Regional Nationalism in Spain
Catalan Nationalism
Catalonia pioneered the regionalist movement in Spain, experiencing greater economic growth than any other Spanish region. Industrialization transformed Barcelona into Spain’s first industrial hub, leading to the rise of a bourgeois industrialist class. This group felt underrepresented and advocated for protectionism. This development coincided with a revival of Catalan culture and language known as the Renaixença, aiming to recover Catalan identity. In the 1880s, Catalan politics emerged, encompassing various ideologies. One was based on traditionalism, with Bishop Torras i Bages as a prominent figure. Another was progressive, grassroots, and federalist, championed by Valenti Almirall, who founded the Centre Català in 1882 and advocated for Catalan autonomy. The Bases de Manresa (1892), a document produced by the Unió Catalanista, proposed Catalan autonomy and recognition of Catalonia as an autonomous entity. Regionalism evolved into nationalism. In 1898, the Catalan bourgeoisie’s desire for political representation intensified. In 1901, Enric Prat de la Riba and Francesc Cambó founded the Regionalist League. This new party aimed to participate in politics and represent Catalan interests, eventually becoming Catalonia’s largest party.
Basque Nationalism
Basque nationalism emerged in the 1890s alongside a cultural movement defending the Basque language, Euskera, leading to the Euskaros movement. Its driving force was Sabino Arana, who perceived a threat to Basque culture from immigrants arriving in Bilbao’s mining and industrial area. In 1895, he founded the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) in Bilbao. Arana popularized the name Euzkadi for the Basque Country, introduced a Basque flag, and coined the party slogan “God and the old law.” The movement emphasized Catholic tradition, promoted the Basque language and customs, and advocated for racial purity. Initially, the PNV advocated for independence from Spain, but this stance gradually shifted towards autonomy.
Galician Nationalism
In the mid-nineteenth century, Galician intellectuals and writers endeavored to transform the Galician language into a literary language. This led to the Rexurdimiento movement, with poet Rosalía de Castro (1837-1885) as a prominent figure. A cultured minority began to attribute Galicia’s economic backwardness to its political subordination, forcing many to emigrate. In the late Restoration period, Galician nationalism became increasingly political, with Vicente Risco emerging as its leading theorist and leader in the early 20th century.
Valencia, Aragon, and Andalusia
The most significant movement was in Valencia, initially a cultural movement advocating for the Valencian language and culture (Renaixença), led by Teodor Llorente and Constantí Llombart. The birth of Valencian political nationalism can be traced to the creation of Valencia Nova in 1904, which promoted the First Valencian Regional Assembly. Aragonese nationalism emerged in the late 19th century among the rising bourgeoisie, who championed the defense of Aragonese civil law, promoted particularistic cultural values, and sought a romantic revival of the kingdom and its medieval institutions. Joaquín Costa advocated for Aragonese peasant rights. Autonomist political formulations, ranging from various forms of autonomy to mere administrative decentralization, did not appear until the Second Republic. Andalusian nationalism was led by Blas Infante, whose political ideology drew inspiration from 19th-century republican and federalist movements. In 1916, he founded the first Centro Andaluz in Seville to express Andalusia’s cultural and social reality and participated in the first Andalusian Regional Assembly. During the Second Republic, Andalusian nationalism initiated the drafting of a Statute of Autonomy, prepared by a municipal assembly in Seville. This initiative garnered limited popular support and had to await the end of the Franco regime to gain widespread backing for Andalusian autonomy.