Nessie School of Languages

Comparing the Irish conflict with other European nationalist movements:

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Euskal-herria (The Basque Country)

Another European
country that is dealing with ethnical terrorism is the Spanish State. The Basks
advocates that their origin is culturally and ethnically different from
Castillian Spain and they try to get their independence. In the birth of the
Bask Question, roles of the Catholic Church and the clergy is undeniable. ETA
started their activities during the Franco regime, and had lots of public
support as the main force against dictatorship. Once democracy was set up, they
continued their activities because they thought thal the autonomy or
selfgovernment was not enough. They wanted the independence and the unification
of the country, Euskal-herria[1],
which is divided in different regions and belonging to different states.

The different
Spanish governments traced their counter-terrorism policies parallel to the
democratisation. As in Britain, the Spanish State introduced legislative,
political, administrative, economical and social countermeasures. Although the
state allowed autonomy in the Basque region, it could not eliminated ETA?s
military activities. Today ETA still combats with the autonomous administration
of the Basque Region, although it declared a controversial cease-fire in
Catalonia in 2002. ETA has not killed anybody for two years, and it seems that
a final cease-fire is in the way. Since the 11-M Madrid attacks, public opinion
has changed, and it seems improbable that ETA can carry on with their killings
any more, in a society highly attacked by military actions.

After the
illegalisation of Batasuna (independentist group accused of being the political
wing of ETA), what is called the ?abertzale? world is supposed to have lost
force. Former president Aznar wanted to get rid of the group by force, and
finish with the nationalist ambitions. He was not successful though, as in the
last autonomous elections, the new Batasuna called PCTV[2]
recovered quite a lot of support and had a crucial role to form the new
government Meanwhile the Spanish conservative party lost a lot of support, due
to their constant campaign against Basque nationalism.

–        
The Catalan Countries (Catalonia)

Catalonia was one of the first Roman possessions in
the Iberic Paeninsula. From 1137, when Count Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona
was betrothed to Petronila, queen of Aragon, Catalonia and Aragon were united
under the same ruler. Catalonia monopolized trade in the western Mediterranean
in the 13th and 14th centuries, and Catalan interests dominated the union with
Aragon until 1410, when the male line of the counts of Barcelona became
extinct. Dissatisfaction in Catalonia with the new Trastámara dynasty of Aragon
increased after 1412; during the reign of John II it developed into a
full-scale but unsuccessful rebellion (1462-72).

After the marriage of John II’s son Ferdinand with
Isabella of Castile (1469) had brought about the unification of Spain,
Catalonia became of secondary importance in Spanish affairs. Though it retained
its autonomy and Generalitat (assembly), by the 17th century its conflict of
interest with Castile, along with the decline of the Spanish monarchy’s
prestige, led to the first of a series of Catalan separatist movements. In 1640
Catalonia revolted against Spain and placed itself under the protection of
Louis XIII of France. In the War of the Spanish Succession, Catalonia declared
its support for the archduke Charles and resisted the accession of the Bourbon
dynasty in Spain, but in 1714 it was completely subjugated by the forces of the
Bourbon Philip V, who abolished the Catalan constitution and autonomy.

Catalan separatism reemerged in the 19th century in
the support given to Carlism. The resurgence really began in the 1850s,
however, when serious efforts were made to revive Catalan as a living language with its own press and theatre.
Catalan nationalism became a serious force after 1876 when the defeat of the
Carlists led the church to transfer its support to the movement for autonomy.
By 1913 Catalonia had won a slight degree of home rule, but the legislation
conferring it was repealed in 1925 by Primo de Rivera, who attacked all
manifestations of Catalan separatism. Rivera’s policy led to the formation of a
left-wing coalition party in Catalonia, the Esquerra Republicana. The Esquerra
won a sweeping victory in the municipal elections of 1931, and two days later
its leader proclaimed a Catalan Republic. A compromise was worked out with the
central government, and in September 1932 the statute of autonomy for Catalonia
became law. Catalonia played a prominent role in the history of Republican
Spain and in the Civil War (1936-39). The Nationalists’ victory in 1939 meant
the loss of autonomy, however, and General Francisco Franco’s government
adopted a repressive policy toward Catalan nationalism.

The establishment of democratic rule in the Spanish
state after Franco’s death did not lessen Catalonia’s desire for autonomy, and
in September 1977 limited autonomy was granted to the region. Full autonomy was
granted in 1979 with the establishment of the autonomous community of Catalonia.
The government established in 1979 consists of a Generalitat (an executive
council headed by a president) and a unicameral parliament. Nowadays there is a very
important proposal in order to change the 1979 Catalan autonomus regulation, as
the Catalans want more financial power and want to be declared formally a nation.

Terra Lliure

Terra Lliure was military group forme in the late 1970s. It declared a permanent cease-fire in the middle 1990s. It was a
nationalist/separatist group with communist ideas. The Base of operation were
the Catalan Countries and the Spanish State, and the financial sources are
unknown.

Founding Philosophy: Terra Lliure (TL) was a military organization
active in the Catalan Countries from the 1970s until it publicly renounced
their military actions in July 1991. Terra Lliure, which means Free Land, was a
separatist organization committed to the creation of an independent Catalonian
state. This country of Catalonia would be based on Marxist theory and would
encompass the provinces of Catalonia, Balearic Island, Valencia, the
Principality of Andorra, and Northern Catalonia in Southern France.

Terra Lliure?s military activities were principally small-scale bombing
attacks on property. TL frequently targeted foreign banks and corporations, but
also attacked the diplomatic facilities of foreign countries such as the United
States and Great Britain. During Spanish dictator General Franco?s reign,
Catalan culture and language were suppressed. Terra Lliure received some
support from the Catalan people for its support of the Catalan culture. Even
after General Franco?s dictatorship ended in 1975, TL continued its military
attacks. The military organization never gained broad support from the Catalan
people and by July 1991, it was clear to even the militant members of Terra
Lliure that their military campaign would not be successful in creating a Catalonian
state. The group?s leaders published a statement that the group would cease its
activities and would instead attempt to affect change through the political
process.  Terra Lliure is no longer an
active military organisation.

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