Basta. Enough. This word exemplifies the growing attitude toward the violence in the Spanish nation caused by the cultural differences between its Spanish and Basque inhabitants. The 2.1 million people of Euskadi, the Basque area of Spain, speak a different language than typical Spaniards, have a separate culture and society from that of Spain; and have a history of their own. Throughout the decades, these major cultural differences contained within the borders of Spain have continued to cause conflict between the Spanish people and the people of the Basque area. Many within la comunidad autónoma del país vasco, the autonomous community of the Basque country, have long been seeking to free it from the confines of Spanish borders and have proceeded to do so in a terrorist fashion, although recently there have been attempts by the Basques nationalists to work towards more peaceful relations with the Spanish government.
ETA is a Basque separatist organization in Spain that has taken up many violent practices in its efforts to gain independence for the Basque state. Standing for Euzkadi Ta Azkatasuna, meaning “Basque Homeland and Liberty,” this group grew out of the Partido Nacionalista Vasco, also known as the Basque Nationalist Party or PNV. Since the PNV was outlawed by dictator Francisco Franco, ETA retained its headquarters secretly in Paris during his reign. For the past 31 years, it has been the origin of numerous terrorist attacks, bombings, protests, and murders. It is the key player in the violence that has plagued Spain and its Basque area.
The Basque region of Spain jumped back into the world arena most recently beginning in late 1997. By this time, the regional government there had gained partial autonomy from Madrid. It had been permitted home rule by the Spanish Constitution and elected its own Parliament with taxing power and a 6,000 member regional police force. The elected Assembly and administration there controlled education, cultural affairs, social services, and created jobs for its people. It was in December of this year that the 23 leaders of Herri Batasuna (HB), the political voice of ETA, were arrested and sentenced to seven-year jail terms for making a video extolling the terrorist acts of the ETA. This decision by three Spanish judges marked t...
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...The New York Times. 19
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STOPPING THE VIOLENCE
THE MOVE TOWARD PEACE IN SPAIN’S BASQUE REGION
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When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, America was at last forced to officially enter World War II. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt officially declared war on the Japanese and in his famous radio address to the American people, he professed that December 7 was a day that would live in infamy. Americans and Japanese alike, still remember Pearl Harbor Day, but how many remember the gallant, fighting Marines who served on a tiny atoll in the Pacific by the name of Wake Island?
2 Charles S. Maier, ed., The Cold War in Europe: Era of a divided Continent (New York: Markus Wiener Publishing, Inc., 1991) 27.
The Iwo Jima Memorial, also known as the U. S. Marine Corps War Memorial, honors the Marines who have died defending the United States since 1775. The Iwo Jima Memorial is located near Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC.
There are countless depictions of The Battle of Iwo Jima from the standpoint of Veterans and military historians. All of which are vivid interpretations of how monumental this battle was for the Marine Corp and 1944 American moral. The Battle of Iwo Jima was the single most contested piece of land that the Marine Corp had ever fought. In fact, the Marines lost more soldiers in this battle than any other battle they had fought, in their 238-year history. It was tough terrain with an enemy instructed to, “Kill 10 Americans before you will be killed”. (Smith, Iwo Jima, 2008) Paying respect to the veterans, I will attempt to tell the story of the Battle of Iwo Jima. “We built strength among us. We strengthened each other. That’s how we survived”. (Smith, Iwo Jima, 2008)
The Second Spanish Republic was founded on April 14, 1931 with popular support. However, politics quickly became severely polarized to the Left or Right between 1931 and July 18, 1936. In the 1933 general election, CEDA (The Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right) which was founded by Gil Robles after fascist models made coalitions and garnered the largest support. (Preston 18, 62) In 1934...
Time. November 20, 1989 Wallace, Charles P., “Across the Great Divide.” Time Europe. Nov. 15, 1999
Not only are military heroes buried at Arlington, but memorials have also been built to honor others who have given their lives for America. The memorials that are located throughout Arlington tell a story about people throughout American history (Reef 43). Each year families walk the endless rows of white head stones at Arlington in order to pay their respects to the ones that have given their lives for America.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial recognizes and honors the men and women who served in one of America's most divisive wars. The memorial was conceived and designed to make no political statement whatsoever about the war. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a place where everyone, regardless of opinion, can come together and remember and honor those who served. By doing so, the memorial has paved the way towards reconciliation and healing, a process that continues today. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial accomplishes these goals through the three components that comprise the memorial: the Wall of names, the Three Servicemen Statue and Flagpole, and the Vietnam Women's Memorial.
...: Reassessing Legitimacy in the European Union. Journal of Common Market Studies, 40 (4), pp. 603-24.
In the early morning of 19 February 1945, United States Marines assigned to the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Division led the initial assault on the Japanese controlled island of Iwo Jima, with the objective of capturing and securing the island. This was the beginning of one of the fiercest and bloodiest; and more decisively, the most strategically important battles fought during World War II. After the dust had settled, and the smoke had cleared, the causalities and losses were astounding. 6,821 U.S. Marines along with 18,844 members of the Imperial Japanese Army had paid the ultimate sacrifice. A decisive US victory on the island of Iwo Jima later played a pivotal role in the overarching defeat of the Japanese Empire and its Armed Forces (Morison, 1945).
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Its black sand beaches are known worldwide by courageous fighting men and is home to one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Today it is still an icon of courage and sacrifice, a source of national pride. It is Iwo Jima.
Thody, P. M. W. 1997.An historical introduction to the European Union. [e-book] London: Routledge. p. 1. Available through: Ebrary http://site.ebrary.com/lib/aberdeenuniv/docDetail.action?docID=10057275 [Accessed: 26 Mar 2014].
Ed. John Merriman and Jay Winter. "1989." Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction. Vol. 4. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 1874-1880. World History in Context. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.