Evolution of Catalan and Basque Nationalism in Spain

Rise of Catalan Nationalism

The first region to develop a Catalan regionalist movement was one that had experienced high economic growth. Industrialization had made Barcelona the first industrial area in Spain and had led to the birth of an influential bourgeoisie. This new social group felt that their economic interests were poorly represented and made the defense of protectionism in Catalonia a unifying element (aglutinador).

Development coincided with a remarkable revival of Catalan culture and the expansion of the use of the Catalan language. In the mid-nineteenth century, a movement known as the Renaissance (Renaixença) was born, whose aim was the recovery of the language and the Catalan identity. Catalan nationalism emerged from economic progress and cultural rebirth.

Political Streams and the Bases de Manresa

In the 1880s, political Catalanism was developed, taking several streams:

• One was based on traditionalism, with Torras i Bages as its highest representative.
• The other current was progressive and federalist in principle, encouraged by Valentí Almirall, who in 1882 founded the Catalan Centre to defend the autonomy of Catalonia.

An important step was the development of the Bases de Manresa in 1892, a document produced by the Unió Catalanista. It proposed to achieve Catalan autonomy as a result of a pact with the crown and the consideration of an autonomous Catalonia within Spain. Regionalism then evolved into nationalism. The crisis of the political system during the Restoration increased the interest of the Catalan bourgeoisie in having their own political representation.

The Regionalist League and Political Success

In 1901, the Regionalist League (Lliga Regionalista) was created, founded by Enric Prat de la Riba and Francesc Cambó. The new party aimed to participate actively in politics and have representatives to defend Catalan interests. The electoral success of the Lliga led it to become the main party in Catalonia.

The Emergence of Basque Nationalism

Basque nationalism emerged in the 1890s. As a cause, one must consider the loss of privileges (fueros) after the defeat of the Carlists, but also the development of a movement in defense of the Basque language, Euskera, which led to the movement of the Euskaros (Basque speakers).

Sabino de Arana and the PNV

The movement's great drive was Sabino de Arana, who had a passion for the native culture of Euzkadi. Arana believed he saw a great danger to the survival of Basque culture in the arrival of immigrants from other regions. He thought that this population of Maketos endangered Euskera, Basque traditions, and ethnicity.

Arana's proposal ignited various sectors, and in 1895, he established the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV). Arana popularized a new name for their homeland, Euzkadi, created its own flag, and set a motto for the party: "God and the Old Law" (Jaungoikoa eta Lege Zaharra).

The movement was imbued with a great feeling for defending Catholic tradition, intended to promote the language and customs, and advocated for the racial purity of the Basque people. The PNV pleaded...