Rise of Nationalism in Spain: Catalonia and Basque Country

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The Birth of Nationalism in Spain

One of the major events of the Restoration was the emergence of nationalist movements at regional levels in various areas of Spain. This should be understood as a reaction to the claims standardizing the political and administrative system adopted by liberalism and its intention to impose an official Castilianized culture, ignoring the existence of other languages and cultures.

Catalanism

Around 1830, a broad cultural and literary movement known as the Renaissance emerged in Catalonia. Its purpose was the recovery of the Catalan language and culture, but it had no political aspirations or projects. Valenti Almirall founded the Center Catala (1882), an organization that sought to raise public awareness of Catalan identity to achieve autonomy. In 1885, it prompted the drafting of a "Memorial of Grievances." The Memorial denounced the oppression of Catalonia and called for harmony between the interests and aspirations of the different Spanish regions.

A group of intellectuals opposed to Almirall's progressivism founded the Unio Catalana (1891), a federation of institutions of conservative Catalan nationalist character. Its program was set in the Bases de Manresa, which advocated for a confederated organization of Spain and Catalonia's sovereignty in domestic policy.

The impact of the crisis of 1898 was decisive for the maturation and social expansion of Catalanism. The convergence of interests between Catalan sectors gave rise to the creation of a new party, the Regionalist League (1901). The Lliga presented a conservative political agenda, focusing on the fight against the existing political system and in favor of political reformism that would grant autonomy to Catalonia. Its electoral successes in Barcelona from 1901 made it the hegemonic force in Catalonia until 1923.

Basque Nationalism

In the Basque Country, the abolition of privileges after the last Carlist War gave rise to a movement that demanded the reinstatement of the fueros (regional privileges). Moreover, the industrialization process brought heavy immigration, which led to a breakdown of traditional Basque society. In reaction, a current supporting Basque culture and language (Euskera) strengthened.

Sabino Arana founded the Basque Nationalist Party (1894). Arana's ideology was built around the principles of the Basque race, the fueros, and religion. He defended the old patriarchal society from a liberal and traditionalist perspective, while also defending the full reintegration of the fueros. In his later years, he abandoned his principles of independence to promote the creation of an autonomist party.

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