Dictatorship and Exile: the Shape of the New Nationalism

Abstract

After Franco’s definitive victory in the Civil War in 1939,1 any expression and symbol of Basque political or cultural particularism was brutally persecuted and the working capacity of the Basque government established in Paris was completely absorbed by the organization of different kinds of humanitarian aid for the thousands of refugees crossing the border. With the beginning of the Second World War, the panorama for the Basque nationalists — and in general all Basques opposed to Francoist fascism — became even darker. The Germans surprised President Aguirre on a family visit to Belgium. He escaped and disappeared for more than a year, before returning to the political stage after a long and dangerous Odyssey with a changed identity.2 The occupation of France forced the Basque government to leave Paris and establish itself in New York. But even during this period of desperation, Basque nationalism did not surrender and maintained an important level of activity with the foundation of the ‘Basque National Council’ in January 1941 in London.3 Chaired by Manuel de Irujo, former PNV minister in the Spanish Republican government,4 the Council was conceived as a temporary substitute for the Basque government, which due to the disappearance of its president and the German occupation of France was forced into political inactivity. Irujo’s initiative was inspired by the example of other governments exiled in the London, and particularly the Polish one.KeywordsBasque CountryPolitical ViolenceWestern DemocracyRepublican GovernmentNationalist MovementThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.