist ideas basque territory, limited circles , contexts point.

in 1931, @ outset of spanish 2nd republic, echoing granted self-government catalonia, attempt made draw single statute basque territories in spain (provincias vascongadas , navarra), after initial overwhelming approval of draft , round of council mayor meetings, navarre pulled out of draft project amidst heated controversy on validity of votes (pamplona, 1932). tellingly, carlist council of pamplona claimed unacceptable call [the territory included in draft statute] país vasco-navarro in spanish. fine vasconia, , euskalerría, not euzkadi .

undaunted, basque nationalists , leftist republican forces kept working on statute, time basque western provinces, Álava, gipuzkoa , biscay, approved in 1936, spanish civil war raging , effective control on biscay.

wartime

in july 1936, military uprising erupted across spain, in face of basque nationalists in biscay , gipuzkoa sided spanish republicans, many in navarre, carlist stronghold, supported general francisco franco s insurgent forces. (the latter known in spain nacionales —usually rendered in english nationalists —which can highly misleading in basque context). however, navarre not spared. rebels led general mola made strong in district, initiated terror campaign against blacklisted individuals aimed @ purging rearguard , break glimmer of dissent. confirmed death toll rose 2,857, plus further 305 in prison (malnutrition, ill-treatment, etc.); victims , historic memory associations raise figure near 4,000.

another big atrocity of war, immortalised picasso s emblematic mural, bombing of gernika german planes, biscayne town of great historical , symbolic importance, @ franco s bidding. in 1937, eusko gudarostea, troops of new government of basque autonomous community surrendered franco s fascist italian allies in santoña on condition lives of basque soldiers respected (santoña agreement). basques (gipuzkoa, biscay) fled lives exile tens of thousands, including mass evacuation of children aboard chartered boats (the niños de la guerra) permanent exile.

with spanish civil war over, new dictator began drive turn spain totalitarian nation state. franco s regime passed harsh laws against minorities in spanish state, including basques, aimed @ wiping out cultures , languages. calling biscay , gipuzkoa traitor provinces , abolished remained of autonomy. navarre , Álava allowed hang onto small local police force , limited tax prerogatives.

after 1937, basque territories remained behind war lines, french basque country became forced destination fellow basques spain fleeing war, find confined in prisoner camps, such gurs on outer fringes of soule (basses pyrenees). armistice of 22 june 1940 established german military occupation of french atlantic, including french basque country saint-jean-pied-de-port, rest of being falling on vichy france. whole western , central pyrenees became hotspot clandestine operations , organized resistance, e.g. comet line.

franco s dictatorship

two developments during franco dictatorship (1939–1975) affected life in basque country in period , afterward. 1 new wave of immigration poorer parts of spain biscay , gipuzkoa during 1950s, 1960s , 1970s in response region s escalating industrialization aimed supply spanish internal market result of post-war self-sufficiency policy, favoured regime.

secondly, regime s persecution provoked strong backlash in basque country 1960s onwards, notably in form of new political movement, basque country , freedom (euskadi ta askatasuna), better known basque initials eta, turned systematic use of arms form of protest in 1968. eta 1 component of social, political , language movement rejecting spanish domination sharply criticizing inertia of basque country s own conservative nationalists (organized in pnv). day dialectic between these 2 political trends, abertzale (patriotic or nationalist) left , pnv, dominate nationalist part of basque political spectrum, rest of occupied non-nationalist parties.