Prat de la Riba and Catalan Nationalism During the Restoration
Prat de la Riba and Catalan Nationalism
The text was likely written in Catalonia in 1906, during the second phase of the Restoration period. Alfonso XIII reigned in Spain. His reign saw the end of economic and social stability and the beginning of political problems, leading to a serious crisis that would cause the failure of the Restoration’s political system. This phase ended in 1923 with the coup of Primo de Rivera.
The author is Prat de la Riba, a key figure in Catalan nationalism. He was the chief editor of the Bases de Manresa in 1892, which laid the groundwork for Catalan politics. He also founded the Regionalist League, which aimed to influence Spanish politics. His successor was Cambó in 1918.
The text is addressed to the Spanish population, specifically the Catalan nation. The main idea is to defend the Catalan State as a nation within the Spanish Federal State.
Structure of the Text
The text can be divided into three parts:
- The first part (first three paragraphs) clarifies terms. The first paragraph explains the concept of nationality, while the second and third paragraphs discuss nationalism, pan-nationalism, and the Federal State, respectively.
- The second part (fourth and fifth paragraphs) explains Catalan nationality and its purpose: that each nation should form a state within a federal structure.
- The third part (final paragraph) outlines the characteristics of Catalan nationality, its desire for independence, and the author’s praise for Catalan nationalism.
Historical Context
Catalan nationalism emerged in the first half of the nineteenth century with the Catalan Renaissance, driven by the bourgeoisie of Barcelona. During the Sexenio Revolucionario, there was a movement favoring Catalonia. Later, during the Restoration, Prat de la Riba created the Regionalist League and the Bases de Manresa, which aimed to establish Catalan nationality. Cambó, his successor, took these ideals to Madrid.
Conservative and leftist Catalan nationalist parties also emerged. In the Basque Country, Sabino Arana founded the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) in 1895, marking the beginning of right-wing Basque nationalism. In Galicia, social movements highlighted Celtic roots and the vernacular. Nationalisms also appeared in Andalusia, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, Valencia, and the Canary Islands. In the late nineteenth century, Canarian nationalists formed the Autonomist People’s Party in Tenerife. Nicolás Estébanez, Secundino José Cabrera Díaz, and Delgado were key figures. Cabrera Díaz founded the National Party Canario in Cuba in 1924, which was later refounded in 1982.
Impact and Legacy
This text provides insight into Prat de la Riba’s views and the political climate of the Restoration. It served as a reference for the emergence of Basque, Galician, Valencian, Andalusian, and Canarian nationalisms. Catalan nationalism continues to have a significant following, with the Generalitat being led by a Catalan nationalist party.
The excessive development of some nationalisms during the Restoration was interrupted by the military dictatorship of Primo de Rivera in 1923. Nationalism was allowed again during the Spanish Second Republic in 1931. Since 1978, the current Spanish Constitution has established a State of Autonomous Communities, allowing for the development of different forms of nationalism in Spain.