The Baiona Pact (1945): A Unified Basque Opposition to Franco’s Regime
Introduction
Type: Primary source
As regards form: Manifest → Historical text
Content: Political text
Author: Collective (Basque political and trade union organizations in exile: PCE, PNV, UGT, PSOE, ELA…)
Addressee: To all citizens of EH, but indirectly to Franco’s regime → public text
Objective: Reaffirm their allegiance to the Republic, + give support to the Basque Government, opposing the dictatorship and preventing the restoration of the monarchy
Location + Date: Published in Bayonne (France) on March 31, 1945, during the first part of Francoism, during the stage of the Basque Government in exile
Hope of the Basque Government + political organizations: To re-impose the Republic in Spain if the Allies won World War II
Central theme: To make public the agreements reached by the Basque Government in exile.
Main ideas: Trust in them, respect for the will of the people, the future of the pact when democracy is re-established, and finally, the need to continue being united with the rest of the anti-Franco parties.
Begins by introducing the protagonists of the pact (political and trade union organizations of EH that fought against Franco in French exile).
Most important ideas: Determined in the next 5 points:
1. Union of forces against Franco and that formed the 1st Government of Euskadi in accordance with the Basque Statute is ratified. Also indicates that Aguirre = 1st Lehendakari (elected by mayors who could vote).
2. The Basque Government in exile is admitted as the legitimate representative of the Basque people, who are given confidence and support (provided that they collect their political and social aspirations).
3. They promise to respect and defend the wishes of the Basque people once democratic normality is restored. The pact was signed in 1945 (triumph of the Allies was evident) → Basque Government was convinced that the next step was to end Franco's regime.
4. For this reason, they are being set up as a consultative body of the Basque Government. Will never come because of the Cold War.
5. Conspire to continue the fight against Franco's government and institutions, citing Falange as the most significant. Also against any attempt at monarchical restoration that might arise.
Content
3. Context
Pre:36,during Civ war(very difficult tim whn Bsq gov ws formd)Statut f Auto f EH=approvd/ Whn F'ists entered Bilb,natilist+republicn troops fled t Santandr+natiolist battalions(PNV)signd Santoña Pact with Italians(Gudaris could escape)-X respectd by F//F's regim startd with"th black years",executis,repression,exil,forcd expropriati,labor camps/Apart from tht,in $=period known as autarchy(a system f self-producti tht EH would hav t get usd t)/EH would also lose th autonomous systm,Statute f Autonmy would be suppressd,+$ic agreemnt supresd for G+B(declard traitor provincs),X N+A(loyal t F)//
Prsnt:
Oppositi t F regim,between hope+frustrati//In internal oppositi 1st yearsi=very complicatd/The regime ws set out t pursue any typ f oppositi t it(law f policl responsibilities39..)//From 40s on,internl oppositi began t organiz,with strikes in workplace,or by calling for abstenti in th approval f th genral refrendum law//Policl forcs in exil=disunitd→influence in EH//Once with th disagreemnts resolvd,Aguir took th responsibility f maintaining unity between Bsq parties(t obtain their support fr th Bsq Gov in exil)+republicn+left-wing partis(t obtain loyalty t th Repu)/When F's regime ws over,Repu would be reinstatd in Spa(would give rise t th signing f th Baiona pact)//WW2 came t an end→hopes grew among opposition+among th Bsq Gov in exil,since was hopd tht peace ws established in EU would end F's regim for its support t Axis
Previously the Basque Government had had to move in 1941 from Paris New York, as Paris had fallen into the hands of Germany. There in America José Antonio Aguirre would intensify his contacts with the Americans in the hope that they would collaborate with the Basque Government to overthrow France, while in Europe the contacts between the opposition forces against Francoism would also intensify.
Juan de Borbón would also sign an agreement in Lausanne (Switzerland) to establish a constitutional monarchy in Spain should he restore a democratic system in Spain.
The result of all these movements would be the present Baiona pact, the main objective of which, as has been mentioned, would be, on the one hand, to show loyalty to the Republic and, on the other, to the Basque Government in exile, as well as in the event that a democratic system were to be reintroduced in the Basque Country.
Conseq:With recogniti f F's regim in international contxt(50s)→hole procces end in frustrati→discouragement f th oppositi movemnt in exil/Allies won wr,but with emergenc f th "new EU"after WW2(block politics,cold war,oppositi f F t Communist bloc)made F's regim acceptd internationaly←In Cold War,F's anti-communism+strategic locati f Spa=valuable ally f USA/So attempts opend in exile by Bsq Gov faild//Greatest frustrati came between 53-55,when Concordat with Vatican signd+treaties with USA+entry f Spa in UN/In EH new oppositi movements emergd,+littl by littl,they abandond th activity f th official oppositi in exil(labour movement mad new attemps+frm nationalism radical groups emergd bcs disagreemnt with PNV→EKIN→ETA Contxt
Baiona Pact meant an endorsement f th Bsq Gov as representant f Bsq peopl/Was agreed T respect+defend,once democratic normality ws restord,wishs f Bsq peopl/Perhaps key t tht agreemnt=recovery f democrtic freedoms prioritizd over any other issue//Pact=signd by lot f diffrent groups/Repercussions f th same weren’t very importnt bcs pact ws broken due t strong discrepancies among signatories//Also meant an attempt t gather oppositi t th regime abroad,tht ws frustratd when in 50s F’s regim ws recognisd internatioly/Tht meant appearance f new oppositi n EH(workers’ movement+natiolism:EKIN,ETA) Conclu