Unit 11

Franco´s dictatorship in the Basque Country

(1939-1975)

Unit 11. Franco´s dictatorship in the Basque Country

The end of the Civil War in Euskadi left society divided between winners and losers.
Winners included Falangists, military, dynastic parties, traditionalists, and business/industry
representatives. Losers comprised nationalists, socialists, and communists.
Early Francoism was marked by political repression and economic revival, alongside
clandestine resistance activities led by pre-Civil War organizations like ETA.

I. Basque economy under Francoism

Despite the Basque industry escaping severe damage during the Civil War, economic
recovery was sluggish due to issues such as fuel shortages, lack of raw materials, and
skilled labor, exacerbated by post-Francoist repression. However, high demand for
industrial products fueled economic growth, particularly in iron, steel, and chemicals. State
intervention and international isolation post-World War II hampered development until the
1950s. The Stabilization Plan of 1959 marked a turning point, coinciding with the rise of
cooperatives in Gipuzkoa.
- Alava: Industrial take off
- Biscay: creation of a powerful chemical industry. Shipbuilding, iron and steel maintained
their importance
The 1960s and early 1970s witnessed remarkable economic development, notably in Álava
and Biscay with the emergence of a powerful chemical industry. However, from 1973, the
Basque economy faced crises due to the international oil crisis, terrorism, and the Spanish
political transition, leading to industrial dismantling and harsh rationalization in the 1980s.
- International oil crisis (1973)
- Terrorism: Many entrepreneurs were forced to leave the Basque Country because of
ETA threats.
- Spanish political transition, full of uncertainties in those years.
The 80’ will be witnesses of dismantling and harsh industrial rationalization.

II. Political and social situation. The exile, conflicts and opposition to
Francoism
History of Spain. Unit 11. Baccalaureate 2. El Salvador School. Marists.
 The period following Franco's capture of Bilbao in June 1937 marked severe repression in
the Basque Country, erasing republican institutions and stifling Basque culture. Postwar
hardships included exile, death penalties, and imprisonment.
Political resistance, initially led by exiled Basques in foreign countries, shifted underground
with little success, despite attempts to await outside intervention.

The 1947 strike, involving 30,000 workers, highlighted discontent but fractured anti-
dictatorship forces.
The subsequent Burgos Trial and police repression further weakened opposition structures.
In the 1950s, attempts to resist dictatorship failed, while nationalist efforts to promote
Basque culture were supported by the Basque church.
Dissatisfied with established parties, young students formed EKIN, later giving rise to ETA
in 1958, initially focused on cultural nationalism before turning to armed activism.
The 1960s saw heightened conflict and strikes, including ETA's emergence, leading to
increased tensions and casualties.
ETA, influenced by Basque nationalism and global liberation movements, defined itself as a
socialist organization for national liberation.
Over its 50-year existence, ETA caused 833 deaths and attracted around 15,000 activists,
reflecting its profound impact on Basque society amidst the Franco regime's repression and
political unrest.

III. The crisis of the dictatorship in the Basque Country.

In the 1970s, political tensions escalated in opposition to Francoism, with protests emerging from
Basque clergy and ETA's "action-repression-action" strategy.

The Burgos Trial of 1970, targeting ETA members, spurred widespread protests due to legal
irregularities and torture allegations. Economic crisis fueled clandestine union actions like
Comisiones Obreras. ETA's assassination of Luis Carrero Blanco in 1973 brought Carlos Arias
Navarro to power.
Despite Euskadi's industrial advancement, economic downturn and political uncertainty loomed,
initiating Spain's transition to democracy.
Key figures from the Burgos Trial, including Mario Onaindia and Teo Uriarte, later led political
organizations such as Euskadiko Ezkerra and PSE-EE, while others joined Herri Batasuna and
Ezker Batua-Berdeak.

History of Spain. Unit 11. Baccalaureate 2. El Salvador School. Marists.

History of Spain. Unit 11. Baccalaureate 2. El Salvador School. Marists.