The Basques and Their Claim to Nationhood

2163 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Basque country culture

The Basques and Their Claim to Nationhood

Historical Background

The Basque "nation" --for lack of a better word-- is composed of seven different "provinces" --for the lack of a better word-- four are located within the borders of Spain and three within those of France in the triangle formed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Garonne and Ebro rivers, as shown in the map below.

Euskera-Herria, is the Basque name given to these seven provinces. The Basques are the descendants of the native inhabitants of the area who are referred to as the proto-Basques and for the most part did not mix with other ethnic groups. Basque speak a language called Euskera, which has been proven to be older any other Indo-European language. It is considered by linguistic experts, as perhaps, the oldest living languages in Europe and it is unrelated to any of the families of Indo-European languages

The Basques are an ancient people whose history is deeply intertwined with the people of Spain and France. Toward the end of the tumultuous period that followed the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Navarre (Nafarroa in Basque), centered in Pamplona, came into being. Originally this kingdom covered all of modern Navarre, plus the three Vascongadas, or Basque countries (Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia, Araba), and the modern French Basque countries, and into neighboring areas in modern Spain. When the moors invaded Spain, Navarre was never conquered, thus it retained many Basque characteristics Navarre was probably not a "Kingdom of the Basques", but it was a kingdom whose dominant ethnic group were the Basques . Through the high and late middle ages Navarre gradually lost bits of its territory through various dynastic marriages and inheritances, a...

... middle of paper ...

...ue dialog. Furthermore, the plea of a people cannot be delegitmized by violent actions of a handful of hardliners, instead, they must embrace the spirit of what the Basque nation stands for and bring to the table with dignity and the consciousness that true, lasting solutions often require tolerance and compromise.

Bibliography

Bibliography:

http://www.freespeech.org/ehj/html/vascon.html

http://www.freespeech.org/ehj/html/vascon.html

http://students.washington.edu/buber/Basque/History/

http://bakersfield.about.com/citiestowns/caus/bakersfield/library/weekly/aa062900a.htm?rnk=r1&terms=basques

Idem

http://www.freespeech.org/ehj/html/vascon.html

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/9479/basque.html#4

http://www.freespeech.org/ehj/html/frnorth.html

http://www.contrast.org/mirrors/ehj/html/carlists.html

Show More
Related

  • Anna Deveare Smith's Fires in the Mirror

    2659 Words  | 6 Pages

    Berdichevsky, Norman. “Spain’s Language Diversity.” Contemporary Review. 278: May 2001. 276 –82. Web. 15 April 2015.

    Read More

  • Wales and the Spanish Civil War

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wales and the Spanish Civil War There were many reasons for the men of south Wales joining the Spanish civil war most of which can be divided up in to the following categories; Political, Economic, Social, Cultural and Religious. The most important of which I feel is Political as I think you can find that all these other problems stemmed from the political reasons. It was these political reasons that had the most impact on the miners and ultimately more than any of the others encouraged them to actively join the war Spanish Civil war, which was being fought over the political division between the right wing nationalists and the left wing republicans. Although all the world powers had signed an agreement of non-involvement Nazi troops from Germany and soldiers from Italy were sent to help the nationalists. A total of 174 welsh men joined the international brigade to help the republicans along with Scots, Mexicans and Russians in order to fight for their communist beliefs and in an attempt to stop the spread of fascism across the world.

    Read More

  • The Land Struggle and Reies Lopez Tijerina

    1883 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mexico, once home to ancient cultures like the Maya and Aztec which ruled vast territory expanding from present day South America all the way up north to present day western United States now reduced to roughly half its size. The cause of this dramatic loss of land was contributed to the expansion of the United States and secession of southern provinces, now Central America. The loss of land not only affected Mexico’s presence of power but also affected hundreds of thousands of native people. This was just the beginning of what would come to be known as the land struggle and the fight for land grants, something the United States government would not acknowledge nor recognize.

    Read More

  • The Black Legend and its Negative Impact on the Image of Spain

    1265 Words  | 3 Pages

    William of Orange once stated, “Spain committed such horrible excesses that all the barbarities, cruelties, and tyrannies ever perpetrated before are only games in comparison to what happened to the poor Indians.” This statement is an example of an attempt to discredit the Spanish. Attempts such as these are known as the Black Legend. The Black Legend was the name given to the concept of cruelty and brutality spread by the Spanish during the 14th and 15th century. This legend demonizes Spain and specifically the Spanish empire in an effort to harm the reputation of them. It was through this propaganda that made other countries look down upon the Spanish empire. The Black Legend threw discredit upon the rule of the Spanish by building biases and prejudices against Catholicism and the Spanish treatment of the natives of South America. The Black Legend mainly exaggerated the treatment of the native people in the regions of the Spanish Empire and non-Catholic people such as Protestants and Jews in its European territories. The Black Legend was an anti-Spanish movement, which was started due to political and religious reasons by Northern European Protestant countries who were Spain’s enemies in order to discredit them.

    Read More

  • The Role of Religion in "The Conquest of New Spain"

    613 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church was the dominant force in Western civilization. As the Dark Ages came to a close, the monarchies of Europe began to consolidate power; providing an alternative power base. With the Protestant Reformation came another blow to the influence of the Church. Spain, the forerunner in the Age of Discovery, was a fervently Catholic country. During the 16th century, the monarchy combined the forces of "cross and crown" in its imperial policy; much to the dismay and ultimate destruction of the indigenous peoples of the New World. Through an examination of Aztec polytheism and the Catholicism of the conquistadors, comes the central role of religion in the successful conquest of New Spain.

    Read More

  • An Indian's Journey, Through Reservation Life By David Truer

    716 Words  | 2 Pages

    Spanish family lived in the Spanish area. The Spanish person thought that it would be safe living

    Read More

  • Deculturalization and the struggle for equality

    1787 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout American and World history we can see that dozens of cultures and people have gone through the process of deculturalization. Deculturalization is defined as the stripping away of one’s culture. Culture is defined by a group of people from a particular area with alike social behaviors. The process of deculturalization is to make it where a person’s lifestyle doesn’t involve their culture, beliefs, values, and norms of their well-known society. Deculturalization removes one culture from a group of people and gives them another culture.

    Read More

  • Homage To Catalonia

    1241 Words  | 3 Pages

    George Orwell, noted writer and journalist, arrived in Barcelona, Spain in late 1936 to cover the fight against fascism. Being an avid fan of socialism, he was amazed to see the small glimpse of socialism in action. He was intrigued to say the least, of the classless society he observed there. Barcelona, Spain at this time was held under Anarchist control, and as such most of the old class society rituals were abandoned: tipping, titles, and the old divisions between rich and poor were practically gone. Everyone was equal in this new society, and most of the rich aristocrats had either fled or went into hiding. This being the truest form of socialism and brotherhood Orwell had ever before witnessed he put down his pen and took up arms. Homage to Catalonia, which Orwell later wrote after fleeing to France in 1937, gives his account as a militiaman in the P.O.U.M (Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista) Militia, which roughly translates to the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification. At the time this was one of the many anti-fascist factions in Spain, later he remarks joining P.O.U.M with ignorant bliss of what the difference was between any of them.

    Read More

  • The Conquest of New Spain

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Conquest of New Spain Cortés came not to the New World to conquer by force, but by manipulation. Bernal Daz del Castillo, in the "Conquest of New Spain," describes how Cortés and his soldiers manipulated the Aztec people and their king Montezuma from the time they traveled from Iztapalaopa to the time when Montezuma took Cortés to the top of the great Cue and showed him the whole of Mexico and its countryside, and the three causeways which led into Mexico. Castillo's purpose for recording the mission was to keep an account of the wealth of Montezuma and Mexico, the traditions, and the economic potential that could benefit Cortés' upcoming conquest. However, through these recordings, we are able to see and understand Cortés' strategy in making Mexico "New Spain." He came as a wolf in sheep's clothing and manipulated Montezuma through his apparent innocence.

    Read More

  • Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher

    1118 Words  | 3 Pages

    Whether or not we are aware of it, each of us is faced with an abundance of conflict each and every day. From the division of chores within a household, to asking one’s boss for a raise, we’ve all learned the basic skills of negotiation. A national bestseller, Getting to Yes, introduces the method of principled negotiation, a form of alternative dispute resolutions as opposed to the common method of positional bargaining. Within the book, four basic elements of principled negotiation are stressed; separate the people from the problem, focus on interests instead of positions, invest options for mutual gain, and insist on using objective criteria. Following this section of the book are suggestions for problems that may occur and finally a conclusion. In this journal entry I will be taking a closer look at each of the elements, and critically analyse the content; ultimately, I aim to briefly bring forth the pros and cons of Getting to Yes.

    Read More

  • A Vanished World Chapter Summary

    630 Words  | 2 Pages

    The book essentially begins with the year 711, when then thousand Moorish soldiers swiftly conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula, establishing Muslim rule over five million inhabitants and instituting a government that extended more or less equal

    Read More

  • Nationalism in Europe

    915 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nationalism is the idea that a people who have much in common, such as language, culture and geographic proximity ought to organize in such a way that it creates a stable and enduring state. Nationalism is tied to patriotism, and it is the driving force behind the identity of a culture. Nationalism had many effects in Europe from 1815, The Congress of Vienna and beyond. In the following essay I will describe many of the consequences of nationalism on European identity, as well as some of the conflicts that it created.

    Read More

  • Spanish Food

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    Spain, the third largest country in Europe, has a strong history and diverse culture dating back to when the Iberians first inhabited the land. The country lies between the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and the land ranges from mountains to meadows. Over hundreds of centuries, many different civilizations have inhabited the land influencing the people there today. From the Visigoths and Celts to the Romans of the Middle Ages, Spain has received a rich history and background. One of the strongest of its cultures is the food. All of these cultures brought a particular type of food and combined and blended with the food that exists there today. Spain is very popular for olives, vineyards, and citrus fruit. Another well-liked food is garlic, including varieties of peppers and spices. Once spice specifically—golden saffron—is essential in many recipes, including the Spanish Paella. There are many distinguished Spanish foods that encompass the daily life and culture of the country.

    Read More

  • Spanish Food Essay

    595 Words  | 2 Pages

    Geography plays an important role in a countries beliefs, values and activities. “Traditional Spanish cooking has popular roots. It is the people's cuisine. Most of it is down-to-earth, uncomplicated food, based on the ingredients available locally or the crops grown regionally. Mountains run through Spain in several directions, acting as natural barriers to communication and making transportation difficult until the last half of the 20th century. This is just one of the reasons why cooking differs so much from region to region” (Food).

    Read More

  • National and European Identity

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    Scholars of the European Union (EU) have a strong interest in the concept of European Union identity (Cram, 2009). The ‘European union’ identity can be identified nowadays, although there are still conflicts between national identities and a shared European identity which can be illustrated by the data from Eurobarameter and other sources. Most people perceive themselves as Europeans, as Anderson (1991) state, there is no contradictory between Europe and nation-state, ‘country first, but Europe, too’ is the main feeling of the public. However, some people don’t consider themselves as European which result from a strong attachment to the national culture. Even though, the tendency of the convergence of diverse national identity cannot be resisted (Cram, 2009). Migration of population within Europe and the implementation of Europe policy accelerate the progress of formation of the shared identity. This article is going to focus on two reasons why people are willing to define themselves as European by showing how their national identities interact with the European identity, mainly in two countries UK and Poland .The first reason is the issue of Euro, which can be regarded as a tangible symbol of a shared identity and can be perceived easily. The second reason is the collective memory shared among countries and entire Europe.

    Read More

More about The Basques and Their Claim to Nationhood

Open Document