French Nationalism
Dotted Lines: The Case of Basque Nationalism
Course: Current International Issues from a Spanish Perspective
May 17, 2012
Audrey Somalis
Brenda La
Beatrix Heynig
Abstract: The notion of nationalism plays a critical role in the development on domestic and international politics. There are cases around the globe of how ethnically related politics, or ethnopolitcs, have infiltrated the international political arena. One such case, and the focus of this essay, is the case of Basque nationalism in Spain. In order to tackle a subject of this complexity, this essay will review a brief history of the Basque people, including: historical ties to the land, language and literature. Furthermore, the political situation in both during the times of General Franco’s regime and post-Franco Spain are examined in order to analyze the politics of Basque Nationalism.
Key Words: Nation: a group of people unified by a common language, history, or culture; State: a political territory with a codified governing body; General Francisco Franco: Spanish dictator who held office from 1939 to 1975; PNV: Partido Nacionalist Vasco (Basque Political Party); ETA: Euskadi Ta Azkatasuna (Basque separatist group); Ideological extremism: harboring unconventional political beliefs in an effort to obtain a goal not commonly recognized by the state; Violent extremism: the use of violence or terror in order to obtain radical goals supported by a select portion of the population.
Introduction:
While the history of the Basque people has been littered with political and social unrest, the Basque people have protected their culture and way of life to ensure its continued survival in the 21st century. With a collective sense of self-preservation, Basques today are not only surviving, they are growing politically, socially and economically. Tension exists, however, between the Basques and the Spanish government. This tension has led to complex and interrelated questions on a number of
Course: Current International Issues from a Spanish Perspective
May 17, 2012
Audrey Somalis
Brenda La
Beatrix Heynig
Abstract: The notion of nationalism plays a critical role in the development on domestic and international politics. There are cases around the globe of how ethnically related politics, or ethnopolitcs, have infiltrated the international political arena. One such case, and the focus of this essay, is the case of Basque nationalism in Spain. In order to tackle a subject of this complexity, this essay will review a brief history of the Basque people, including: historical ties to the land, language and literature. Furthermore, the political situation in both during the times of General Franco’s regime and post-Franco Spain are examined in order to analyze the politics of Basque Nationalism.
Key Words: Nation: a group of people unified by a common language, history, or culture; State: a political territory with a codified governing body; General Francisco Franco: Spanish dictator who held office from 1939 to 1975; PNV: Partido Nacionalist Vasco (Basque Political Party); ETA: Euskadi Ta Azkatasuna (Basque separatist group); Ideological extremism: harboring unconventional political beliefs in an effort to obtain a goal not commonly recognized by the state; Violent extremism: the use of violence or terror in order to obtain radical goals supported by a select portion of the population.
Introduction:
While the history of the Basque people has been littered with political and social unrest, the Basque people have protected their culture and way of life to ensure its continued survival in the 21st century. With a collective sense of self-preservation, Basques today are not only surviving, they are growing politically, socially and economically. Tension exists, however, between the Basques and the Spanish government. This tension has led to complex and interrelated questions on a number of