Catalanism: Crises of 1917, Catalan Centre, and Regionalist League

The Crisis of 1917 in Catalonia

The crisis of 1917 involved three consecutive crises in the army, peripheral nationalism, and the working class during the summer of 1917. In June 1917, soldiers were upset by the promotion system that favored Africanists. They distrusted political parties and demanded a raise. This led to the creation of defense boards that put pressure on the government, which prohibited meetings and closed the Parliament, suspending constitutional guarantees.

In July, the National Assembly of Parliamentarians was created as a counterweight to the defensive boards. This initiative aimed to reopen the Catalan parliament and draft a constitution that considered autonomy. However, the entire Assembly was arrested after its second meeting. In August, a rail strike triggered a general strike that was strongly suppressed.

The Catalan Centre

The Catalan Centre was founded in Barcelona in 1882 to defend the moral and material interests of Catalonia and to unite all Catalans. The inaugural event was held at the Teatre Romea in Barcelona on June 17, 1882. Frederic Soler was elected president, and Admiral Valentine was the secretary and main leader. Manuel Lasarte and Rodriguez-Cardoso were also founders. His motto was Catalonia and avant! It was intended to be a broad and unified platform to unite all Catalanists, Carlists, and federalists. Valentine Admiral advocated abandoning political attitudes and achieved initial success.

The Catalan Centre Catalanista convened the Second Congress (1883), where it condemned the intervention of Catalan political parties controlled by warlords in Madrid. This political action culminated in the presentation of the Memorial to King Alfonso XII of Ombudsman in 1885. In April 1883, a seven-point agenda was submitted:

• Recognition of Catalan as an official language of Spain.
• Maintenance and reform of Catalan civil law.
• Establishment of a Catalan Supreme Court.
• Establishment of a Catalan administration.
• Fostering economic protectionism.
• Strengthening of the commercial nature of Catalonia.

The Regionalist League

The Regionalist League was a conservative Catalan party that merged with the Regionalist Union Catalan National Center on April 25, 1901. The triumph of the candidacy of the "four presidents" (Sebastian Torres, Albert Rusiñol i Prats, Robert Bartholomew Yarzábal, and Lluis Domenech i Montaner) consolidated the League, and it joined the League of Catalonia. Its first secretary was Ferran Agulló Vidal. The core program of the League was monarchist and conservative, stating in its statutes that it would fight for Catalan autonomy within Spain. Its body was the voice of Catalonia (1899-1936).

Vigatanisme

The vigatanisme is the expression used to name the political current that led the opposition to Philip V and was used to trigger the War of the Spanish Succession. Vigatans were members of this movement, which included leaders such as Bac de Roda and other general figures. Its foundation was held in the chapel of St. Sebastian outside Vic in 1707.