Peripheral Nationalisms in 19th-Century Spain
Spanish Liberalism and Regionalist Movements
Nineteenth-century Spanish liberalism centered on a unified state and nation. However, groups like the Carlists and Federalists envisioned Spain as a union of freely associated states. This centralist system restoration spurred cultural and linguistic revival movements, which gradually took on political significance, leading to regionalism in the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Galicia. Initially, these movements found support among the petty bourgeoisie, peasantry, and some clergy, later gaining traction among the gentry and even the Catalan proletariat.
Catalan Regionalism and Nationalism
From 1830, a cultural movement known as the Renaixença (Renaissance) emerged in Catalonia, encompassing various intellectual fields. This movement became a focal point for diverse social aspirations, known as regionalism, nationalism, or Catalanism—the latter best capturing the general sentiment. Carlism and federalism also played a role in Catalan nationalism’s origins. Carlists sought to restore traditional institutions and jurisdictions, while federalists, represented by the Federal Democratic Republican Party, gained prominence in the 1869 elections. A pioneering political organization, La Jove Catalunya, with figures like Àngel Guimerà, emerged within this context.
Following the Republic’s fall and the Carlist defeat, Catalan politics evolved. Valentí Almirall’s El Catalanisme significantly influenced the movement. Enric Prat de la Riba’s Compendi de la Doctrina Catalanista became a seminal work expressing late 19th-century regenerationism. Almirall aimed to unify the bourgeoisie’s particularistic stances, advocating for respecting and promoting traditional regional customs against the artificial provincial divisions, thereby restoring Catalonia’s identity. In 1882, he founded the Centre Català as a patriotic organization to unite the conservative federal bourgeoisie.
In 1887, conservatives established the Lliga de Catalunya. During the Floral Games, they presented a regional program to Queen Regent Maria Christina of Austria, expressing loyalty to the monarchy while seeking broad autonomy. Through Prat de la Riba’s efforts, the Centre Català and the Lliga merged into the Unió Catalanista. In 1892, they drafted the Bases de Manresa, outlining a Catalan regional constitution.
The Beginnings of Basque Nationalism
Basque nationalism arose from defending the fueros (charters). After the Carlist War, those who defended these privileges saw it as defending the Basque essence. Their adversaries were the Liberal government and Spanish immigration. Sabino Arana consolidated these societal ideas, advocating for a distinct people—different in race and, above all, language—to regain full sovereignty and privileges. This meant independence. Their motto was “God and Old Law,” signifying privileges and traditions.
This early nationalism was traditionalist, Catholic, fundamentalist, and opposed to industrialization, liberalism, socialism, and Spain. In 1895, Arana founded the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) with an anti-Spanish declaration and a commitment to restoring traditional territories. With the rise of industrialization under the leadership of Ramon de la Sota, the PNV expanded its base to include the modern industrial bourgeoisie. Internal tensions emerged between those advocating for independence and those seeking autonomy within Spain. The PNV eventually settled on a strategy of autonomy, achieving some success. Two trends emerged within the PNV: leadership appealing to the central government and a pro-independence base supporting the moderate policy of engagement with the central government.
Other Nationalist Expressions
In Galicia, nationalism stemmed from the literary language revival (Rexurdimento) and federalist movements. Writers like Rosalía de Castro and Alfredo Brañas championed the Galician language and articulated the political aspirations of early Galician regionalism. Brañas’s Regionalismo provided an initial theoretical framework for the issue. In 1890, the Liga Regional Galega (Galician Regional League) was founded. This movement developed slowly and didn’t gain significant traction until the 20th century.
In Andalusia and Valencia, loosely organized movements aligned with the federalist tradition emerged. Andalusian regionalism began with cantonalist movements. A key event was the proclamation of the Federalist Constitution of Andalusia in Antequera, demanding a sovereign and autonomous Andalusia. However, the autonomy movement was consolidated by a bourgeois party. Blas Infante, in Ideal Andaluz, argued that regional freedom is essential for personal freedom.