Regional Nationalism (Opposition)

• Regional nationalism had been a feature of Spanish politics for many years. However, it emerged again in the 1960s partly as a response to Franco's policy of suppression.
• Franco promoted Spanish nationalism to encourage a common Spanish identity. In practice, the government promoted bullfighting and flamenco dancing as traditions to be embraced by the whole of Spain, even though, for example, flamenco dancing was a cultural tradition from the south, which had no roots in northern Spain.
• All cultural activities were subject to censorship and many were forbidden. For example, between 1937 and 1956, Franco waged war on Basque culture. At the end of the civil war, Franco's forces occupied libraries and burned all books in the Basque language. Basque language schools and Basque universities were closed, in order to suppress the local culture.
• As well as attacking regional culture, Franco abolished the centuries-old fiscal privileges and autonomy known as the fueros in the Basque provinces of Guipuzoa and Biscay. These provinces were classified as 'traitor regions' and were stripped of their privileges. However, Alava, another Basque region, retained its privileges as it had supported Franco during the civil war.
• Franco used language to establish national unity. He abolished the legal recognition of the Basque, Galician and Catalan languages, making Spanish the only official language. As a result, all government, legal and commercial documents were drawn up exclusively in Spanish and any written in other languages were deemed void. The usage of other languages were forbidden, for example, in schools and religious ceremonies. However, citizens continued to speak other languages in private.
• In the late 1960s, authorities became more lenient. However, non-Castilian languages continued to be discouraged and never received official status. Additionally, the compulsory national education system and the development of modern mass media continued to be delivered in the Spanish language, as it was controlled by the state. By the 1970s, the majority of the population in the urban areas couldn't speak their minority language.
• ETA engaged in a terrorist campaign in the 1960s, initially focusing on bank robberies to raise funds. It received a significant amount of support from the Basque region. In the late 1960s, its campaign began to focus more on assassinations. For example, in 1968 Meliton Manzanas Gonzalez, an influential high-ranking police officer in the Basque region, was assassinated. He was a strong opponent of Basque nationalism and was the ETA's first planned victim. In response, the government arrested 2000 suspected ETA members. The ETA continued with its campaign and Franco became a target in 1970.
• The ETA (Basque Homeland and Freedom) was a group of the Basque Nationalist Group (PNV), established in 1959. It's key focus was to support Basque culture and independence. The ETA used violence to achieve its aimed and continued to operate after 1975. It was viewed in and out of Spain as a terrorist organisation.
• As an attempt to destroy ETA, a public military trial of ETA members was held in December 1970. However, the Burgos Trial failed to have the desired impact. ETA members used the trial to criticise Franco's regime. 16 leading members, including 2 women and 2 priests, were put on trial and sentenced to death. However, their sentences were revised to life imprisonment after international pressure.
• After the Burgos Trial, ETA support grew, especially among radical students who viewed the ETA as an organisation that effectively challenged Franco. This made the government's response counterproductive. ETA continued its activities and by 1975 the ETA has assassinated a further 48 people.